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Charles Manson Research Paper

Decent Essays

Manson In the summer of August, 1969, free love reigned and cries of protest against the Vietnam War could be heard throughout the streets of America. It seemed to most that this era, filled with the ideals of hippies and psychedelic media, would never end. However, the era seemed to come to an abrupt halt on the night of August 9th, when five innocent people were horribly slain, including pregnant actress Sharon Tate. These murders would be followed by another set, the following night. This time it would be Leno and Rosemary LaBianca, wealthy grocery chain owners. Though the murders were at first unsolved, Charles Manson and four women, who were a part of his cult-like “family,” were accused, in December of that year, and put on trial for …show more content…

When looking at newspapers, one should look at an article issued directly after the murders, an article issued sometime later, and an article issued after the Family had been caught. The first article, Actress Is Among 5 Slain At Home in Beverly Hills, written by Steven V. Roberts for the New York Times on August 10th, 1969, frames the event as a terrible tragedy, using heavy phrases, such as “brutally murdered,” and “bloody mess.” This article also focuses mainly on Sharon Tate. Though she was not the only victim, the fact that she was in the public eye, and also eight months pregnant, served to shock the American people more than the death of the other four victims. It should be noted that the names of the other victims are only briefly mentioned in the article. The second half of the article focuses on the only suspect, William Garretson. Garretson was the 19 year old grounds caretaker, who lived in a small cottage on the edge of the property. He was charged with suspected murder, because he was the only living person found on the property. The second paper, Polanskis Were At Center of a Rootless Way of Life, written by Steven V. Roberts for the New York Times on August 31st, 1969, focuses very little on the murder, only mentioning the fact that the case remains unsolved and that the police were “having a field day.” This …show more content…

This movie follows the entire Tate-LaBianca case from the discovery of the first murder, to the day that Manson and his followers were declared guilty. The movie follows the case with an omniscient point of view, mainly focusing on the point of view of the leading prosecutor, Vincent Bugliosi. Occasionally, the viewer receives information Bugliosi does not have, by switching to the viewpoint of a Family member. The film accurately displays most historical facts, including an in depth explanation of what Charlie led the Family to believe; killing was a form of love, because they were simply setting a soul free, and that Charlie was Jesus in the flesh. The amount of violence in the movie is not depicted as it was in real life. This is because showing true-to-life, graphic images of the murders was not appropriate for television at that time. This does not change the overall effectiveness of the movie, as the actors do a good job portraying their horror at the

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