Psycho

Bloch uses unreliable narration to increase suspense following the revelation that Norma Bates has been dead for years, with several scenes that illustrate how inexplicable Norman’s behavior and the events of the story appear to be. For example, the author shows Norman's side of Chambers’s property inspection, setting up and then subverting the expectation that he will reveal what’s really going on. Though numerous characters come close to discovering the murders, Norman continues to behave like a hapless bystander, too timid to assert himself until he has no choice. This emphasizes the theme of Shame and Repression, as the author reveals that Norman himself is the killer, but he has repressed the decisive, confident part of himself in the form of his mother. For example, Norman fails to assert himself when Sam and Lila arrive at the motel. Had he forced Sam and Lila to take a room other than Room 6, he may have prevented them from finding Mary's earring, which connects Norman to her death.

The Bates house also symbolizes Norman’s repression. Norman Bates’s house is like a tomb, sealed off from the outside world and unchanged from the way his mother kept it. Lila’s entrance into the Bates house increases the tension, as Bloch revealed in the previous scene that Norman knows Lila is there. Lila’s initial observations of the house parallel Mary’s, but Lila knows all is not as it appears—that the truth is hidden under the old-fashioned decor. Lila notices that despite the general state of decay, Norma’s room feels alive and inhabited, suggesting that Norma is the only part of Norman that is not repressed. Lila’s discovery of Norma Bates’s body is an ironic twist in Psycho, clearing up the question of whether Norma is alive. Bloch’s purposely vague narration of Norma throughout the book creates narrative tension and suspense that resolves the moment Norman appears, dressed as his mother. The truth, and the extent of Norman’s repression, becomes clear: The old woman who intruded on Mary’s shower and murdered her was Norman; the old woman Arbogast saw in the window and whom Norman relocated to the cellar was the real Norma’s taxidermized corpse.

This closely relates to the theme of The Duality of Human Nature, with Norman’s violent impulses shrouded under a harmless, timid exterior. Norman’s timidity initially sways Sam, who later expresses shock that Norman is capable of such violence: “He sounded so—so damned ordinary!” (146). At first, Sam finds it difficult to believe that Norman could be involved in Mary's disappearance. During his conversation with Sam, under the influence of alcohol, Norman finally reveals his delusions, further building the tension over Norma’s state: Is she dead or undead? Is she really Mary’s killer? The answers rely on Psychoanalyzing Norman Bates. Norman explains to Sam that he was able to resurrect his mother through occult means, a confession that links to the occult, psychology, and history books he read throughout the story. These books, along with the rest of Norman’s interests and actions, take on new significance given this information. These books, for instance, once seemed to be evidence of morbid curiosity, a pastime that allowed him to explore parts of his personality beyond his mother's suffocating presence. After the revelation about Norman’s grave robbing, the books take on a more sinister meaning, as he believes he used them to bring a dead body back to life. This implies that he has been experiencing serious delusions, throwing the rest of the novel’s events into question. It is important to note that Bloch’s depiction of Norman’s mental health condition reflects the attitudes of the novel’s era. In fact, people with mental health conditions are far more likely to experience violent crime than to perpetrate it.