Bloch has a way with
words. His style focuses on the inner darkness of Norman Bates. Some pages in, the
line between narrator and Norman blurred. It isn’t unreasonable to see the
narration as reflective of the mental state of Norman.
The narration is part of
the unease, the atmosphere of something about to break and there wasn't damned
thing I could do to stop it. At times, it seemed the narrator and Norman were
the same person, or that may just be me reading too much into the text.
I had difficulty
understanding just WHO the real psycho was.
Mrs. Bates. Good Lord. I
can’t help but have some sympathy for her.
One of the more
disturbing aspects is the relationship between Norman and his mother. She
projects her anger on to him. Perhaps she sees her ex-husband in Norman? Perhaps
she’s trying to protect him from her? Just what is wrong with this woman? And I
thought my mother was crazy. Mrs. Bates is the epitome of an overbearing,
overprotective mother.
She is vindictive towards
Norman and she demeans the female customers and constantly states they are
bitches, as if she is superior and the only one for Norman, the only woman who
could love him. She is emotionally abusive toward Norman. However, he does
defend her and state she’s not crazy.
Delving into the
unraveling of Norman is arguably one of the strongest aspects of the novel. After
the murder, I didn’t feel dread nor fear. I felt pity. Norman went into a panic
and went to hide his mother’s crime. Whether he did this out of love or fear
for her well-being, I’m still up in the air. I think I will be for a while.
Norman’s mental health
takes a turn for the worse early. His use of alcohol as an escape is a typical
sign of depression. However, Norman seems to hide this by keeping busy or
forcing himself to think about something else. But depression is a monster, it
doesn’t go away so easily. Whiskey is cheaper than therapy in Norman’s case.
Another thing that adds
to his depression, to his character, which stems from his mother’s unyielding distaste
for other women is likely sexual frustration. His attempt to peep into the
bathroom adds weight to this. It could also be said he retains the mentality of
a teenager by attempting to peep into the bathroom.
Norman’s denial of his
mother’s mental health is shattered after he discovers his mother’s crime. He
may well have hidden it in benefit to his mother.
One of the negative
aspect of this novel could be the messy narration. But, again, that may be
intentional. This technique appears to make the story unstable, like it is falling apart. Ironic, really.
