Choose one of the following questions to write a detailed and considered response to
Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho, explicitly addressing the language of film.
1. ‘Nothing is random in the world created by the author.’
How does Alfred Hitchcock use cinematic features to explore ideas in his film Psycho?
The quotation is designed as an introduction to the question and reinforces the central notion of the curriculum
statement that texts are deliberate constructions on the part of the author. The question has two aspects, which must be
addressed. You need to specify the features of the text type (the text type in this case being a film), and acknowledge that
a film has features peculiar to that genre, which the question classifies more specifically as “cinematic”. The best
answers would show how Hitchcock uses such features in an integrated way to explore specific ideas in his film. Less
successful responses might overlook the phrase ‘cinematic features’ and write about techniques too generally
(characterisation, language, etc.). Equally, especially when writing about the film’s use of Freudian psychology, some
may focus too exclusively on the ideas.
2. How does Alfred Hitchcock present the idea in his film Psycho that being at odds with society’s
values involves risk but complying with those values can also be harmful?
This question uses the stem ‘how does Alfred Hitchcock’ and so you should explore the choices that the author has
made in order to communicate ideas. However, ‘how’ is a broader term than ‘techniques’ and so you may not always
label the device that is being used but may read the question in terms of how Hitchcock has approached the theme. You
should explore both aspects of the idea within the question: you should show that there is risk involved in being at odds
with society’s values but also that complying with the values of society can be harmful. There should be some
recognition of the tension between the two ideas. There is flexibility with the interpretation of the different elements of
the question: society could be either broad (that of a whole country) or narrow (the society of a smaller unit: an
institution, a family, etc.); risk might be significant or not, and may or may not result in harm (risk suggests possibility,
which may or may not result in a negative outcome); complying might be in whole (complete surrender) or part
(abiding by some values but not others); harm could be significant (death, imprisonment) or not so significant (causing
sadness for others) or perhaps not result in a negative outcome at all (the statement reads ‘can be harmful’). As long as
your definition of the different terms is reasonable then it is appropriate to accept it.
3. In what ways does Alfred Hitchcock explore the oppressive weight of a dead past in Psycho?
Although the statement is presented as a given, you could legitimately argue that the idea is explored in the text but
ultimately holds true for some characters and not for others. While death and ‘justice’ could be seen to end both of the
Crane sisters’ pasts, the final chilling montage of Norman Bates shows that his past will never be over. Good responses
could explore themes like death, secrets and spectatorship in relation to the role and influence of the past, but would
also need to address the ‘ways’ such themes are presented. A simplistic answer would result from seeing Norman
Bates’ first murder as the driving force in the film. The allegorical juxtaposition of ‘tradition’ and ‘modernity’ in the
film should be explored in response to this question.
4. Show how Alfred Hitchcock uses one or more of the following as a device to reinforce ideas in
his film Psycho:
 Irony
 Foreshadowing
 Changes in time
 Changes in place
 Recurring symbol(s)
 The way the text ends
You may choose any number of the range of devices on the list, but beware of making your argument too ‘thin’ by doing
so. While it is also appropriate for you to mention additional devices that might help explain the use of those on the list,
it is inappropriate to incorporate a lengthy discussion on any other devices not listed in the question. It is essential that
you explain how the device is used to reinforce ideas, rather than simply showing that the device is in the film. Irony
may include dramatic irony; ironic turn of events; poetic justice; ironic statements in dialogue, etc. It is acceptable to
write in reasonable detail about the events that are foreshadowed and how they also are used to reinforce ideas. A
change in time is not an obvious device in Psycho, but the use of episodes (Marion, Norman, Lila, perhaps) is relevant,
and after the spiral out of Marion’s eye, the film’s pace certainly changes. On the other hand, changes in place is
significant, particularly in the idea of journeys; the contrast between places. You may read this as significant changes,
for example, from Marion’s ‘world’ to Norman’s, or seemingly insignificant changes, for example, the contrast between
the settings of the Bates Motel and the family home. You may examine just one symbol or many, and your reading of the
term ‘symbol’ can be quite broad and may include visual symbols, symbolism in a setting, the symbolism of recurring
images, etc. However, the symbol must be one that is recurring. You should not simply recount the ending, but explain
how it is used to reinforce ideas. In doing this, you may refer to other parts of the film in order to clarify its ending.
Defining it is relatively easy for Psycho: the ‘coda’ that contains the juxtaposition of the court psychiatrist’s public
‘reading’ of Norman / mother’s psychosis, and the disembodied private voice of the (m)Other in the jail cell.
5. What techniques does Alfred Hitchcock use to influence the viewer to take a particular position
concerning the issues explored in his film Psycho?
The best responses would be those in which you explore how the viewer is manipulated by Hitchcock, either to
sympathise with a particular character, or be persuaded to take a moral or ideological standpoint on an issue explored
in the film. While the link between techniques and ideas needs to be established, you should also focus upon how the
Hitchcock’s use of techniques influences the viewer’s response to the issues presented within the film. For example, you
may demonstrate how viewers have been positioned to think and feel differently than before about a particular issue or
you may discuss how the viewer has been influenced to respond positively or negatively (or ambivalently) to the moral
nuances within the film..
6. How does Alfred Hitchcock use repetition as a technique to emphasise ideas in his film Psycho?
The stem of the question and the emphasis on ‘technique’ as a key word should highlight that repetition should be
analysed as a device utilised to convey ideas rather than just as a particular quality of the film. Repetition should be
interpreted broadly (the use of motifs, settings, symbolism, characterisation and structure, etc.) and should be linked to
the establishment and emphasis of ideas. Specific ideas could be discussed through such things as visual motifs,
repetition of different narrative foci and chains of recurring images, (not just the various ‘birds’ that Norman stuffs, but
everything from a bird’s eye view to names like Phoenix and Crane, for example). Best responses would be those which
link together well chosen examples of repetition to create a cohesive argument.
7. How does Alfred Hitchcock’s use of one or more of Psycho’s minor characters enable the
audience to reflect on the main ideas of the film?
This question requires you to recognise minor characters (neither Marion, Lila nor Norman, for example) who are used
by Hitchcock in some specific way to present the main ideas of the film. The weakest answers will merely describe
where minor characters figure in terms of plot. Others may be led astray by discussing the main characters as a
starting point and then find it difficult to sustain a discussion of minor characters in terms of ideas. This will confine
discussion to the links between minor and major characters. While tiny roles like Cassidy’s, California Charlie’s and
the Highway Patrolman’s are relevant, Arbogast would possibly have the greatest potential for this topic. On the other
hand, given the unique role of Norman’s (m)Other, it would be a mistake to treat her as a ‘minor’ character.
Criteria for Judging Performance
Your performance in this response to our first shared study will be judged by the extent to
which you demonstrate:
understanding
 How well do you show an understanding of the ideas in Psycho?
 How clearly do you explain Hitchcock’s use of textual features to communicate
ideas and influence the reader’s response?
 To what extent do you recognise the characteristics of a film?
 How well do you understand the role of audience, purpose, and form in a text?
analysis and application
 How well do you clarify the role of the author in constructing the film?
 How aware are you of the role of the reader in making meaning of the film?
 How precise is your response to the meaning and intention of the set question?
 How effectively and appropriately do you use evidence from the film to support an
argument?
 How effectively do you integrate quotations into the line of discussion?
communication
 How accurate and fluent is your written expression?
 How appropriate are your essay’s form and register for the audience and purpose?