Personality Assessment: Charles Manson
Charles Milles Manson is undoubtedly one of, if not, the most renowned criminals in American history. He is currently serving a life sentence in a California state prison for the crimes of murder and conspiracy to commit murder. Charles neither born into a model life nor lived a model life could be considered for the most part to have turned out predictably. In his early life, he endured consistent neglect, abuse, and abandonment. The majority of his life he has spent in some form of institution or another having committed his first violent crime at the age of thirteen (Petersen, 2005). The purpose of this paper is to assess the personality of ...view middle of the document...
His grandmother projected her overly fanatical religious views on to him. It was during this time that he began showing his most menacing tendencies, lying, stealing, and displaying a terrifying temper (Malt Schneiderman, 2013). He was continually sent mixed messages as a child and given no constant manners of conduct in which to live by. His mother showed him no care or concern, one time even trading him to a bar maid for a pitcher of beer (Montaldo, n.d.). Three years later, in 1942, Charles was returned to his mother upon her release from prison, it was not long however that once again his mother abandoned him for a man (Petersen, 2005). This rejection lead to him stealing on a more regular basis. Many felt that his captivation towards theft was brought on by a need to consider something his own, thus permitting him to establish an existence for himself. She remarried an alcoholic and in an effort to try to keep her marriage together and because Manson’s behavior was continuing to become worse she sent him to a boys’ home in Indiana. During these reform school years, he grew to become increasingly manipulative and was a loner and daydreamer. He would often times run away from the schools and to support himself would commit armed robberies and get around in stolen cars. He was always caught and sent back. In 1951, he was brought up on his first of many federal offenses, however while in federal prison he was brought up on eight separate assault charges and subsequently transferred to another prison. While there, he became a model prisoner and a year later in 1954, was released to not only meet but also marry seventeen-year-old Rosalie Jean Willis. Not long after they married, the couple took off for California and Rosalie found herself pregnant. Before the birth of Charles Jr. however, Manson was sentenced to three years in prison. While in prison, Rosalie not only gave birth but also met someone else and Manson never saw her again. After being released from prison in 1958, Manson began supporting himself by becoming a pimp in Hollywood. In 1959, he was given a ten-year suspended sentence for trying to cash a stolen check. It was soon after that he met and married once again although I June 1960, he was once again imprisoned on federal charges of crossing states lines with the intent to commit prostitution. He would spend the next seven years incarcerated during which time his second wife would not only give birth but also divorce him. While in prison, he learned to play the guitar and began practicing Scientology. In March 1967, he was released from prison and soon after would met a librarian by the name of Mary Brunner. She not only fell in love with him, but also began doing drugs and quit her job in order to travel with Manson all over California (Montaldo, n.d.). Mary Brunner would help him to attract others to his calling and soon the “Manson Family” was born. This would mark the beginnings of his cult-like...
