Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins)’s Timeline and Summary
- Norman's father dies when he's young; he lives alone with his mother, Nora. They run the Bates Motel.
- Mrs. Bates falls in love with another man. Norman is insanely jealous.
- He poisons his mother and her boyfriend, and successfully blames it on his mother.
- The matricide pushes Norman even further towards insanity. He digs up his mother's corpse and preserves it, using his knowledge of taxidermy (his hobby).
- Norman talks to the corpse. He also dresses as his mother, and begins to think he is his mother.
- When women come to the motel to stay, Norman is often attracted to them. He believes his mother would be jealous, so he dresses as her and kills them. Then he sinks them in the nearby swamp.
- Marion Crane comes to the motel. Norman spies on her as she's undressing. Then he dresses as his mother and kills her in the shower, dumping her body in the swamp with the others.
- A private investigator, Arbogast, comes looking for Marion. He wants to talk to Norman's mother. Norman sends him away.
- Arbogast returns to talk to Mrs. Bates. Norman dresses as his mother and kills him.
- Lila, Marion's sister, and Sam, Marion's girlfriend, book a room at the motel; they know Arbogast was there and are looking for him and Marion.
- Sam distracts Norman while Lila goes to try to find Mrs. Bates in the house.
- Norman becomes suspicious of Sam, hits him in the head and races back to the house.
- Norman dresses as his mother and almost murders Lila, but Sam stops him.
- Norman is taken to the police.
- He loses all touch with reality and believes he is his mother entirely. He is to be sent to an asylum.