Point of View

Psycho is told from third-person omniscient point-of-view with different chapters adhering to different characters' perspectives. Omniscient narration means that the narrator has access to the thoughts and emotions of each character, but the perspective fluctuates. Sometimes the reader is held closer to Mary's thoughts, for example, and it is as if they are experiencing the story through her eyes (although the narrator dips into the thoughts of other characters). Other times, the reader is held closely to Norman's thoughts, or Sam Loomis' thoughts, or Lila's thoughts. Despite the fact that the unnamed narrator has unlimited access into each character's mind, the reader is somewhat manipulated by the narration. The events form a beautiful mystery, filled with intrigue, suspense, and revelation, so there are many questions that remained unanswered for large portions of the novel. Most readers do not know, for example, that Mother is dead until...