Norma Bates (Psycho)
| Psycho character | |
|---|---|
| Norma Bates | |
 Norma as a corpse in Psycho (1960) |
|
| Born | Norma Spool (maiden name; film canon only) 1909 |
| Died | 1949 (aged 40) Fairvale, California, U.S. |
| Other names | Gloria Bates (first name; film canon only) |
| Aliases | "Mother" |
| Gender | Female |
| Cause of death | Poisoned with strychnine by Norman Bates |
| Race | Caucasian |
| Spouse(s) | John Bates (husband, deceased) |
| Children |
Norman Bates (son) Robert Newman (son; Bloch's novels only) |
| Other family |
Emma Spool (sister, deceased; film canon only) Dr. Constance "Connie" Forbes-Bates (daughter-in-law; film canon only) |
| Portrayed by |
Virginia Gregg, Jeanette Nolan, Paul Jasmin (Psycho) Virginia Gregg (Psycho II – Psycho III) Olivia Hussey, Alice Hirson (Psycho IV: The Beginning) John Kassir (Oatmeal Crisp commercial (1990)) Rose Marie (Psycho (1998)) Vera Farmiga (Bates Motel) |
| Bates Motel character | |
|---|---|
| Norma Louise Bates | |
| Born | Norma Louise Calhoun 1974 Akron, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | 2014 (aged 40) White Pine Bay, Oregon, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Carbon monoxide asphyxiation by Norman Bates |
| Other names | Norma Louise Massett Norma Louise Romero |
| Aliases | "Mother" |
| Gender | Female |
| Race | Caucasian |
| Spouse(s) | John Massett (ex-husband) Sam Bates (husband, deceased) Alex Romero (husband) |
| Children |
Norman Bates (son) Dylan Massett (son/nephew) |
| Other family | Ray Calhoun (father, deceased) Francine "Frannie" Calhoun (mother, deceased) Caleb Calhoun (brother) |
| Portrayed by |
Vera Farmiga Sarah Grey (as a teen) |
Norma Bates (née Spool) is a fictional character created by Robert Bloch in his 1959 novel Psycho, and its 1960 film of the same name directed by Alfred Hitchcock, its sequels, and the prequel television series Bates Motel portrayed by Vera Farmiga. She is the mother of serial killer Norman Bates. Although an important character, she only appears as a corpse and a voice in the films, and is not depicted as a living character until Psycho IV: The Beginning originally portrayed by Olivia Hussey.
Both the 1959 novel and the 1960 film adaptation explain that after the death of her husband, Norma raises her son Norman with cruelty: she forbids him to have a life away from her, and teaches him that sexual intercourse is sinful and that all women (except herself) are whores. The novel also suggests that their relationship may have been incestuous.
For many years, Norma and Norman live together "as if there is no one else in the world". When Norman is a teenager, his mother meets Joe Considine (Chet Rudolph in Psycho IV: The Beginning), whom she begins dating and plans to marry. Considine convinces Norma to open a motel. Norman grows insanely jealous, believing that Norma has abandoned him for her fiancé, and murders them with strychnine. He then forges a suicide note, making it look like Norma had killed Considine and then herself.
Unable to bear the loss of his mother, Norman steals Norma's corpse and mummifies it, and speaks to it as if his mother were still alive. He also speaks to himself in her voice and frequently dresses in her clothes; in his own mind, he becomes his mother in order to escape the guilt of having murdered her. The Mother personality is as possessive and cruel as Norma had been in life; Mother dominates and belittles him, forbids him to have friends, and kills any woman whom he feels attracted to. When Norman regains consciousness, he discovers the crime he is convinced his mother has committed, and destroys the evidence.
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