From Robert Bloch’s novel, Psycho it is inferred that Norman Bates is the antagonist, meaning the main character. The book starts off by introducing Norman Bates, Norma Bates, son. He is introduced in the opening of the book. “Norman Bates heard the noise a shock went through him.”(Bloch 8), he lives with his mother, the antagonist, Norma Bates. She is a very predominant mother who owns a motel. At the beginning of the book, Norma and Norman get into a very outrageous argument. Both the mother and sun started raising their voices at each other, which confirms they do not get along at times.
Norman Bates in the novel Psycho is portrayed as a dynamic because he undergoes change throughout the story. He starts off having one personality
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and ends up having a split personality because of the killing of his mom. It all began when Mary was murdered he started to grow into split personalities. He is also a round character because he encounters conflict and changes because of it. The main conflict was, Norman was abused by his mother could, and not take it any longer so he murdered her, which was why he was sent away.
He still felt the need to answer to her because of her very controlling personality, so he developed a split personality, the Norman personality, and the Mother personality. He wanted a normal life and to have a normal relationship with a woman but "Mother" didn't want that so he was conflicted. In his mind, he didn't kill the women but Mother did.
Norman used a painting of ”Susanna and the Elders”, to cover the peephole in the motel's bathroom, which was used for when he would spy on Mary while she showered. The painting is from a story in the bible. It symbolizes three old men spying on a woman while she
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undresses. A theme that is displayed in Robert Bloch’s novel is suspense. The shower incident where Mary was murdered was filled full of suspense. There is an incredible amount of cliffhangers in the novel Psycho. Exposition- At the beginning of the book, Norman and his mom get into a fight, which justifies they do not get along. Rising action- Mary was in the shower and the book says, she did not hear the door open, or the footsteps of the women. Climax- The climax of the story is when Mary got murdered with a knife while she was showering. “It was the knife that, a moment later, cut off her scream. And her head”(Bloch 40). Falling action- Sam and Lila do not know where Mary is, they soon start an investigation. Resolution- Norman developed a split personality because he killed his mother. He is taken to trial and affirmed with insanity and will be in jail for the rest of his life. 7.
Robert Bloch’s novel uses third person omniscient, which is inferred by textual evidence. “He hesitated”(Bloch 34), “She said softly. (Bloch 35), and “Lila said,”(Bloch 86). The third person narrator follows the perspective of every character all throughout the book.
8. A figure of speech used is alliteration. “Like old Tompkins, superintendent of schools for years and a big wheel in Rotary, running away from his wife and family with a six-teen-ten-year-old girl.”(Bloch 79). This is alliteration because both of the words use the same consonant. ”Sam I’m worried. It’s almost four now, and Arbogast hasn’t called-----’.(Bloch 82). This is an example of assonance because the two words used the same vowel. “Keep on doing it for a hundred years to come.”(Bloch 82). This is an example of a hyperbole because it uses exaggeration for effect.
9. “If she had been a religious girl, she would have prayed",”As if everything that has happened was somehow fated to be. Her turning off on the wrong road, coming here, meeting that pathetic man.” (Bloch 39).This is foreshadowing because everything that was just said was negative, which proves something bad is going to
happen. 10. When Mary got slain that is an example of dramatic irony because the audience and characters were not expecting that to happen. “The water was on full force, that is why she did not hear the door open, then she saw, a face peering through the curtains.” “Mary started to scream, a hand appeared, holding a butchers knife. It was the knife, a moment later, cut off her scream. And her head.” (Bloch 40) The readers were not expecting this situation to occur. Norman says, “She must have slipped, she must have fallen and hurt herself”.(Bloch 48). Which proves also the characters did not think this would happen.
Psycho is a suspense-horror film written by Joseph Stefano and directed by Alfred Hitchcock. This film was loosely adapted from Robert Bloch’s 1959 suspense novel, Psycho. A majority of the movie was filmed in 1960 at Universal Studios in Los Angeles. Psycho is about Marion Crane (Janet Leigh), a secretary from Arizona who steals $40,000 from her employer’s client. She takes that money and drives off to California to meet her lover Sam Loomis (John Gavin) in order to start a new life. After a long drive, she pulls off the main highway and ends up taking refuge at an isolated motel owned and managed by a deranged Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins). In Alfred Hitchcock’s film, Psycho, symbols, character and point of view are three literary aspects used in the film to manipulate the audience’s emotions and to build suspense in the film.
