Foreboding and Symbolism in Hitchcock’s Psycho

The parlour scene of Alfred Hitchcock’s famous thriller film, Psycho (1960), is rife with foreboding; something that can only be truly noticed if you know what’s to come and you’ve seen the film before. The dialogue is the most obvious vehicle for the dark sense of imminence that is abundant from the moment we are directed to see the looming, strange birds that litter the parlour walls; notably the owl, symbolic of death and avarice (Olderr, p. 150), and the crow, symbolic of death, cunning and untrustworthiness (p. 62).

“You eat like a bird” Norman says to Marion as she takes a nibble of the sandwich he made for her, and it’s now that we realise there is yet another bird in the room that Hitchcock has pointed out to us so clearly. It seems so obvious now that Marion, a woman or “bird”, should have the surname “Crane,” twice a bird amongst the many already there, and that it should be a bird that so poignantly symbolises purity and also stupidity (p. 59). These definitions of crane emphasise her moment of stupidity when she stole the money, but also her purity, as she was wracked with guilt and worry and had just planned to return it the next day. It’s blatantly obvious now how Marion ominously fits into this conversation with Norman, a man whose hobby is to stuff birds, and forebodes so clearly her death that is only minutes of screen time away. The references to birds and stuffing them also alludes to Norman’s mother, who sits dead and preserved, stuffed and maintained by Norman himself. Although he seems not to know it even at the end that the illness that she suffers from, the illness that he hates so much, is death.

In realising this overt symbolism, taken only from Marion’s surname, it becomes even more noticeable how imperative their names are to this scene and to the overall story of Psycho. Marion, a diminutive of Marie, is also half of the word “marionette” – a puppet – showing her inevitable and untimely demise to come, and also perhaps noting that she never actually ends up getting stuffed like a bird, only murdered – half of the process, thus only half of the name. With Marion’s surname’s meaning already discovered, we move on to Norman Bates. His given name, Norman, seems almost too obviously a contraction of “normal man,” something which we all can gauge that he isn’t, but perhaps relating to his surname “Bates,” the meaning is clear. “Bate”, a British slang word for “a fit of bad temper” (Oxford English Dictionary), aptly forebodes Norman’s second personality – his mother – as being full of rage. His surname also places Norman in a strange position, as not only is he the carrier of his mother’s furious personality, he is also the bait (bait being a homonym of bate) for her rage. Norman Bates, the normal man who is the bait for the murderous tendencies of his second personality.

It’s a terribly important moment to notice, the parlour scene of this film, and it should be clearly observed in symbolism and also in definition. In definition because this scene is not merely a play on words and symbols, but it also marks the transferring of the protagonist from Marion to Norman. It’s in this light that the final shot within the parlour finds meaning, and draws attention to the fact that as soon as they enter the parlour beyond the “officious” office of The Bates Motel and Marion takes a nibble of the sandwich Norman has made for her, they are not seen in the same shot until she leaves once more. As she walks out of the parlour to her room, Norman steps into her shot and watches her walk away. And so subtly, so carefully orchestrated in this beautifully intelligent and literal way, has Hitchcock marked Marion’s departure as the film’s protagonist – which is further solidified by her untimely death in the following scene – and Norman taking her place, in shot and in story. It’s a testament to Alfred Hitchcock, that to this day in one scene of ten minutes he can so clearly show the fullness of his story, intelligence and skill, with such rich symbolism and attention to the simplest details; and that after fifty-three years he can still influence the contemporary audience and direct them to do his subtle bidding, feel the rapid heartbeat of suspense, and remain in the dark until the very end.

Bibliography

Hitchcock, A. (Director). (1960). Psycho [Motion Picture].
Olderr, S. (2012). Symbolism: a comprehensive dictionary (2nd Edition ed.). Jefferson: Macfarland & Company, Inc., Publishers.
Oxford English Dictionary. (2013). bait | bate n.2. Retrieved 11 02, 2013, from Oxford English Dictionary: http://0-www.oed.com.alpha2.latrobe.edu.au/view/Entry/14738?rskey=705FNf&result=1&isAdvanced=false#eid