A Real Life Monster

When we look at the term “Monster” in our society we typically focus on people who are different from us. For instance someone who has a mental illness, or has a different or rare physical trait. But the most common form of a monster, is in fact a notorious serial killer. These killers are seen as withdrawn from our society, mainly because of how they are treated and because of their mental state. Throughout history there have been many serial killers, but the one we will focus on is Ted Bundy.

Theodore Robert Bundy, who was born Theodore Robert Cowell, was a notorious American serial killer who kidnapped, raped, and murdered a numerous amount of young women during the 1970’s and possibly earlier. He was described by many as handsome and charismatic, traits that gained the trust of many victims and society. He was captured in 1975, tried in 1976 for kidnapping, which later led to trial for more than 30 counts of rape and murder of women from different states. In January 1989, he was sentenced to be executed, and later confessed to killing at least 100 women during his active years. (Montaldo, C. 2019).

Growing up, Ted Bundy had an unpleasant childhood. His family and friends had supported this claim by stating that he was socially awkward and he sometimes crossed the line, legally and illegally. In school, he did not fit in with his classmates, for instance he was teased for having a speech impediment and he couldn’t keep up with his fellow boy scouts. One of his fellow boy scouts stated that Bundy once came from behind to strike a hit to the head with a stick. On a Netflix documentary, “Conversations With A Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes.”, former neighbor Sandi Holt stated that he always liked to scare and terrify people. Young Bundy would also break the law, as he shoplifted ski equipment he could not afford, and also forged lift tickets in order to hit the ski resorts for free. There was a lot of speculation around the fact that Bundy could have killed his first victim when he was just 14. The victim, eight year old Ann Marie Burr, who went missing from her Tacoma home on August 31, 1961. Bundy had only lived a few miles from this household and suspects possibly think he was involved. Although there is no linked evidence, Bundy could have been a killer from a young age.

Despite his childhood, Ted Bundy grew up to be disciplined and self-made man. He developed into a person who many people would see as a pleasant. He worked his looks and excelled in academics, and through time also enhanced his social skills. He studied psychology, law and has worked on campaigns for then Washington Republican Dan Evans. However, as progressive as his adulthood may seem, troubled Bundy did not fully develop until his adolescent years. It was around that time in 1969, that he discovered the truth about his parentage. In 1969, Ted Bundy met who would soon be the love of his life at a bar. Her name was Elizabeth Kendall, and at the time she had no idea what kind of person Ted Bundy would become. They were so in love, they even got married and they also had a house in Seattle.

Ted Bundy’s personality speaks that of intricacy and complexity. He went from an awkward child with a confusing change of fathers to a man who wanted to study law. It is very difficult to understand why and how he chose the path to be a serial killer. In the text, “Thesis III: The Monster is a Harbinger of Category Crisis on Monster Culture,” Cohen states that the dangers of monsters are not in its ability to harm but in our incapability of understanding their nature. The complexity of their personal structure requires a different level of understanding, approach and perception other than what we are accustomed to. “For by refusing an easy compartmentalization of their monstrous contents, they demand a radical rethinking of boundary and normality” (Cohen, J.J. 1996). This is accurate for Bundy since, while he was imprisoned, many experts attempted to delve into his monstrous interior to possibly understand his development as a serial killer. However, there was never a precise answer, only that the majority of the evidence led him towards Antisocial Personality Disorder. Not one of the best people in their fields who have dealt with Bundy could explain his Daedalian nature.

