Charles Manson Chapter Summary

Chapters 1, 2, and 3: Guinn begins this novel by giving background information on Mason’s childhood. He discusses Manson’s troubled young mother who often drank, committed minor crimes, and was constantly with another man, searching for an appropriate father for Charles after his father abandoned them. He also discusses Charles’ tendencies towards violence as a child and includes testimonies from family members and other people who knew Manson as a child.

Chapters 4, 5, and 6: As Manson approached an end towards his teenage years, he developed a taste for crime and was arrested for theft. After his release he met Rosalie Willis, got her pregnant, and then married her. A few months later he was arrested again for theft, and this time was sent to a real prison, as he was nineteen at the time. During the following eight years or so Manson was in and out of prison multiple times, where he learned how to manipulate women into doing his bidding, and also developed an immense appreciation for the guitar.

Chapters 7, 8, and 9: Manson begins to acquire a …show more content…
This is aided when one of the former members of “the Family” begins to unravel and divulges crazy stories about the murders and Manson’s “Family” to a cellmate. Then, Manson is arrested and revels in the fame he acquires due to his upcoming trial. Charles chooses to defend himself at said trial, believing that he will be able to manipulate the jury, the media, and the police. However, after a long, grueling trial in which Manson claims total innocence for the murders, Charles and three girls from “the Family” Leslie, Susan, and Pat are sentenced to the death penalty. Miraculously, however, while they await the death penalty it is voted illegal so the prisoners simply live their lives in jail, while the remaining “Family” on the outside slowly deteriorates and eventually