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In Cold Blood Perry Character Analysis

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Although Dick is the almost forgotten character beside Perry, he is veiwed more in context towards the end of the book; therefore even murderes who are sentenced to dealth are still people worth mourning. Capote uses discription to prove of the differences of the cells that Dick and Perry were placed in. First he includes how perry’s cell is like, “...Perry lured one off a branch onto the window silll… it was a male squirrle...soon settled down, appparently content to share his friend’s captivity”(Capote 254). Perry is still the main focus, he makes friends witha squirrel. He also as a cell away from all other cell mates and a window to watch as people walk by, going on with their life. Capote then goes to show how Dick is doing in his cell, …show more content…

Dick is asked to write about his childhood so the pychatrist can evualte him, he describes his bicycle his father got him, “My dad bought me a bicycle once, and I believe that I was the proudest boy in town. It was a girl’s bike and he changed it over to a boy’s. He painted it all up and it looked new”(Capote 277). Dick is showing a softer side of himself. A side that he never lets the reader see. The way that he says “I was the proudest boy in town” proves the love he had towards his father. Knowing that they did not have a lot money, but his father spent the time fixing up a bike so his son could ride around town. This is part of the letter that Dick wrote that was only to be seen by one person, to never be shared with anyone else. He purposefully didn’t talk about this side or the reader did not see it. We only focus on the thought that he was associated with murder, but when Capote puts this letter in the book we can focus on the other side of Dick that we had previously over-looked. The humane part of Dick is shown. The part that people can be sad to see go. Everyone has this side to them. The side that they don’t want to let anyone see, but it is the side that people can feel bad for. The side that people would be sad to see

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Dick did not have any second thoughts about the murder. He had firmly wanted to walk-in and kill the Clutter family despite their innocence. Dick viewed the Clutters’ as an opportunity that was going to make him rich. There was not any

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"I thought I was a man too, but now I think I was wrong. Only a person can know for sure what he is" (Perry, 232). This statement shows Perry's internal conflict and adds complexity to his character, challenging readers' idea of him as a criminal. Additionally, when Perry reflects on Dick's intentions stating, "Dick said we were just gonna rob them, not kill them" (246), it brings out the ambiguity and manipulation within their criminal partnership. Capote's attempt to humanize Perry inspires readers to empathize with his struggles and see past the surface of his actions.

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This quote illustrates that Dick, being raised in a well environment, also had some faults. He could not achieve his American Dream due to lack of money that his family did not

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(Capote 585). This quote shows the true backstory of Dick which plays into a part of why he is who he is. He was never like this before, as the story claims on the online page 582, “He just didn’t act like the same boy.” (Capote 582). The change in Hickock’s life was sparked by the car accident in 1950 and changed him as a person altogether.

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“He did not smoke, and of course he did not drink; indeed, he had never tasted spirits, and was inclined to avoid people who had—a circumstance that did not shrink his social circle as much as might be supposed, for the center of that circle was supplied by the members of Garden City's First Methodist Church,a congregation totaling seventeen hundred ,most of whom were as abstemious as Mr. Clutter could desire.’’ (10) ( Culture and Community ) Capote used this quote to illustrate the culture of the village of Holcomb, where Mr.Clutter lived and how the social life of a religious family is rooted in their church. This quote represents culture, because is trying to tell us that people in Holcomb should live a life according to their religion ,because their actions affect their social circle and their community.

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The first quote helps explain that the people don’t know who the murderers are quite yet and they can not imagine who they could be because they couldn’t think of someone who could do such a thing. Dick thinks at that time he believes that they are home free and that they will never get caught. When Capote switches the point of view between these chapters it helps us understand how the characters think and it gives us a general idea of what the character think and

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In Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood, there is no hero. The protagonist is not a hero, nor the law enforcement. Heroism becomes irrelevant when searching for justice following a tragedy such as the one seen on November 15th, 1959 in Holcomb, Kansas. Complexity, next to justice, is primary to put into account during the aftershocks . Perry Smith is the protagonist in the novel, not only due to author’s bias but also due to his sheer dynamic, a man disconnected from word to action.

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Sexuality between Dick and Perry is explored as well as Perry and Dick’s individual sexualities. The Clutters are the first example of normality seen in ‘In Cold Blood’. They

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In the story, The Wife of His Youth, Grandison, a slave who is thought to be loyal, accompanies Dick Owens on a journey to the North. Dick is the son of the Colonel who owns many slaves. He only wants to go in hopes to gain the love of Charity Lomax by aiding a slave in escaping to the North. Dick thinks that Charity told him that if he brings a slave to the North, then he will be a hero and she will marry him. The only problem is the slave, Grandison, is well trusted by the Colonel and assures him he has no intention of escaping.

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He valued intelligence and success. Although, after his hard work and many rejections, he began to lose hope for a better future. But, by doing an altruistic, heroic action things looked up for him. Dick saw a little boy fall into water when he could not swim.

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Truman Capote, the author of In Cold Blood, creates sympathy for almost every character the reader comes across. Through the use of manipulating the reader's emotions and connecting them to each character, Capote successfully pulls it off. There are four main groups that Capote chooses to create sympathy for the murder victims, the murderers, the law officials involved, and the ordinary citizens of Holcomb, Kansas. Truman Capote created the most sympathy for two characters, Perry Smith and Detective Dewey. From the beginning of the novel, Capote showcases Perry Smith a likable character.

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Throughout the story, Dick shows several similar characteristics between him and a tiger, one of which is being passionate. A tiger is eager about catching his prey, which is similar to Dick being enthusiastic about his religion. Dick would attend church three times a week and the narrator states "his eyes would be red, as if he had been weeping. We would know, then, that he had been reading his Bible" (Wolfe 726). Dick is seemingly devoted to his religion, however this did not stop him from committing the grave sin of murder.

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For example, a review by Gopnik states that “Dick’s allegiance was not to literature but to writing and to the possibilities of writing as a form of protest and instant social satire” (2). Allowing the audience to inference the amount of emotions, thoughts, and passion that goes into Dick’s novels and short stories. Although Gopnik enjoyed reading Dick's novel, he asserts that one would definitely "end up admiring every one of his conceits and not a single one of his sentences" (7). In spite of this article being created after Dick died, Gopnik made interesting points in his review that brings together Dick's life and his writing

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In doing so Capote invents a new genre of literature by telling the story through a new perspective. Capote as a writer chooses to put most of the focus of the book on the criminals, Dick Hickock and Perry Smith, particularly Smith. He follows Smith’s life story, and explains that Smith was abused as a child, and the reader is to infer that as a result he seeks approval from others. This approval is what leads him to kill, and invent stories about killing, as he wants Dick to think of him as macho. Capote provides a plethora of evidence to support this reasoning, “He was seven years old, a hated, hating half-breed child living in a California orphanage run by nuns- shrouded disciplinarians who whipped him for wetting his bed,” (93).

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1177 Words | 5 Pages

While Dick’s attempt to profit from Perry originates from a lie that Perry creates in order to gain Dick’s respect, the language that Capote uses to illustrate Dick’s exploitation does not leave room for excuses or sympathy. The tone indicates Dick has malicious intention in befriending Perry, which gives the readers a cynical impression of him. Furthermore, Dick is seen to be disregarding of the gravity of his crimes, especially as he replies to Perry’s comment, “I think there must be something wrong with us" (Capote 114) to commit the murder like they did, in which Dick replies, “Deal me out, baby, I'm a normal,” and continues to entertain the thought, “ But Perry—there

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