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Truman Capote's Manipulation Of Perry In Cold Blood

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Although Perry is responsible for the murder of four innocent people, Perry’s actions do not reflect on who he is as a person because he is easily influenced, therefore; showing how easily people can be pressured into doing something they would not typically do. Dick, a violent, cold-hearted, manipulator, has molded Perry into the person he is today. As Perry is a follower, Dick has taken advantage of that by turning Perry into the cold-blooded killer he is today. Capote displays Dick’s manipulation of Perry through symbolism to make evident that while Perry did pull the trigger on four innocent people, although the fault does not entirely lay on him, as he was taken advantage of by Dick. As Capote gives insight to Dick’s viscous personality, he symbolizes Perry to further display how Dick manipulates him. After Dick steps on the gas to complete his mission of murdering a dog in the road, he saw, “ahead of him, on the dusty road… a dog trotting along in the …show more content…

Willie Jay is the antithesis of Dick: Willie Jay encouraged Perry to strive to his fullest potential (although Willie Jay did not think that was much, based on his condescending attitude towards his lack of education). Dick attempted this, he “ had always encouraged him, listened attentively to his talk of maps, tales of treasure, but now-- and it had not occurred to him before-- he wondered if all along Dick had only been pretending” (Capote 100). Perry noticed that Dick did not actually respect him. However, Perry honestly admired Willie Jay- he was the antithesis of Dick. Perry takes the both paths on the road of manipulation, but they do not meet at the end. Perry would have turned out much differently if he would not have begun following Dick because his actions heavily rely on who he is

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The crime was a result of Dick’s coercion over Perry. Also, Dick had convinced Perry that they were capable of doing anything together; "Hickock had convinced Perry that he, Perry, was destined for great things, that together they were unbeatable" (Capote 277). Furthermore, this shows how Dick gained his trust and loyalty through false promises and preying on his

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This situation is that of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. Hitler was an evil mastermind who manipulated and persuaded the Nazi Party to kill millions of Jews. Dick is similar to Hitler in that he manipulated and persuaded Perry to kill the Clutters’. While the comparison between Dick and Hitler may seem dire, it does not deviate from the fact that he is the source of the killings.

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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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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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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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1295 Words | 6 Pages

Capote makes Perry seem as if he is a lost puppy, misunderstood by those around him, and an all-around sensitive person throughout the novel by using pathos to lure the audience into feeling sympathetic toward Perry. Truman Capote uses Perry’s difficult, sorrowful childhood, as well as his appeal to pathos, to convince his audience that Perry was not as bad as he seemed, even though he was the one who shot the Clutter family the night of the

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758 Words | 4 Pages

Nature versus nurture is one of the most controversial debates in contemporary psychology. The debate concerning whether or not humans are born with the preset characteristics that will shape lives for years to come or whether actions are a result of the events and the environment that pave the way for our behavioral characteristics. Capote’s “In Cold Blood” gives the audience a detailed look into the upbringing of the character Perry Smith, creating a sympathetic outlook towards his past and attempting to bring a sense of understanding as to how a seemingly harmless young man could brutally murder four innocent people. In the case of Perry Smith, nurture was the cause of his actions in regards to the Clutter family murders.

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Dick Hickock and Perry Smith are the antagonists. Dick is the mastermind behind the crime, he has no compassion or guilt for the crime’s he has committed. His friendship with his so call friend Perry is a lie he was only interested in him because Perry told him that he killed a person once and Dick hope that he could bring forth Perry’s murderous nature for his “score”. He has been married two times and has two children, but he is not a faithful husband or good father. He get's motivated by what he does not have, lust and greed are what he mainly acts on.

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However, the Clutters have certain aspects which could be considered ‘abnormal’, especially in the case of Bonnie, a depressed and reclusive mother. Perry and Dick are juxtaposed with the Clutters, they are a seemingly abnormal duo, who are antisocial, have a hunger for murder and are even physically disfigured. Both Perry and Dick have attributes that are still somewhat ‘normal’ despite their surface abnormality. Perry is sensitive, creative and sings, Dick has had an upbringing that was completely typical of any American child, that is, he was brought up in a loving and caring environment, with enough money to live comfortably and attend secondary education. Dick also constantly defends himself saying: “I’m a normal”.

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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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Money brought him the hope of having a complete and happy family. Once Dick heard that the Clutters had a lot of money from Floyd Wells, a prisoner who used to work for Mr. Clutter, he planned to kill the family and take all the money away. Therefore, he found himself a complice, Perry. Dick was not thinking to let Perry get involved in this action when they first

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Although he ended up being one of the murderers of the Clutter family, the readers often felt sorry for him. In the beginning of the novel the reader finds out that Perry was actually very nervous about committing the crime, he and Dick were on the road to do. Capote made it seem like Perry

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1483 Words | 6 Pages

Perry’s erratic spontaneous outbursts is what caused him to go through with the murders and slit Mr. Clutter’s throat which put him on the killing frenzy that ended the rest of the Clutters lives. Capote highlights Perry’s sociopathic tendencies by comparing them to that of Dicks Psychopathic tendencies which exemplifies how when put together they are at each others fault for the

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470 Words | 2 Pages

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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