As long as we have a bitcoin economy based on speculation then this will be what it looks like. If we move to an exchange economy based on retail then we should assume more stability.
Well... It's completely normal on a FREE MARKET but only because the surroundings of this market are uncertain.
Otherwise there is no reason for the price to go up and down in a too wide range (the question would of course be "what is a too wide range" because that's completely subjective but you more or less understood me anyway)
I'd say the main reason for those up and downs is the fight between:
-People afraid of the fork and the potential future of btc. They wanna leave the boat cause they're not sure it'll continue floatting.
-People taken by FOMO seeing the small dumps as opportunities to get back on the boat.