Johnson uses third person omniscient therefore creating important viewpoints from different characters. As a result, Johnson is in the minds of all of the characters. This also helps the novella flow from one person perspective to the next, and the reader can move through the novella from one time period to the next quickly. Being able to flow from one part of the novella to the next is important to the story because Johnson uses many plot lines to navigate through his novella. His writing strategy helps develop irony throughout the story. After Grainier describes the Hobo, “He was bearded and streaked with dust, and bits of the woods clung to him everywhere,” (30) the reader engages the story through the eyes of William Coswell, the hobo along the river: “That’s right, I have been cut behind my knee and I have to say, I know he killed me” (31). The reader is engaged by Grainier’s description of William Coswell, but the reader also learns how the Hobo got in his predicament without the single view of Grainier. Grainier never told anyone about the Hobo along the river. His actions resulted in the cruel irony Grainier thought the Hobo deserved. Johnson writing perspective also helps the reader empathize with Peterson when he was talking with Grainier about how his own dog shot him. After Grainier asked Peterson multiple times how a dog could shoot a person, Peterson tells his story. “My dog shot me in self-defense. He knew I had his end in mind.” By writing in third person omniscient the reader gets to look into the minds of both characters and create a strong relationship and bond with them. The reader can empathize with why Robert Grainier was so curious about the incident, and how embarrassing this was to Peterson. Readers can see the reactions of the characters which helps interpret the plot of the
Eventually word got out he was in fact lying. so Alfred Hitchcock had to give another descirption of the movie Quote"Story of a young man whose mother is a homicidal maniac". The word psycho also means split personality. Alfred Hitchcock gives clues for this. e.g the word "Psycho" which is featured on the promoting poster has been completly shattered, which makes you think that the film is about split personalities.
...y away from women, Norman seems to lusts after Marion, and “Mother” did not approve of it. Of course at the end of the film we discover that the mother is actually also Norman, who “transforms” into his mother whenever he experiences sexual desire for other women. Norman’s mother’s personality that consumed him would kill those who threatened to come between them. After listening to the manner in which Norman’s mother spoke to her son, Marion can't believe that Norman is traumatized so harshly by his mother and suggests he should break away from her. She overstepped her boundaries when she suggested Norman place his mom in an asylum. Marion insists that he can free himself from the traps that he feels have possessed him. The fact that Norman lusted Marion and Marion threatened the relationship between him and “mother’s” served purpose enough for her murder.
In both productions, fear was a critical element in the story line and subtle techniques were used to convey this. In ‘Psycho’, Alfred Hitchcock used strategic camera angles and shots throughout the film to position the viewer to understand the relationships between the characters. An example of an effective camera angle is the notorious parlor scene where Norman Bates invited Marion Crane in to converse. As they are speaking, the tension between them is high and while the focus was purely on the two, the surrounding environment of the parlor portrays a much deeper and more disturbing scene. By this stage in the film, Norman was categorised as an awkward yet polite young man and
Another example of foreshadowing is the clues to the death of the Marquis St. Evremonde. The people that want a revolution hate the Marquis. “That I believe our name to be more detested then any name in France” from Charles Darnay to the Marquis (113). The Marquis hears this and reply’s “’A compliment’, said the Marquis, ‘to the grandeur of the family’”(showing that he is completely oblivious to what is going on in France)(113). This is foreshadowing that the people will probably punish the Marquis. The final event is when the Marquis’s coach ran over a child and he replied “’It is extraordinary to me, said he ‘ that you people cannot take care of yourselves and you children’”(102). Then Defarge throws his coin back into the carriage, showing his anger. This event angers the people, and is a key part in the foreshadowing of the Marquis’s death.
