Crystal Chow Period 1 In Cold Blood Essay Prompt 5 In Cold Blood, a nonfiction novel by Truman Capote, follows the 1959 case of the Clutter family homicide. The Clutters are introduced as, what seems to be, the perfect American family in a close knit town that were believed to be the least likely of families to be murdered. As the case proceeds with the findings of the Clutters’ corpses, Dick and Perry, the murderers, soon flee to Mexico. There aren’t any leads for the case until Floyd Wells tells the police of Dick, who told Floyd that he would murder the family with Perry while Floyd and Dick shared a cell. By the time Floyd tells the police, Dick and Perry have returned back to the States and are quickly caught by the police when they …show more content…
are at a Las Vegas post office. They swiftly go to trial and are convicted to death row, where they are finally hung in 1965. Throughout the novel, Perry’s background and traces of Dick’s background are illustrated. From what is described of their backgrounds and families, there is a difference between the portrayal of Perry’s and Dick’s families from the Clutters as well as their American Dreams. The most evident differences are found between the portrayals of Perry’s family and the Clutters. Perry’s family was quite the opposite of the Clutters. At an early age, Perry had already began to know abuse. He was separated from his dad at the age of 6 and from then on was raised by an alcoholic mother for a short while before she put him in a Catholic orphanage where the nuns would hit him for wetting the bed, which caused his trauma of nuns and his disbelief of God and religion. Months later, he was kicked out of the orphanage and his mother put him into a children's shelter operated by the Salvation Army, which Perry stated was worse than the orphanage. In the children’s shelter, one of the nurses almost drowned him in a tub of ice cold water and was given pneumonia. After his recovery from pneumonia his father took him away to live with him. However, “the older [he] got, the less [he] was able to appreciate [his] Dad… Whole sections of [him his] Dad was ignorant of” (Capote 82). The parts that his father was ignorant of was his thirst for knowledge and his artistic ability, which led to his enmity towards his father. He even came to despise his sister due to the fact that she was able to obtain an education. The Clutters were portrayed as the ideal American household and compared to Perry’s family, it is perfect. The Clutters were a well off family that didn’t know abuse and had all the opportunities that Perry did not or could not receive. They didn’t drink alcohol, in fact if a worker was caught drinking, Mr.Clutter would have fired them. They were also religious, methodists to be exact and due to his trauma, Perry wasn’t. Additionally, the Clutters seemed to not experience death that isn’t caused accidentally, which Perry’s family has experienced far too much of. Perry lost his mother to her addiction to alcohol and two siblings to suicide. Clearly, there were many differences between Perry’s family and the Clutter family. Although Dick’s family wasn’t as contrasting to the Clutters as Perry was, he still had differences that he suffered from, specifically his financial status. Like Nancy and Kenyon, Dick was a good student. He was also a star athlete for many of his school’s teams. However, when he wanted to attend college to become an engineer, his parents stated that they weren’t able to afford it as they “plain didn't have the money. Never have had any money. Our farm here, it's only forty-four acres - we hardly can scratch a living” (Capote 102). The opportunities the Clutters had was, again, a difference between the families. Due to the wealth of the Clutter family, the children had the opportunities to acquire a higher education that Dick wasn’t able to achieve. So instead of acquiring a higher eduction, Dick went straight to work at the Santa Fe Railways and still desires to be an engineer. Even though Dick’s family was not as different as Perry’s family was to the Clutters, nonetheless there were some minor differences between them. The version of the American dream also differed between the Clutters and Dick and Perry.
