Children at the same age as Perry, 13, will one day be in a home where they have to survive on their own, then the next they are in an orphanage. The mother of Perry Smith passed away soon after she left his father. The battle she fought was an enthusiastic battle with alcohol, the next day she lost and choked on her own vomit, this was probably the worst experience of Perry Smith’s life. When Perry Smith’s mother died, when she left the children, they moved into a Catholic orphanage where Perry got beaten for wetting the bed.
The author, Capote seems to achieve a feeling of sympathy for Perry Smith, because his childhood was a series of unfortunate events. His mother choked on her own vomit then dying may have affected him mentally. Perry