Analysis Of Truman Capote's In Cold Blood

The death penalty has been a controversial topic of debate for years, specifically whether the punishment is ethical and effective. Many have even argued that the criminal justice system has imposed flawed and misguided standards and practices which have caused choatic conditions to seep into American life. Truman Capote’s novel “In Cold Blood” examines the nature of this system by recounting the trail of Dick Hickock and Perry Smith, who had been accused of murdering the Clutter family in rural Kansas. Through Capotes vehement opinions about numerous aspects of the process, the narrative includes a stong implicit answer to the central question of whether society actually achieves justice when it imposes the death penalty. Throughout “In Cold

But the unfortunate truth is that the justice system fails to provide justice and Capote uses details to potray just that. After reading, “In Cold Blood” it was evident that both Smith and Hickock had some serious mental disabilities. For example, Perry, when discussing Mr. Clutter, said, “I didn’t want to harm the man. I thought he was a very nice gentleman. Soft spoken. I thought so right up to the moment I cut his throat.’.... ‘They [the Clutters] never hurt me. Like other people. Like people have all my life. Maybe it’s just that the Clutters were the ones who had to pay for it’”. Perry Smith had a compultion to kill Mr. Clutter, and there was no clear motive behind the act. Capote kept this vital detail to prove how Perry does not have complete mental control of his actions. Smith said himself that he was reluctant to hurt Mr. Clutter, as he was a “nice gentleman”, but regardless went through it. It was said that Perry Smith had schizophrenia and Dick Hickock’s violent actions were rooted in a severe concussion suffered in his past. It was evident that both men were affected by some mental disabillity, yet they were sent to death row, rather than a mental institution. The reason for the strictness was the application of the M’Naghten Rule during the time of the

Do criminals given a death sentence face just punishment? Capote strongly disagrees with the death sentence, as his use of details and syntax clearly demonstrate to the reader. First of all, most of the relatives of the victims were not supportive of the punishment chosen for Dick and Perry. Mrs. Clutter’s brother said that “he did not feel the defendants should be put to death.” If the person who should have the most anger towards the two criminals disagrees with a death sentence, it follows that Dick and Perry’s punishment may not be appropriate. Furthermore, the other Clutter siblings did not attend the hanging of Dick and Perry. To be exact, no one but Mr. Dewey, the head of the Clutter’s murder investagtion, attended it. None of the victoms close family or friends wanted to witness this cruel punishment. Capote presents that the the Clutter family did not feel that the revenge of death penatly was morally sound, and would rather have a punishment that might result in reforming the