The Clutters, themselves, were the embodiment of the American dream and they seemed to be content with what they had already. However, for Dick and Perry, this was not the case. Perry suffered throughout his childhood and still has trauma from it, but his American dream was very ordinary, which was to be famous. It is seen in one of his theatrical fantasies that Perry was a star who advertised himself as “The OneMan Symphony” named Perry O'Parsons. He also wanted a higher education than the one he had, which would have been pass third grade since he stopped at third grade due to his father. One of the main reasons why Perry resented his sister and father was due to the education that he didn’t receive. Dick also yearned to obtain a higher education, but due to his financial situation he wasn’t able to study to become an engineer. Dick proclaimed, “I wanted to study engineering, but even with a scholarship, deals like that cost plenty. I don't know, it seemed safer to get a job” (Capote 137). Even Dick’s parents noticed as his father felt that Dick resented not being able to go to college. Also, Dick desired wealth, which explained the motive for targeting the Clutters, the writing of the bad checks, and it also may explain why he stole so frequently. Between Dick, Perry, and the Clutters, the American Dream were mostly contrasting against each
other. The portrayal of Perry’s and Dick’s families from the Clutters and of their American dreams differentiated between one another. The Clutters were the ideal American family that was well off, religious, and a modest. They were the embodiment of the American dream and were content with what they had. On the other hand, Perry’s family was pitiful and damaged beyond repair as the mother died to her addiction to alcohol and two of the three of Perry’s siblings committed suicide. However, Perry still had dreams of fame and an education. Dick’s family was the most ordinary family of the three, but they had financial issues that would restrict Dick’s dreams. Dick desired wealth and also wanted a higher education. Distinctly, Perry’s and Dick’s families and American Dreams contrasted from those of the Clutter family’s.
My book In Cold Blood is about a family in Kansas getting murdered in cold blood. The Clutter family consisting of Nancy, Kenyon, Herbert, and Bonnie got murdered by Dick and Perry in an attempt to rob them. They were evil. Nancy and Kenyon had a very different childhood than Dick and Perry.
In Cold Blood is a true account of a multiple murder case that took place in Holcomb, Kansas in 1959, written by Truman Capote. Capote’s attention to detail causes the reader to gain an extreme interest in the Clutter family even though they were an ordinary family. The suspense that is a result of minimal facts and descriptive settings was an elaborate stylistic technique that gave effective results throughout the book. His ability to make this account of a horrid crime more than just a newspaper description was a great success as a base of his many literary devices, not just is great focus to small details.
The theme of the book as it relates to the American Dream is those who take advantage by becoming covetous and acquisitive. The Clutters in this book are described as the ideal American Dream family. Herb Clutter is the head man of the house who makes sure that his family and financial situations are in order. Herb started off with a struggle but eventually worked hard to become the man he became. Even though they were viewed as a rich family toward the community they did have underlying issues that weren’t visible to the outside world. Dick and Perry on the other hand are those who were unable to achieve the American Dream so they were willing to do anything to become successful the easy way even if that means stealing from others. They
In Cold Blood is the true story of a multiple murder that rocked the small town of Holcomb, Kansas and neighboring communities in 1959. It begins by introducing the reader to an ideal, all-American family, the Clutters; Herb (the father), Bonnie (the mother), Nancy (the teenage daughter), and Kenyon (the teenage son). The Clutters were prominent members of their community who gained admiration and respect for their neighborly demeanors.
The deaths of the Clutter family in Holcomb, Kansas on November 15, 1959 as portrayed by Truman Capote in his classic work “In Cold Blood?” Or the violent slaughter of classmates at Columbine High School nearly a half century later? Two males. Check out the full list of products. Outcasts.
Herb Clutter and his family possess it. Dick and Perry want it. It is often associated with the ideal existence. What is “it” exactly? “It” refers to financial stability. This is the state of not having to fret about paying the bills or providing for one’s family and of not having to worry if one will eat on a given day. The concept of financial stability is central in the novel written by Truman Capote and inspired by real events entitled In Cold Blood. This issue is the backbone of the novel and is the chief motive for the murders committed in the story. Additionally, financial stability is an important component in the typical view of the “American dream.” It is fair to say that the Clutters embody this concept, which involves a pattern of social and personal virtue that is accompanied by financial stability. The opposite seems true for those characters of Dick and Perry who fail to exhibit virtuous behaviors and therefore, never attain financial stability. These characters embody the “American nightmare.” Capote argues in his story that tragedy is not confined to the latter category and life is indeed a fragile thing.
Family plays a big role in most stories. In Cold Blood is no different, in the story family is able to shape the outcome of the characters in their younger years that will affect them later in life and the decisions that they will make. This will be shown by the Clutter family, Perry’s family, and dicks family, and the outcomes that this had on them.
The main purpose of In Cold Blood by Truman Capote is to offer insight into the minds of the murderers of the Clutter family, Dick and Perry. However, asking an audience to be open-minded about men who have committed such heinous crimes is no easy task. Capote instead methodically and rather artfully combines imagery, parallel structure, and perspective in two separate passages found between pages 107-113 to contribute to his characterization of Perry and Dick where the former is deserving of sympathy and the latter, disgust.
