How does Alfred Hitchcock use symbolism and metaphors during the Parlour Scene to foreshadow the ending of the film Psycho?

How does Alfred Hitchcock use symbolism and metaphors during the Parlour Scene to foreshadow the ending of the film Psycho?

Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 movie Psycho was a hit, earning $40 million at the box office. Psycho is, a psychological thriller about protagonist Marion Crane, who foolishly steals $40,000 to bank roll her recent love affair. Marion’s journey leads her to stop at the Bates Motel, unaware of its gruesome past. Motel keeper Norman Bates, a well-kept unknown psychopath, greets Marion immediately and is delighted about her stay. Hitchcock’s extensive use of metaphors and symbolism explicitly foreshadows the ending of the film, strongly communicating the subliminal subtext to death. This is visually explored in the unique parlour scene via the display of taxidermy and the bird of death; crows, wherein Hitchcock foreshadows the despicable true nature of Norman and subsequently condemns Marion to her death.

Hitchcock has been employing symbolism and metaphors in film for decades to convey hidden ideas to the audience . The use of metaphors can help an audience understand the true feelings and intentions of characters portrayed on the big screen, by emphasising similarities between two things for the audience to understand an individuals character trait. Taxidermy is a gruesome hobby which antagonist Norman Bates indulges in as evident in the stuffed birds in the Motel. 

Norman Bates Taxidermy Owl

Hitchcock suggests that Normans taxidermy hobby could link to psychopath tendencies, furthermore, psychopaths often have antisocial behaviour and little to no empathy for other living things. Norman demonstrates similar characteristics, being isolated with his mother in the motel and finding an unusual and absurd hobby simultaneously. Marion was confronted by this hobby, with the audience during the parlour scene, where Norman made Marion dinner, creating a slightly uncomfortable tension between the two characters due to the overarching dead birds and intruding questions. During their meal, Norman talked about his isolated life with his mother and how he does not have regular visitors due to the new bypass. To have no empathy for the animals he deconstructs, similarly categorises a psychopath’s unruly thought patterns, therefore audiences can assume Norman’s thoughts are connected to the way he deconstructs animals, showing in his desire to murder as a psychopath. Furthermore, Normans taxidermy can be preserved as a way he tries to unnaturally preserve the life of a non-living animal, much like Norman does with his mothers corpse, it may consequently foreshadow his desire to keep Marion close to him and permanently within the motel by murdering her.   

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0DZX6zPo9I)

In Psycho, Marion is welcomed into the Bates Motel, and shown to her room where there are two picture frames with peaceful birds. This symbolises the peacefulness Marion feels when she has realised the relief of being safe for the night. Hitchcock uses birds to communicate the ending of the film is again reinforced during the parlour scene; a crow is displayed looming above Marion in an aggressive position as she is talking to Norman. In this scene, Marion noticeably feels hostility in the nature of Norman, reinforced by the looming bird and harsh questions he asks about her private life. During their conversation, it is almost as if Norman becomes that bird of prey, prying for details of Marion’s personal life. Hitchcock’s placing of the bird explicitly represents the dangerous situation Marion is in and foreshadows her death at the end of the film. 

Taxidermy Crow (Bird of Death)

Hitchcock’s use of the bird of death, the crow, is displayed continually throughout Psycho, becoming an extended metaphor for the death and darkness that surrounds Norman and the motel.

The array of birds that adorn the parlour also represents Norman’s split personality, making the audience to become weary of Marion’s safety. Before conclusion of the film, the audience discovers Norman’s ambiguity, where he is a caring gentleman, and the contrasting side of him that is his psychotic mother. In the parlour scene, the birds produced from Norman’s taxidermy are both birds of prey and passive birds, thus symbolising Norman’s split personality; evident during the murder of Marion Crane. Soon after her death, Norman comes to find her body in the shower; 

Norman Bates in shock after Marion Cranes death

he throws himself back in shock and knocks the two picture frames of the peaceful birds in her motel room, causing one to drop on the floor and crack the picture frame. The disruption of peace at the motel is represented with the drop of the picture frame and symbol of Marion’s death, however one of the two frames remains hanging, this passive bird representing the vulnerable side of Norman that is fighting his mother personality, foreshadowing the inevitable full personality take over by his mother. His metaphor is continued at the end of the film where Norman is in his gaol cell with the mother side of his personality, wherein he says ‘“I am just as harmless as one of those stuffed birds.” 

Mother Personality Take Over Scene

This metaphorically completes his mother’s personality take over that is foreshadowed in the remaining bird frame scene after Marion’s death.

Alfred Hitchcock’s use of symbolism and metaphors in Psycho successfully foreshadow the ending of the film and the unfortunate fates of both Marion Crane and Norman Bates. Metaphors and symbolism such as the types of birds that were used in the parlour scene, effectively represented the split personality Norman possessed with his mother. The birds in the picture frames during the death scene foreshadow the takeover of his mother’s personality, thus assisting in adding depth to the film.