CHILDHOOD TRAUMA : The Threshold of Psychological
Pathologies
Theory in the simplest form can be explained as a set of principles
on which the practice of an activity is based. Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Psycho’ like
every other horror genre keep us tied to our seats till the very end to
experience the unexpected climax. The name “psycho’ is totally justified for it
deals with a lot of psychological pathologies an individual can experience.
This movie throws light on Freudian’s theory of psychosexual development where
children in their Phallic Stage experience the ‘Oedipus Complex’ which is
defined by the child identifying more with the opposite sex parent and
developing hostile attitude towards the same sex parent. According to Freud,
children usually experience more emotional problems when they repress their
actual feelings in their unconsciousness to keep up with the values and
standards assigned by the society. It is because of this repression that
Norman, initially showcased as a very shy and polite boy ends up being the
villain of the movie.
Throughout the whole movie we are under the belief that Norman and his mother reside in the motel and that no one can meet her because she is tad bit of a crazy woman. But it is only for the ending scene, when the living semblance of an old woman enters the door with a large knife and her wig falls away to reveal Norman Bates dressed in the guise of the mother that we come to understand that throughout the whole time we have been living under a lie that Norman Bates’ mother is still alive. Baffled by this climax, we come to know that due to the death of his father, Norman came to depend on the undivided attention of his mother. But when his mother found another man, Norman started getting jealous of the attention being given to him and he could not accept the fact that he was getting replaced. This is where Freudian’s Oedipus Complex comes to play. The child, being Norman develops sexual relationship for the mother and wishes to have a complex relationship with her. The father, being the new man to enter her mother’s life is viewed as just another obstacle in the way of their relationship. Not accepting him for his feelings and realizing that he would never get his way, he poisons both his mother and her lover , but instead of burying her, he keeps her to himself.
Hitchcock’s Psycho also throws light on ‘Denial’ an ego-defense mechanism that we use to reduce our anxiety after some unacceptable or negative impulses.
Norman Bates' guilt of committing matricide takes a toll on his mental health. He becomes a victim of ‘Dissociative Identity Disorder’ which is characterized by the presence of two or more distinct identities or personality states that continually have power over the person’s behavior. He goes up to great lengths, like walking around wearing her clothes and a woman’s wig to enhance the illusion that his mother was still alive. At times he was even capable of enacting both the personalities simultaneously and other times, “The mother half” took over his identity completely. He also made sure to comfort his feelings toward her by assuming that she was just as jealous and would not let him be attracted to other women. When Norman met Marion (the protagonist of the movie) he was attracted to her. It is this attraction that sets off the stage for his “mother” to experience jealousy and kill Marion. In the end it is clear, that in his battle to resolve the conflict between his consciousness and unconsciousness, it is the “mother half” of him that drives out Norman from himself completely and he is left to be viewed by others, the audience as the ‘ PSYCHO’.
Throughout the whole movie we are under the belief that Norman and his mother reside in the motel and that no one can meet her because she is tad bit of a crazy woman. But it is only for the ending scene, when the living semblance of an old woman enters the door with a large knife and her wig falls away to reveal Norman Bates dressed in the guise of the mother that we come to understand that throughout the whole time we have been living under a lie that Norman Bates’ mother is still alive. Baffled by this climax, we come to know that due to the death of his father, Norman came to depend on the undivided attention of his mother. But when his mother found another man, Norman started getting jealous of the attention being given to him and he could not accept the fact that he was getting replaced. This is where Freudian’s Oedipus Complex comes to play. The child, being Norman develops sexual relationship for the mother and wishes to have a complex relationship with her. The father, being the new man to enter her mother’s life is viewed as just another obstacle in the way of their relationship. Not accepting him for his feelings and realizing that he would never get his way, he poisons both his mother and her lover , but instead of burying her, he keeps her to himself.
Hitchcock’s Psycho also throws light on ‘Denial’ an ego-defense mechanism that we use to reduce our anxiety after some unacceptable or negative impulses.
Norman Bates' guilt of committing matricide takes a toll on his mental health. He becomes a victim of ‘Dissociative Identity Disorder’ which is characterized by the presence of two or more distinct identities or personality states that continually have power over the person’s behavior. He goes up to great lengths, like walking around wearing her clothes and a woman’s wig to enhance the illusion that his mother was still alive. At times he was even capable of enacting both the personalities simultaneously and other times, “The mother half” took over his identity completely. He also made sure to comfort his feelings toward her by assuming that she was just as jealous and would not let him be attracted to other women. When Norman met Marion (the protagonist of the movie) he was attracted to her. It is this attraction that sets off the stage for his “mother” to experience jealousy and kill Marion. In the end it is clear, that in his battle to resolve the conflict between his consciousness and unconsciousness, it is the “mother half” of him that drives out Norman from himself completely and he is left to be viewed by others, the audience as the ‘ PSYCHO’.
WORKS CITED
Wood, Robin. Hitchcock's Films Revisited. New York: Columbia UP, 1989. Print.
Saxon, Jill, and Robert S. Siegler. Study Guide to Accompany How Children Develop, 3rd Edition. New York: Worth, 2011. Print
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