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Crooked Killer, Crooked Killer
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In the novel Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter, the author Tom Franklin makes references to fictional and real serial killers.Two serial killers mentioned are Norman Bates and John Wayne Gacy.Without the forehand knowledge of these notorious murderers, readers would lose the depth of the reference.
Crooked Killer, Crooked Killer
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Norman Bates
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Norman Bates
Norman Bates is
the main
antagonist in the
novel Psycho by
Robert Bloch. He
is later reprised
in the film
adaption by
Alfred Hitchcock.
Norman Bates ‘s
outer appearance
is a mild
mannered
caretaker of the
Bates Motel.
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The Dark Side of Norman BatesNorman Bates’s darker inner persona is a split-personality serial killer. He is so strongly attached to his dead mother’s will that he keeps her remains in the house. Bates’s psychological issues are so extensive, he assumes his mother as his alter personality. Taking on this personality usually occurs during times when Norman has moral dilemmas and the end result is murder.
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Norman Bates
Norman Bates
was a fictional
character but was
portrayed after a
real murderer.
Bates shared his
real life
counterpart’s
psychosis, but the
real killer was
more deviant.
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The Real Norman Bates
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Ed Gein
Ed Gein was a serial killer and body snatcher from Plainfield, Wisconsin.Gein would rob graves for trophies and keepsakes of skin and bones.After Gein was arrested in 1957 for having body parts in his home, he confessed to the murders of two local women.Ed Gein was convicted and sentenced to a mental hospital for the rest of his life.
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Ed Gein had a strong
love/hate relationship with his
mother. His mother read to
him from the Bible, usually
selecting graphic verses
dealing with death, murder,
and divine retribution. Her
main topics of discussion were
immoralities of the world like
the evil of drinking, and the
belief that all women
(excluding herself) were
instruments of the devil. She
was mentally and physically
abusive.
Ed Gein
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Sins of GeinAfter Gein’s mother's death, he
decided he wanted a sex change and
began to create a "woman suit" so he
could pretend to be a female. Gein
would tan the skins for better wear
ability. Gein always denied having
sex with the bodies he exhumed.
Ed Gein later died of cancer in 1984
while still locked up in a mental
institute.
Gein’s notorious life will not be
remembered for the truth of his
crimes but by the pop culture stories
produced from the tragedies.
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Buffalo Bill from Silence of the Lambs
Leatherface from Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Others Character Portrayalsof Ed Gein
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James Gumbaka
Buffalo Bill
James Gumb
(better known as
Buffalo Bill) is a
fictional
character from
the novel Silence
of the Lambs by
Thomas Harris.
His similarity to
Ed Gein is that he
also wants to be a
woman and
tailors a “woman
suit” for himself.
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Leatherface
Leatherface is a
fictional serial killer
that attacks his
victims with a
chainsaw. His
similarity to Ed Gein
is that he too takes
skin trophies and
tailors them as masks.
Leatherface’s story is
far from that of Ed
Gein’s. This character
is very loosely based
on Gein’s life.
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Norman Bates and Larry are mild mannered.Both men live alone in seclusion.Larry and Norman both single-handedly run a family
owned business.Larry was suspected of the kidnap and murder of a
young girl while Bates did kidnap and murder a young woman.
In relating Larry to Norman Bates, the book provided a very strong description of Larry. This appearance made it conceivable that Larry may have been guilty of a crime to the residents and the law of Cabot, Mississippi.
Norman Bates compared to Larry Ott
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John Wayne Gacy
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The Killer Clown John Wayne Gacy was an infamous
serial killer of Chicago in the 1970’s. He is known to have raped, brutally
tortured, and killed 33 young men. He would dispose of the bodies by
burying them in the backyard and under his home in Des Plaines, Illinois.
After many attempts, he was finally arrested and sentenced to death.
Gacy was found to be a psychopath with no remorse.
Gacy died by lethal injection on May 9th, 1994.
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John Wayne Gacy
As usual…Gacy claimed to be physically and mentally abused by his father. He was desperate to please his fatherbut failed. He also claimed that he was molested by a family friend but would not tell in fear his father would blame him.
Gacy was not suspected throughouthis reign of murders because of his presence in the community. He participated at fundraising events, parades and children's parties wherehe would dress as "Pogo the Clown.”
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8213 Gacy House
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Inspiration
In the novel Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter, John Wayne Gacy is the name that Wallace Stringfellow gives to his Pit Bull. Though the dog is named after Gacy, Wallace is the true psychopath. Wallace resembles the real Gacy with his brutal murdering and sexual deviance. Wallace naming his dog John Wayne Gacy is a reflection of his dark personality and is a strong symbol from the author.
Wallace Stringfellow’s Dog
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Tom Franklin’s use of Norman Bates (Ed Gein) and John Wayne Gacy in his novel, Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter was very clever. These infamous murderers served well for the setting and theme of the novel.
Conclusion
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Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter Cover. Google images. n.d. Web. 22 Mar 2012.
Silence of the Lambs Cover. Google images. n.d. Web. 22 Mar 2012.
Psycho Cover. Google images. n.d. Web. 22 Mar 2012.
Bates Mansion Photograph. Google images. n.d. Web. 22 Mar 2012.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre Poster. Google images. n.d. Web. 22 Mar 2012.
Norman Bates Photograph. Google images. n.d. Web. 22 Mar 2012.
Ed Gein Photograph. Google images. n.d. Web. 22 Mar 2012.
James Gumb Photograph. Google images. n.d. Web. 22 Mar 2012.
Leatherface Photograph. Google images. n.d. Web. 22 Mar 2012.
John Wayne Gacy Photograph. Google images. n.d. Web. 22 Mar 2012.
Pogo the Clown Photograph. Google images. n.d. Web. 22 Mar 2012.
Gacy Crime Scene Diagram. Google images. n.d. Web. 22 Mar 2012.
Pit Bull Photograph. Google images. n.d. Web. 22 Mar 2012.
Franklin, Tom. Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter, New York, New York: Harper Perennial, 2010.
Print.
Works Cited