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How Does In Cold Blood Deserve The Same Punishment

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In Truman Capote's "In Cold Blood," the murders of the Clutter family shocked the nation. The two culprits, Perry Smith and Dick Hickock, were caught and tried for their crimes. While Perry was the one who physically carried out the murders, it can be argued that Dick deserved the same punishment because he planned the crime, intended to rape Nancy Clutter regardless of what happened, and manipulated Perry into becoming a killer. One of the most significant pieces of evidence that suggests Dick deserved the same punishment as Perry is the fact that he was the mastermind behind the crime. From the beginning, Dick had a detailed plan of how they would carry out the murders, and he made sure that Perry was on board with his ideas. The scary part of all of this is that Dick considered himself normal, by saying, “I’m a normal” (Capote 108). In the book, it is clear that Dick was the one in control, and Perry is merely following his lead. For example, when they first discussed the robbery, Dick said, "If it's going to be done, it's got to be done right. No slip-ups...You know what …show more content…

In the book, it is revealed that he had sexual fantasies about her and had made up his mind to act on them. When they arrived at the Clutter house, Dick went to Nancy's bedroom while Perry searched the rest of the house. When he returned, he said, "I thought I'd wait and surprise her...but I couldn't go through with it...not yet" (Capote, 105). This suggests that Dick had planned to rape Nancy, but for some reason, he had to delay his actions. Also, Dick explained the main reason he wanted to go there by saying, “I think the main reason I went there was not to rob them but to rape the girl... I thought about it alot. But Perry never gave me a chance” (Capote 278). It is clear that Dick's intentions were not just to rob the Clutters but also to carry out his sick sexual

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168 Words | 1 Pages

Although Dick’s was fully aware of his actions, he even came up with the plan to go and try to steal from the Clutters, another important evidence that separates Perry and Dick is also overlooked by the court. Alvin Dewey states Perry, before signing the confession paper, “admit that Hickock had been telling the truth, and that it was he, Perry Smith, who had shot and killed the whole family” (255). It is revealed that Perry is the one who killed the members of the Clutter family and Dick did not. The court gives Dick the same death sentence that they gave Perry, the guy who actually did the killing. Although Dick is too some extent responsible for what happened to the Clutter and he was aware of his actions and what was happening, his punishment

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691 Words | 3 Pages

Dewey could not accept the theory that the family had been slaughtered for paltry profit -’a few dollars and a radio’”(Capote103). Dick and Perry initially get away with murder, but their clues that were left behind eventually catch up to them. In many parts

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116 Words | 1 Pages

This quote shows that Dick is longing to forget about the murders and move on with his life. Capote uses words like " Why the hell couldn't Perry shut up" and "He was Annoyed.. Annoyed as hell" to show Dick his antagonistic attitude towards Perry's level of concern. Though he secretly feels guilty about what happened, he wishes that Perry would stop bringing it up since that makes it harder for him to forget about the horrific event. With this quote Capote's is trying to reveal that Dick thought of Perry as paranoid and over dramatic.

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178 Words | 1 Pages

While Perry is mortified that he and Dick could commit such a gruesome crime, Dick couldn’t care less. All Dick is worried about is how odd Perry is. Because of how quick Perry’s mood could change, Dick thought he was “spooky as hell.” Now, Perry wasn’t your average run of the mill man. He still wets the bed, cries in his sleep, and “could slide into a fury ‘quicker than ten drunk Indians’”.

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126 Words | 1 Pages

This Quote represents Insanity (Sociopathy) because it shows both Perry’s killer natural way of thinking and it also shows Dick’s colossal use of them to get what he desires. Dick suffers brain damage he received from a concussion and Perry has paranoid schizophrenia . This could possibly contribute to their questionable mental state of mind. Some symptoms of insanity include : frequent lying, stealing , fighting , no guilt or remorse for anything whatsoever , breaking the law repeatedly , the ability to act charming and witty, disregarding of the safety of others, manipulating other people 's emotions, and inability to tolerate frustration . Both Dick and Perry poses some of these traits / symptoms which may lead us to believe they could

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373 Words | 2 Pages

In the fourth section of In Cold Blood, Capote argues that Perry is a cold blooded killer and Dick is just as guilty. Capote describes Perry as “very high” on the night of the murder. By the time he was in jail, Capote referred to him as “unusually troubled” and “lost”. When Perry admitted to the murder of the four Clutter’s, his reasoning was to spare Mrs. Hickock’s feelings, not to tell the truth. Perry’s background makes him seem damaged and “changed”, as he experienced various problems in adolescence; his “psychotic” ways are even thought to be true by a psychiatrist in court.

