Analysis of Norman Bates' Personality using Freud and Jung's Theories

Running head: PSYCHOLOGY
Psychology
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Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................2
First theory.......................................................................................................................................3
Second theory..................................................................................................................................5
Similarities and difference...............................................................................................................7
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................9
References......................................................................................................................................10

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Introduction
The character Norman Bates is fictional, and created by the Robert Bloch in the novel
Psycho, published in 1959. This character was also shown in the American psychological thriller
that was produced by Alfred Hitchock. Norman Bates has been portrayed as a quiet, smart,
handsome, funny, and shy young man, who shares an intensely warm relationship with his
mother, Norma Bates. Norman is depicted as a young man who runs a small-off motel in
Fairvale, California. The prequel of the movie, titled ‘Psycho IV: The Beginning’ provides an
explanation that Norman suffered severe emotional neglect and abuse in his childhood
(Leistedt&Linkowski, 2014). His mother, Norma Bates was the perpetrator, who preached to him
the fact that all kinds of sexual relationships were sinful and illicit and all women (except his
mother) were promiscuous and engaged in immoral sexual acts for money.
At the age of six years, Norman’s father had died, thereby leaving him in the care Norma.
Norma raised her son with cruelty and forbade him to have any life away from her. The novel
and the prequel also suggested presence of an incestuous relationship between the two. He was
also made to dress up in girl’s clothes as a punishment. The two used to live in the isolation at a
large house, with the assumption that there was no one else around. Upon reaching adolescence,
Norman’s mother meets Joe Considine, and plans to get married to him.
The fact that Norma has abandoned her son for her fiancé,drives Norman with jealousy
and he poisons their ice tea with strychnine, a highly toxic pesticide. He stages it in the form of a
murder-suicide and makes it appear that his mother had killed her fiancé, and committed suicide
later on. This is followed by a brief period of hospitalisation, since he fails to bear the loss of his
beloved mother. The following pages suggest development of certain traits in Norman that

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pertain to dissociative personality disorder that is characterised by presence of two or more
relatively enduring and distinct personalities (Vermetten& Spiegel, 2014). This makes him
assume the personality of his mother, which is triggered by his actions of stealing and
mummifying her corpse in the fruit cellar. He also speaks to it as if Norma is still alive. He
developsa trait of speaking in her voice and begins to frequently dress himself in her clothes
(Grimes, 2018).
The dissociative personality disorder helps him escape the awareness and guilt of her
murder. The personality of Norma is portrayed by the disorder as cruel and possessive who kills
all women, whom Norman is attracted to. This personality also dominates and belittles him. On
the other hand, the personality of Norman is depicted as a child dependent on Norma. This split
personality takes over him at times, and makes him dress in Norma’s clothes and wig, followed
by subsequent murdering of two women who try attempts at seducing Norman during their stay
at the motel (Greven, 2014). Thus, the occasional lapsing into his mother’s personality is
triggered by an awakening of his sexual urge.
First theory
This section analyses the character of Norman Bates using the theory of Sigmund Freud. This
theorist explains about three elements of the subconscious mind which are Id, the Ego, and the
Super Ego as well as interrelationship between them. The animalistic impulses of a person are
attributed to Id which is considered to be chaotic. It is the outcome of instant gratification and
pleasure principle. It is driven by instinct is for self-preservation. Ego differs from Id and is the
personality a person shows to others based on the reality formula. On the other hand the
superego refers to the conscience and the moral standards as well as to the beliefs and ideas of