Truman Capote's In Cold Blood

The book I chose to write this report on is titled In Cold Blood by Truman Capote. The book follows the cruel murders of the Clutter family, and the lives of the perpetrators, Perry Smith and Richard Hickock. Truman Capote's In Cold Blood is an excellent and entertaining book which thoroughly examines the complexities of human nature, the blurred boundaries between innocence and guilt, and the haunting consequences of a senseless act of violence. I chose to read this book due to the brutal nature of the killings, and the psychology behind the killers who performed this brutal act of violence. Capote deep dives into the lives of both the Clutter family, those the murders affected, but even more so on the lives of the killers. Capote never went

Capote suggests that understanding the life experiences and psychological complexities of individuals like Perry Smith is essential for grasping the full tragedy of the crime. Through Dewey's empathy, Capote challenges readers to confront the uncomfortable reality that even those who commit heinous acts are shaped by their own experiences of suffering and desperation. Throughout the book, Capote is biased towards humanizing the murderers, especially Perry Smith who he grew closer to throughout the interviewing process, and defending their brutal actions by blaming many other factors that went into them becoming who they were. One example of bias would be “But the boy, whose memories of pain were far more vivid than those of happiness, became at least the equal of his partner in amorality; in the composition of his psyche there was a combination of ambition, curiosity, and gallantry that had propelled him into an endless series of tragic, reckless exploits.” This quote from the book portrays Perry Smith as a complex individual shaped by his troubled past and psychological