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679 Words | 3 Pages

That is what makes Perry Smith a psychopath. The life Perry was forced to live in caused him to commit the murders. It was fate that made Perry Smith a murderer. Perry killed because of the way he was raised to be, or not raised to be. It was inevitable that in the end, he would become a killer.

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485 Words | 2 Pages

Even though Dick said that he planned to kill the Clutters himself, he only wanted to rob them because he had heard of the safe that Floyd Wells had told him about and was thinking that killing the Clutters would only be an option if they were too stubborn to tell him the location of the safe. Dick may have watched Perry kill the Clutters but Dick never stopped him from doing so, making it seem like it was all Perry’s doing. The reason for Perry putting in the effort to kill the Clutters could be because he felt pressured due to the lie that Perry told him about killing a black man,

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1233 Words | 5 Pages

Although Perry continues the horrendous deed, he feels abomination towards himself and the crime he commits. Because Perry feels repugnance for his actions, his morality reveals itself and shows his true character. Before Dick and Perry commit the murder, they have no pervious relation with the Clutter family. Truman pens, “The crime was a psychological accident, virtually an impersonal act; the victims might as well have been killed by lightning” (245). Because the Clutter family was chosen at random, the pernicious violence of Dick and Perry debuts.

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763 Words | 4 Pages

Dick, when he was growing up had a good family. They weren’t the best, but they cared for him and his well-being. Despite dick being a killer, he is very normal and “laid back”. For him to be able to turn it on and off is what makes him a natural born killer. “Dick was always the star player.

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1630 Words | 7 Pages

Dick knew how to manipulate and get what he wanted. He was who Perry saw as a masculine man, someone to not be crossed, but who Perry looked up to. Perry noted that Dick was not a good role model, but still sought his approval causing him to lie about committing murder which got him roped into going with Dick to murder

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961 Words | 4 Pages

Capote portrays only one of these two seemingly distinct characters (Perry) in a way that the reader feels the need to relate to and even sympathize with him. One can be taken aback by such an attachment to a murderer. This is not surprising as the author uses his compassionate diction to manipulate the reader’s emotions with a use of pathos, the appeal to emotions. At one point Capote goes as far as to write that “Smith’s life had been no bed of roses,” (Capote 245) attempting to have the readers relate to Perry. On the other hand, Capote has Dick say this about himself: “Deal me out, baby, I’m a normal” (Capote 116).

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658 Words | 3 Pages

Dick Prosser went crazy because of his constant hatred of being not equal to his counterparts around him. He was very obedient at the beginning of the story, but as the story progresses he begins to slowly break down until he goes crazy. The scene where the children find the gun shows that Dick has premeditated thoughts about taking the action he does. The readers of the story will never really know why he went crazy, but the best explanation is that buildup of negative emotion in

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334 Words | 2 Pages

Dick encourages Perry to drive with him from Olathe all the way to Holcomb to kill Mr.Clutter and his family because their the second richest family in Holcomb. After the killing they plan on moving to Mexico and living life to the fullest with the money they have.

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1177 Words | 5 Pages

He is portrayed as a mastermind in the cold-blooded killing of the Clutters family, a man with little respect for the lives of others, which can be seen through Dick’s expression before the murder of the Clutters when he converses Perry, “We’re gonna go in there and splatter those walls with hair” (Capote 234). This sudden tone shift enables Capote to depict Dick as a cruel and immoral character. Dick’s lack of empathy and concern for other people beside himself allow him to commit crimes without remorse, which is in contrast to Perry’s moral contemplation after each bad actions they committed. Moreover, Dick is represented as the true criminal with evident motives in murdering the Clutters, while Perry is seen as a vulnerable victim who depends on Dick for validation and acceptance, something in which Dick happily provides in order to manipulate Perry, as Capote writes, “Dick became convinced that Perry was that rarity, ‘a natural born killer,’—absolutely sane but conscienceless, and capable of dealing with or without motive, the coldest-blooded deathblows. It was Dick's theory that such a gift could, under his supervision, be profitably exploited” (Capote 205).

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