Manson and the Nature of Evil

The Fine Line In Between

What makes a person evil? This is the ultimate question that comes when learning about the infamous Manson murders that took place in 1969. We ask how these people could have brutally murdered 7 innocent people. Was the evil in them innate or was it learned? Through much research and evidence the answer to this question is discovered. Evil walks a fine line in between being something you are born with and something that can be fostered through manipulation and society.

Charles Manson is the man behind all of the murders that took place on August 8th and 9th of 1969. He influenced his evil on all the members of the "family." On the first night five people were brutally murdered, including Sharon Tate who was pregnant. The five victims were stabbed a total of 102 times. On the second night the LaBiancas were stabbed 67 times. All of these murders were done by followers of Manson. He manipulated them to do whatever he said and he ordered the Tate and LaBianca murders ("Vincent Bugliosi's..."). But where did his evil come from?

Manson was born with Anti-social Personality Disorder. This disorder means the person has an immature superego which allows the individual to pursue gratification regardless of the means and without experiencing any of the feelings of guilt. Individuals with this disorder show a lack of concern toward the expectations and rules of society and usually frequently become involved in at least minor violations of the rules of society and the rights of others. This evidence points toward evil being innate or something you are born with ("Anti-social personality disorder").

The family lives of the murderers seem to have had a big impact and influence on the nature of evil inside them. Susan Atkins' mother died when she was 15 and her father was an alcoholic who she argued with constantly. She quit high school and moved to San Francisco (Susan Atkins). Her bad childhood could have been a substantial element to why she accepted the evil influence of Manson. Manson also didn't have a great childhood. He was neglected, abandoned, and abused (Petersen). These facts lead toward evil being something that is learned and developed through experiences. Charles "Tex" Watson actually had a normal childhood and was an "A" student in high school ("Charles "Tex" Watson..."). His family life did not contribute to being evil, but this evidence shows that he was not always evil.

The Beatles had a significant influence on the thinking of Charles Manson. The Beatles' White Album in particular had an influence on Manson, especially the song Helter Skelter. Vincent Bugliosi, the prosecutor in the Manson trial, said that the meaning of Helter Skelter to Manson was clear: a violent black uprising against whites. Manson would escape it by leading his drugs-and-sex caravan of followers into the California desert, but first he would precipitate helter-skelter by making other whites think it had arrived. That's why the words were written in blood when the LaBiancas were murdered. Mr. Bugliosi said in the trial that on the very day of the Tate murders, a matter of hours before these five murders, Linda Kasabian testified that Manson said: "Now is the time for Helter Skelter" (The other end). Another song in the White Album that