The whole “robbery” was planned by Dick, the drive was planned by Dick, and even the cover up process was his idea. Although he wasn’t the one who pulled the trigger, Dick is equally responsible for the Clutter family murder as Perry. It would take a horrible person to murder a family, but it takes a vial beast to plan, examine, organize, and operate the murder. Dick grew up with loving parents who were no poorer than any other family in the neighborhood. According to both him and his parents, he was a good kid who did well in school and lettered in nine sports. Similar to Perry, he feels cheated in life and is willing to do anything he must to get what he deserves. Along with this, he has zero insight on how to life a normal life. Dick is the type of person to act on his impulses. He 's likes to have a good time and live in the moment. His aspirations are easy money and easy women. With this, he seems to have no ability to weigh the consequences of his actions, and he will do whatever it takes to get his way. This type of momentary reaction is prone to lead a life of “poor decision.” If he’s in need of money, he will write a few bad checks or maybe steal from a store. If this jig wasn’t plentiful enough, he hitches a ride with a stranger to basically rob and kill everyone in the car. Dick was known for being a terrible person as one man stated, “Dick Hickock! Don 't talk to me about
Brian Conniff's article, "Psychological Accidents: In Cold Blood and Ritual Sacrifice," explains how Truman Capote's nonfiction novel demonstrates the psychological trauma that the murderers and the townspeople of Holcomb face after the murders of the Clutter family. Conniff begins his article by stating that in the last twenty-five years imprisonment and execution has reached an all-time high level of obsession among the American public. Since this type of violence has been so normalized it is rarely properly understood (1). With this in mind, prison literature has continually suggested that "the most fortified barriers are not the physical walls and fences between the prison, and the outside world; the most fortified barriers are the psychological walls between the preoccupations of everyday life . . .and the conscious realization that punishment is the most self-destructive kind of national addiction" (Conniff 1).
While reading this book, I really was able to put myself in the story, and live Dick’s life with him. This typical story of “Rags to Riches”, is a general theme for many people’ lives. Today, as well as back in the 1800’s when the story was written, many everybody’s dream is to achieve success. This formally became known as “The American Dream”. Although this may seem strange for everyone to have the same idea, it really isn’t when you look at it with an open perspective.
In Truman Capote’s non-fiction novel In Cold Blood, the Clutter family’s murderers, Perry Smith and Dick Hickock, are exposed like never before. The novel allows the reader to experience an intimate understanding of the murderer’s pasts, thoughts, and feelings. It goes into great detail of Smith and Hickock’s pasts which helps to explain the path of life they were walking leading up to the murder’s, as well as the thought’s that were running through their minds after the killings.
We also learn how the American Dream has changed for Perry, Dick and for everyone living in Kansas, throughout the book. The American Dream is very important, as we learn how it differed for each character depending on their portrayal of their families. The importance of the author using the portrayals of the characters families was to emphasize the American Dream for different types of people.
Capote's structure in In Cold Blood is a subject that deserves discussion. The book is told from two alternating perspectives, that of the Clutter family who are the victims, and that of the two murderers, Dick Hickock and Perry Smith. The different perspectives allow the reader to relive both sides of the story; Capote presents them without bias. Capote masterfully utilizes the third person omniscient point of view to express the two perspectives. The non-chronological sequencing of some events emphasizes key scenes.
He is quick to sense slight or insult in things others say” (pg. 297). The way Mr. Clutter’s murder happened maybe Perry saw his father or the people in his life that had hurt him physically and mentally and why his murder was the most extreme. In some sense, the rivalry between Dick and Perry is a mutual struggle for self-recognition, with each wishing the other man would validate his own self-image. This shows that Perry wants to impress Dick and that he is capable of doing things on his own. By the end of the book, however, we become aware of some of Dick’s own insecurities: his failure to achieve financial security and support his first wife, Carol, and their three children, his sexual interest in young girls, both of which he compensates for with bravado and reckless criminal actions. Though Dick didn’t kill any of the Clutter family Dick was the one who constructed the whole idea of going to the Clutter home and robbing them and taking advantage of Nancy. Dick also manages to pry on the fact that he is too a murderer. Which is to say that the background can affect the way a person acts but can be defined in how they intake the hardships either learn from it or continue the