Without the proper atmosphere that the plot needs, the thematic ideas such as greed has its consequences, will become meaningless. The foundation of Psycho was the climatic atmosphere that brought on the movie’s rise of fame to be the classic thriller. The shadow of the killer that repeatedly stabs Marion and the screeching violins that play throughout this scene immersed the audience into the movie so that they were in the Cabin number One. Even Marion's death was foreshadowed by her drive to Fairvale, the irony of ending up at Bates Motel and the setting foreshadow her tragic end. In Gothic literature, storms frequently accompany large events and they are metaphor of horr...
In Alfred Hitchcock’s famous “slasher” movie, Psycho, the audience is introduced to Norman Bates. Like many ot...
In the film, American Psycho, Patrick Bateman was a wealthy investment banker who also happened to be a serial killer. He was highly intelligent and was charming which attracted many of the women who came his way. Unlike most people in the world, he lived in constant pain. He was rarely happy with himself, and also hated everyone around him. He felt that he needed to inflict his pain on others in violent ways. He always had something disgusting to say such as, “I like to dissect girls; I am utterly insane.” It is outside of the norm to speak in this way, therefore he would be considered deviant. He displayed feelings of distress as he became frustrated very easily with himself and others. Everything
As Norman Bates is divided into two characters, “Norma” and “Norman,” so is the Bates Motel. There is the hotel where the residents stay, and then there is where Norma stays. It is also divided into city areas and rural areas. The city areas are filled with normal people, living normal lives, whereas the rural areas comprising of dark roads and ominous dangers; stormy weather and eerily unoccupied motel. Diverting off of Main Street leads to areas of madness and terror. The Overlook Hotel has a history of violence and questionable deaths. It is distant from civilisation, which leads to the development of Jack Torrance’s insanity. Psycho and The Shining were set within a similar time period. The Shining is written in two significant time eras, 1945, the end of World War 2 and 1975, marking the end of the Vietnam
After Norman is physically attracted to Marion, he feels guilty for betraying his alter ego who is that of his mother, whom I would label as Norma.
The character of Norman Bates deviated from the book's original character, a forty year old pervert, to Anthony Perkins' character 'a tender vulnerable young man' one could almost feel sorry for. Perkins plays Norman Bates as if the role were written for him, with his nervous voice used throughout the movie and his awkward appearance and actions. A distinct part of Norman's character is his subtle lapses in which he shows signs of the ever present 'Mother'. The parlour scene is an excellent example of these lapses. The lines 'a boy's best friend is his mother' and 'we all go a little mad sometimes' are e...
Entrails torn from the body with bare hands, eyes gouged out with razor blades, battery cables, rats borrowing inside the human body, power drills to the face, cannibalism, credit cards, business cards, Dorsia, Testoni, Armani, Wall Street; all of these things are Patrick Bateman’s world. The only difference between Bateman and anybody else is what is repulsive to Bateman and what is repulsive to the rest of the world. Bateman has great interest in the upper class life, fashions, and social existence, but at the same time he is, at times, sickened by the constant struggle to be one up on everybody else. On the other hand Bateman’s nightlife reveals a side of him never seen during the day. Bateman is relaxed, impulsive, and confident while torturing and killing. He doesn’t have to worry about being better than anyone else. The only competition he has is his last victim. Torture and murder are the two true loves of Patrick Bateman.
In the article, “Psycho at Fifty: Pure Cinema or Invitation to an Orgy?” by John A. Bertolini, he describes how the images and scenes throughout the whole movie and its more arguable parts are what made the film stick with the imagination of Hitchcock’s audience. He goes on to give an explanation of how Hitchcock is as well one of few directors who is able to mix a little humor to go along with his vicious plot. Bertolini speculates that the audience was thrown off by savagery depicted in this film and more concerned with the emotions that were created by Hitchcock’s movie. He also outlines how much controversy the film created Psycho by stating how it, “reflected the changes at work in the larger society, especially the increasing insiste...
The writer uses third-person limited omniscient point of view to tell the story. The author can read through Elizabeth Bates’s mind and perc...