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Girl Interrupted: Manson’s Women
The story of Charles Manson and his followers, particularly the women of the so-called Manson Family, has captivated the public imagination for decades. In media portrayals, these women are often depicted as emblematic of the dark side of the 1960s counterculture — a group of brainwashed, drug-addled young women seduced by a charismatic madman into committing some of the most notorious murders in American history. While much attention is given to the convicted killers — Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel, and Leslie Van Houten — the narrative extends far beyond these women. Lesser-known members, including teen girls who were swept into Manson’s orbit, are often overlooked yet played significant roles in perpetuating his mythos. Modern portrayals in films, books, and documentaries have not only sensationalized these women but also highlighted the troubling intersections of victimhood, agency, and complicity.
One could argue that the Manson Family were, in fact, exclusively women (and teen girls) because even though young men lived with the Family and committed crimes at Charlie’s urging, the belief system that coalesced around this group of people in the late 1960s was only possible because of the first young females Charlie encountered created what we think of as ‘The Family.’
