Insanity

Inarguably, Psycho is a study of insanity, particularly the insanity of its main character, Norman Bates, who has developed a split personality in order to cope with his extreme emotional issues. Norman's insanity is characterized by gruesome violence, voices in his head, and a complete loss of reality. Yet the defining element of Norman's insanity is his split personality - the young boy (Norman), the adult man (could be called "Normal"), and of course, Mother (Norma). Each of these personalities encompasses a different aspect of the main character's psyche, and throughout the novel, Norman Bates struggles to balance the three. The novel seems to suggest that Norman's insanity comes as a result of his puritanical mother's abusive control. Mother taught Norman - through physical and verbal abuse - that all things sexual (from nudity to impure thoughts) were perverse, disgusting, and evil. As a result, Norman failed to...