Character Analysis Of Perry And Perry In Truman Capote's In Cold Blood

Although Dick and Perry were equally involved in the murders, Capote portrays opposing tones to provide different perspectives of the criminals; therefore, one’s opinion can become easily impressionable.
At first, Dick sees Perry to be innocent and “little,” but this quickly changes as Dick gets to know him better. Dick explains his relationship with Perry to be that, “He had liked him but not considered him especially worth until, one day, Perry described a murder…” then, a few sentences later Perry described that, “he had killed a colored man in Las Vegas - beaten him to death with a bicycle chain” (Page 54). By Dick recalling this anecdote, it personally changed the viewpoint that he had on Perry, making Perry to become more edgy, having valuable qualities and, “a natural killer” (Page 55). The introduction of the characters Perry and Dick, have almost a sentimental feel to their identity traits because Capote adds additional background information which can be more connective and add empathy to their attribute.

Willie-Jay utters to Perry, “You exist in a half-world suspended between two superstructures, one self-expression and the other self-destruction” (Page 43). When juxtaposed, it has an affect on the outlook of Perry, as it his contrasting him to be both self-destructive and have a strong sense of expression. When Willie-Jay expressed these words toward Perry, he set the words close together adding emphasis and importance to create a larger impact. This focal point represents that Perry lives in two separate worlds, and shows the masculine or compassionate side of him along with the contrasting side that Dick sees him to be. Capote uses the quote from Willie-Jay to support the purpose of his book because it shows that Perry is guilty for the crime, which will eventually end his life, referring to