Inserting Anecdotes In Truman Capote's

Although Perry and Dick both had cruel intentions, walking into the Clutters home that night, Truman Capote moreso aims to prevail the manipulation from Dick and the credulous personality of Perry, giving Perry an innocent perception; therefore, Capote asserts that not all criminals are all equally responsible for crimes.

Capote utilizes anecdotes to embellish and describe Perry's child life, and in return creates contrast between Dick and his own family life. Perry’s father writes a story about Perry when he was young: “The next three years Perry had on several occasions runoff, set out to find his lost father, for he had lost his mother as well, learned to ‘despise’ her; liquor had blurred the face, swollen the figure of the once sinewy, limber Cherokee girl, had ‘soured her soul’...” (Capote 131). Inserting anecdotes helps to enhance just how helpless Perry was because Perry grew up without a stable family and no one by his side to help him along his journey as a child, Perry’s father describes this in the stories he writes about when Perry was young. While on the other hand Dick had loving parents, no poorer than anyone else. Dick was a good kid, did well in school,

Capote draws the audience's attention to the discussion they had at the restaurant while reading the newspaper: “Perry wonders, ‘I think there must be something wrong with us” (Capote 89). Talking about the murder. Later that day Dick says, “Deal me out, baby, I’m a normal” (Capote 91). Dick isn’t showing a shred of respect for human life. The structure helps readers understand that Dick not showing any sympathy or guilt for the criminal actions and the fact that Perry is questioning and showing concern represents how easy Dick can manipulate Perry with bad intentions. Giving the idea that some criminals can be more guilty than others and more