Inspiration
for "Psycho"
The basis of the character Norman in Psycho is based on the real life Ed Gein, the serial killer of Plainfield, WI, only 35 miles from the town where Bloch grew up. The draw for Bloch was the personality of Ed Gein, whose introverted tendencies allowed him to live a normal life in his small town while, undetected by fellow townspeople, he committed murder and used his victim's body parts and skin to make household item such as silverware, clothing and masks.
The shocking revelation of his crimes was widespread through 1957, and equally shocked young Bloch, whose interest in such atrocities was satisfied. Ed appeared to be a quietly reserved man, nice but generally asocial. Similarly, Norman Bates is a 40 year old man living at home, known in his town as a hotel owner, nothing more. His reserved appearance keeps him under the radar of social curiosity. While Bloch was not fully aware of the nature of Ed Gein's crimes or his past, his character Norman Bates had significant similarities, particularly those traits that inspired both too murder.
The way in which Bloch portrayed his version of Ed Gein was through the psychological lense that came to the interest of the public at the time, the theories of Sigmund Freud. Freud's Oedipal complex and psychosexual development Bloch used in his creation of Norman Bates to explain the development of a serial killer. This provided psychological insight into the making of a killer and the possible roles of parents in their child's psychological development or hinderance. Norman's thought process rings with his mother's verbal abuse and her constant belittling of Norman as not being a true, independent man. The Phallic Stage is most likely the hindered stage in Norman's development, leaving him stuck in his obsession and idolization with his mother, who constantly shamed him.
Similarly, Ed Gein reportedly became the killer he is because of his mother. Ed was very protective of his mother and idolized her, even though she was verbally abusive towards him. His father was also an alcoholic, and his brother was known to confront their mother in Ed's presence. After his brother's mysterious death in a fire in 1944 and his mother's death in 1945, Ed became a hermit. He enshrined parts of the house his mother was in most often, just like Norman did with his mother's bedroom, and kept the same decor for the entire house after his mother's death.