Furthermore, many people did not understand the evolution of the serial killer, but we can focus on some flaws in his life that could have been the cause. Many people looking into Bundy’s life story, would readily focus on his actions to his unfortunate childhood. However, a lot of people grew up like Bundy, or even worse, and still didn’t end up becoming a serial killer. There are also many serial killers who grew up with loving families, had everything they want in life, but decided to choose the wrong path. There may be an undeniable correlation between the social upbringing of a person and how they will be in their adult life, but it does not necessarily follow that an unstable childhood will by default produce a troubled adult. However, in Bundy’s case, he may not have chosen at birth to be a psychopath but his childhood exploit surely played a significant part. During those times that he was plagued with unfortunate events as a kid, Bundy may could have possibly fabricated a fantasy as a means of escaping his real world. Since he lived a lonely and complicated childhood where he felt he did not fit in, young Bundy sought for ways to satisfy his loneliness (Dimitropoulos, S. 2018). This holds true for Cohens’s idea depicting monsters as an alter ego and projection of one’s self. “The monster awakens one to the pleasure of the body, to the simple and fleeting joys of being frightened or frightening” (Cohen, J.J 1996). This would explain why most experts would agree that Bundy was dealing with a similar case of many personality disorder accounting witness recollections of him being another version of himself in separate instances. Bundy wants us to think what we want to believe regarding his personality. Although he is in charge of his own mind, master of himself and he wears his mask so well it is hard to tell one personality from the other. In reality, Bundy’s life as a serial killer, as a monster, was his own choice. It was not his mother’s nor his grandfather’s fault why he killed innocent women. It was not the fault of his ex-girlfriend who broke her heart, and definitely not the fault of the women who trusted him. “He killed for the sheer thrill of the act and the challenge of escaping his pursuers” (Moyer, J. 2015). Those unimaginable actions were his own, his craft, his own way out.

Ted Bundy was seen as many as a monster, but nobody really understands why he choose this path. Maybe he was influenced by his crooked childhood, or even had a mental illness. It’s odd for someone in our society especially someone like Bundy to go insane. I believe that Bundy had a mental illness as a kid and was never treated for. His mother, who often did not pay attention to Bundy, could have been another factor. He could have been abused as a kid, and this is what led to further actions down the road.

Annotated Bibliography

Dimitropoulos, Stav. “Ted Bundy’s Childhood: Lonely Boy to Window Peeper to Serial Killer.” 16 April 2018, Real Crime, Retrieved from https://www.aetv.com/real-crime/ted-bundy-childhood-turned-into-serial-killer

This article talks about the notorious serial killer’s childhood. It breaks down in detail how he was socially awkward and was a lonely boy. Also the fact that he had issues with his family since his mother got remarried. The author provides great detail and also backs up his statements with evidence from other texts. It is a reliable source because the website, A&E has many different articles on real crime.

Montaldo, Charles. “Biography of Ted Bundy, Serial Killer.” 23 May 2019, Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/profile-of-serial-killer-ted-bundy-973178

This article mainly talks about the history of Ted Bundy, and what inspired him to be a killer. It goes into depth about how he could have been a killer from a young age, and was diagnosed with a mental illness. The author provides great detail and good examples from other articles in order to support his statements. It is a reliable source because I have read other articles from the author before.

Wikipedia. “Ted Bundy.” Early Life, Crimes, Jail sentence. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Bundy

This page offers great detail and evidence that Ted Bundy was a monster. However there is no author, the writer includes many dates and other articles in which backs up his claims. I used this page because I wanted to learn more about Ted Bundy’s personality and who he was based on his family and friend’s judgement. It is a reliable source because the website, Wikipedia is a trustworthy website.

Moyer, Justin Wm. “The twisted friendship of crime writer Ann Rule and serial killer Ted Bundy.” 28 July 2015. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/07/28/crime-writer-ann-rule-and-killer-ted-bundy-were-friends-before-they-were-famous/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.0db5c5dc313b

This article talks about Ann Rule’s take on the serial killer Ted Bundy. The author explains how Ann Rule and the serial killer were friends. I used this article in order to display more evidence on how Bundy was a normal person and had many friends. I also wanted to learn more about Bundy’s life as an adult and what influenced him to be a killer. It is a reliable source because the Washington Post is a newspaper site that offers many different articles.

Works Cited:

Cohen, Jeffrey Jerome. Monster Theory: Reading Culture. University of Minnesota Press.

Montaldo, Charles. “Biography of Ted Bundy, Serial Killer.” 23 May 2019, Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/profile-of-serial-killer-ted-bundy-973178

Wikipedia. “Ted Bundy.” Early Life, Crimes, Jail sentence. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Bundy

Netflix Series: Conversations With A Killer: Ted Bundy.

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