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Truman Capote's In Cold Blood

578 Words3 Pages

“32 states, that's how many use the death penalty in the US” as a way of punishing those who deserve nothing less than death (32 States With). The ideas behind the verdict shows the controversy within the topic. The novel In Cold Blood written by Truman Capote and passage
“Speech in Favor of Capital Punishment” by John Stuart Mill demonstrate the contradicting stances on capital punishment.
Based on parts of the novel, it can be inferred that Capote is against the death penalty through unfair judging. In the story, Dick and Perry commit murder on a family of seven for reasons that isn’t truthfully explained. When the two were on trial, Capote believes they weren’t defended properly because they were given a state attorney. “I do not desire …show more content…

Another example from the story is with someone with mental health issues are being questioned, the defense can bring in a general medical doctor instead of a psychiatrist. “Just plain doctors. Medical doctors in general practice. That’s all the law requires” (Capote 267). If the doctor had said they were mentally insane, they wouldn’t have been able to continue on with the trial. Throughout the entire novel it shows Capote’s opinion of being against the death penalty.
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According to the passage “Speech in Favor of Capital Punishment” it can be inferred the stance Mill has on capital punishment. “... as beyond comparison the least cruel mode in which it is possible adequately to deter from the crime” (Mill 23-26). It can be inferred that the author is trying to pull across that it may take extreme measures that they have committed to come back around to teach others the basics of morality. People act in a way of monkey see, monkey do so if people see that crimes are going on with no discipline, then it will attract people with even crazier ideas. “Then in 1973 Isaac Ehrlich employed a new kind of analysis which produced results showing that for every inmate who was executed, 7 lives were spared because others

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After most people hear what Perry has gone through you immediately give him a get out of jail free card right? You think that since he had a difficult upbringing he should be exempt from receiving the death penalty? Although you may think this, this is certainly not an excuse for such a violent act. Throughout In Cold Blood, Capote attempts to portray to the reader that Smith in a way should be exempt from the crime he commited and how one should not blame it on Smith himself, but his psychological background. Specifically when Al Dewey, the head of the Clutter murder investigation, states how the crime was not in fact Smiths fault.

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On Pages 339-340, Capote uses selection of detail and diction to argue against the use of the death penalty. (Dick) “...hung for all to see a full twenty minutes before the prison doctor at last said, ‘I pronounce this man dead.’” (Capote 339). (The guard says), “They don’t feel nothing. Drop, snap, and that’s it.

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The novel In Cold Blood, by Truman Capote and the passage from Speech in Favor of Capital Punishment, by John Stuart Mill are both works of literature that focus on the use of the death penalty. In Cold Blood tells a story of two men, Richard Hickock and Perry Smith, who savagely murder a family of four during the 1950’s. Through capture of the killers, the trial that they must face and the execution of the men, Capote gives the readers insight on his wavering beliefs about capital punishment. In contrast, Mill uses his speech written in 1868 to ensure society that the death penalty is the most appropriate action to take when sentencing a killer. Although the authors have different views on the morality of capital punishment, Capote and Mill use rhetorical devices to express their arguments.

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