A Psychoanalytical Reading of Norman Bates in Robert Bloch's
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Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Vol-3, Issue-5, 2017 ISSN: 2454-1362, http://www.onlinejournal.in A Psychoanalytical Reading of Norman Bates in Robert Bloch’s Psycho Merlyn Sneha Raj B.A, M.A English Literature Stella Maris College (Affiliated to University of Madras) Abstract: This paper is an attempt to analyse the the society and their overly introverted personality psychic/abnormal behaviour of one of the greatest directly contributes to their homicidal activity. villains of the serial killer genre – Norman Bates in American fiction writer Robert Bloch’s novel Right from an early age, such individuals are Psycho (1959) using Sigmund Freud’s and Jacques fantasised by cannibalism, voyeurism, Lacan’s theory of psychoanalysis. pornography, sadomasochism and possibly even homosexuality. There are one kind of serial killers A serial killer is generally a mentally disturbed who believe that they are following the orders of a person who murders their victims (usually three or different persona (within themselves). They are more) within a short span of one month with brief called Visionary killers. The other kind are called intervals in between. The motive behind the murder Hedonistic killers, who simply derive pleasure is sadism and psychological gratification. The from causing extreme physical pain to their victims usually have something in common, maybe victims. in terms of their appearance, sex, a specific age group etc. The murder is perpetrated in a similar Robert Bloch is one of America’s finest and style, which may also involve sexual contact renowned horror, suspense and science fiction (known as necrophilia) with the victims. Serial writer and also a script writer best known for this killers also involve in fetishism and partialism. most famous work Psycho. He was born in 1917 in Chicago in the United States. His interest in fiction According to Austrian neurologist and founder of writing was kindled by the works of H. P. psychoanalysis Sigmund Freud, an individual’s Lovecraft, who mentored him during his early personality is mainly composed of three career. He started writing suspense and horror components namely the Id, which consists of the stories for magazines and published his first story individual’s basic drives and instincts, the Ego - in 1934. He has written more than 220 stories. In which helps in maintaining a balance and helps the 1947, he published his first novel The Scarf and individual in taking rational decisions and finally from then on became a famous writer of horror the Superego - which is the moral centre of an stories. He has received the Nebula award, two individual. A person’s consciousness is greatly Hugo awards for outstanding achievement in determined by the unconsciousness experienced by science fiction, three World Fantasy awards and that individual during their childhood. Freud five Bram Stoker awards for his literary theorised that a child’s psychosexual development contributions. Some of his best novels include The consisted of five stages namely the oral stage, anal Kidnapper, Night World, Strange Eons and The stage, phallic stage, latency stage and finally the Star Stalker. Most of them were adapted into genital stage. These stages play a crucial role in the movies and television series. overall healthy development of an individual’s personality. Any kind of distortion in this Bloch’s Psycho, tells the story of Norman Bates, development during one’s childhood can produce his strange relationship with his mother and the psychopathic tendencies later in their adulthood. motel business they run in Fairvale, California. Unpleasant and traumatic experiences during Norman is a middle aged bachelor, around forty childhood where one is severely abused verbally, years old dominated by his mother, a mean physically (even sexually) influences the behaviour tempered and puritanical old woman who forbids of such individuals. A child’s environment also him to have a life of his own. Thus, he never learns plays a crucial role in contributing to its homicidal to socialize with the outside world. Mary Crane is activity. They usually experience the loss of an one of the customers who visits the Bates Motel by important family member either by way of death or chance after having impulsively stolen $40,000 separation, with whom they were closely connected from a client of a real estate company in order to (mostly a parent). This makes them feel that their pay off the debts of her lover, Sam Loomis. In the needs are neglected which in turn lowers their self- motel, Norman awkwardly asks her to join him for esteem. As a result, they alienate themselves from dinner. When he talks about his ‘sick mother’, Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Page 1633 Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Vol-3, Issue-5, 2017 ISSN: 2454-1362, http://www.onlinejournal.in Mary suggests him the idea of admitting her in an Norman still applies the lessons he learnt from her institution but this outrages Norman. Soon after she in his life. returns to her room, Mary is brutally decapitated in the shower by a figure which looks like an old Norman Bates is not born a psycho but becomes woman. Detective Arbogast, hired by Mary’s old one because of the environment he was exposed to boss, traces her to the Bates Motel in order to as a child. His mother was all he had after his father retrieve the money. But he too is murdered by this deserted them. He is deeply affected when he mysterious figure who slits his throat. After getting learns that his mother, around whom his whole life to know the information from the local Sheriff that was centred and whom he thought to be the only Norman’s mother had been dead for the past twenty ‘moral’ woman he knew, has an extra marital affair years, Sam and Mary’s sister Lila arrive at the with a man called Joe Cosidine. His first murder (of motel. While exploring Norman’s house, Lila is his mother and her lover) starts after he interrupts shocked to find the corpse of Norman’s mother them in a ‘primal scene’. According to Freudian preserved all these years. She is suddenly attacked theory, this is the first time a child witnesses a by Norman who is dressed in his mother’s clothes sexual act between its parents and this may distort but manages to escape with the help of Sam. It is the psychosexual development of the child. Fearing later revealed that Norman had murdered both his that he will lose his mother’s love and affection and mother and her lover many years ago. To escape considering her relationship with her lover as a from the feelings of guilt of having murdered her, threat, he poisons them both to death with Norman develops a split personality in which his strychnine and watches them die. Norman forges a mother becomes his alternate self. It is only when suicide note after the murder to make it seem as he takes on the personality of his mother that he though his mother had intended to kill her partner commits the murders. The obsession overpowers and then herself as she had conceived. In order to him so much that he is finally institutionalized for relieve himself of the guilt, he internalises his insanity. mother’s personality as a way of repressing the memory of killing her. His intense love for his The central character Norman Bates’ case of split mother together combined with his guilt of killing personality can be grouped into three - the little boy her contributes to his Dissociated Identity Disorder. dominated by his mother, Norma - the mother In the case of Bates, his superego or his moral whom he does not allow to die and the adult centre operates the most. The more one listens to ‘normal’ Norman who conceals the existence of the the superego, the more one feels guilty. And this other two personalities in his day to day existence. guilt is what initiates Norman’s split personality. Norman suffers from Dissociated Identity Disorder where both his personalities – Bates as himself and An important thing to be noted is the absence of a as his mother are very distinct from one another. father figure during Norman’s childhood. Norman basically is a very caring and According to French psychoanalyst Jacques conscientious person and also an ‘obedient’ son. Lacan’s mirror image theory, when a child is born For instance, he is the reason why Mary eventually into the world, it believes that it is in a state of decides to return the money after she talks to him. oneness with the mother. This is known as the However, the alternate personality, his deceased Imaginary order. Eventually as the child grows, it mother Mrs. Bates, is so dominating that it controls needs to successfully enter into the Symbolic order Norman’s actions throughout his life. Having been ie., the outer world of linguistic communication deserted by her husband in the past, Mrs. Bates and societal rules and conventions. It is the stage develops a hatred towards men in general. This is where the child recognises the ‘Name of the Father’ one of the reasons for her to have an abusive or in other words, the child learns to abide by the relationship with her son. Being a victim of rules and dictates of the society which control one’s infidelity, she tries to protect Norman from sensual desires and rules of communication. While the influences. She brings him up saying that excluding Imaginary order represents the realm of the mother, her, all other women are “bitches” [23]. Because of the Symbolic order represents the realm of the this, he is unable to have a proper relationship with father.