Report of the President's Commission on the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy

第七章

CHAPTER VII examines Lee Oswald’s psychological and developmental history through assessments conducted in New York, his return to New Orleans, his exposure to radical ideas, his enlistment and service in the Marine Corps, disciplinary incidents in Japan, and the circumstances of his discharge after defecting to the Soviet Union.

Intellectual and Academic Assessment

Lee Oswald scored an IQ of 118 on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, which psychologist Sokolow characterized as indicating intellectual functioning in the upper range of bright normal intelligence. Sokolow noted that although Oswald appeared disinterested in school subjects, he operated on a much higher than average level. On the Monroe Silent Reading Test, Oswald demonstrated no retardation in reading speed or comprehension, and he showed better than average ability in arithmetical reasoning for his age group.

Social Difficulties and Ambivalence Toward Authority

Oswald told his probation officer Carro that he preferred solitude because he had too much difficulty making friends. Reports from Carro and Mrs. Siegel indicated an ambivalent attitude toward authority on Oswald’s part. Upon returning to school in fall 1953, he became disruptive, refused to salute the flag, and did virtually no schoolwork. He resisted the authorities’ efforts to draw him out of his shell. He told Mrs. Siegel he would run away if sent to boarding school, yet also expressed a wish that his mother had been firmer in trying to get him to return to school.

Maternal Relationship and Family Dynamics

The New York authorities’ reports indicated that Lee’s mother gave him very little affection, did not serve as a substitute father, and did not understand her own relationship to his psychological problems. Mrs. Siegel described Marguerite Oswald as a smartly dressed, gray-haired, self-possessed, and superficially affable woman, but essentially defensive, rigid, and self-involved, with difficulty accepting and relating to people and little understanding of Lee’s behavior. Dr. Hartogs reported that Mrs. Oswald did not understand Lee’s withdrawal was a form of violent but silent protest against her neglect and the absence of real family life. When questioned about his mother, Lee said, “well I’ve got to live with her. I guess I love her.” John Pic reported that Lee slept with his mother until approximately age ten or eleven.