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Who Was Responsible For Dick Hickock's Death

501 Words3 Pages

Truman Capote's In Cold Blood is a harrowing account of the brutal murder of the Clutter family in 1959. The book delves into the lives of the two perpetrators, Dick Hickock and Perry Smith, and their motives for committing such a heinous crime. While both men are equally responsible for the murder, it can be argued that Dick Hickock should take more blame due to his intention to rape Nancy Clutter, knowingly using Perry as a weapon, and his involvement in the planning of the murder. One of the most disturbing aspects of the crime was the fact that Dick Hickock had intended to rape Nancy Clutter before killing her. In the book, it is revealed that Hickock had a history of sexual assault and had even spent time in prison for it. He had also mentioned his desire to rape Nancy to Perry prior to the murder. This shows that Hickock had premeditated the rape, and it was not just a spur of the moment decision. He had deliberately chosen Nancy as his victim and had planned to sexually assault her before killing her. This level of premeditation and depravity is unforgivable and should be considered an aggravating factor in his culpability. …show more content…

In the book, it is evident that Perry had a troubled childhood and suffered from severe mental illness. He was impressionable and easily manipulated by Hickock. Hickock had convinced Perry that the Clutter family was wealthy and that they would be able to steal a large sum of money from them. Hickock had also provided Perry with the gun and had instructed him on how to use it. In essence, Hickock had used Perry as a tool to commit the murder, knowing full well that Perry was not entirely in control of his actions. This level of manipulation and control over Perry's actions should be taken into account when assessing Hickock's responsibility for the

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Perry wasn’t just included in the plan, he was hand-picked by Dick. Dick believed that Perry had the killer mentality that was necessary to kill the Clutters’. Dick was very opportunistic towards Perry and wanted to use him. By using Perry, Dick proves that he is a manipulator who is also the mastermind behind the plan. The situation of Dick and Perry is comparable to the situation that had occurred twenty years prior to the Clutter family murder.

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Perry Smith's actions in Truman Capote's "In Cold Blood" paint a chilling portrait of a true monster. In the planning and execution of the Clutter family murder, Perry's capacity for pure evil is unmistakable. As Capote vividly describes, "Then something went wrong, the Clutters didn’t have the safe, or Perry got nervous, or both, and they ended up tied up and shot. " This quote serves as a visceral reminder of the brutality Perry is capable of, appealing to the reader's sense of horror and disgust. Furthermore, Perry's lack of empathy and moral compass is evident, highlighting his monstrous nature.

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1503 Words | 7 Pages

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