Part II of the novel, "Persons Unknown", provides extensive information about Dick and Perry. In fact, the reader leaves the Clutters and Holcomb behind completely. For example, on page 110 of the text Capote details a conversation between the killers. Perry is ruminating about the murders, even though his partner has told him to cease any discussion of the crime. He says to Dick, 'I think there must be something wrong with us' and this is an "admission he 'hated to make.'" This is just one example of the very telling information readers are privy to in part II. Point to other passages in part II where the reader really begins to get a sense of whom Dick and Perry are. Please include cited textual evidence to support your ideas. Ensure that you are not simply repeating the thoughts of those who have posted before you. Analyze the textual evidence which you include so that you make a clear point concerning how you think this information about Perry and Dick affects the way you view the murders, the two men, the story as a whole, etc. Just pointing out some information is not enough; I want to see analysis and ORIGINAL THINKING!
On page 109 during Perry's conversation with Dick, Capote gives the reader deeper insights to Dick and Perry’s personalities. Capote writes, "It was a significant question, for his original interest in Perry, his assessment of Perry's character and potentialities, was founded on the story Perry had once told him of how he had beaten a colored man to death." This is where the reader starts to understand that Dick used Perry in his plan to kill the Clutter's only because he had killed before. Here Dick is giving off the impression that he can mold Perry into his sidekick murderer, which does happen. The reader also starts to see that Perry does have a conscience, but that conscience of his is twisted and not good telling wrong from right. Perry thinks it is okay to kill a colored person because it’s different, but when it comes to the Clutter’s, its all fine and dandy even though Perry thinks they won’t get away with four murders. We can obviously see here that Perry has some type of mental problem that messes with the way he thinks. Dick, on the other hand, knows what he is doing is wrong and is perfectly okay with it knowing they will get away with four murders.
ReplyDeleteOn page 105 readers are introduced into Perry's family and are given a glimpse into his childhood. This insight was given in the form of letter from his father. His father writes, "How well I know that Perry is good hearted if you treat him rite. Treat him mean & you got a buzz saw to fight. You can trust him with any amount of $ if your his friend. He will do as you say he wont steal a cent from a friend or anyone else" (130). Before the letter. Readers were only shown one side of the killers, which was how they were at the time of the murder and how much of criminals they were. When the letter is presented, readers are able to see a much nicer side of Perry. We are shown that he was just like any other kid as a child. He had no other precious crimes and was known for sticking up for the small guy. His father knows him as a man that would not steal a cent from anyone. However, his father did describe Perry as having a short temper and being sensitive. Without the letter being in the story readers would not see another side of Perry that is kind and has a family who loves him. Readers see a normal person instead of a monster who brutally killer four. Readers are also shown how out of character stealing is for Perry. After reading the letter no one would expect him to murder a family for forty bucks. The story opens the eyes of readers with the passage and shows them an average person with a traumatic childhood.
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning of the book, Perry and Dick are seen as a duo who trust each other enough to kill four people together. However, on page 108, readers are shown a different side to Dick that does not trust Perry. Capote writes, "The time had been when Dick had thought he could control, could regulate the temperature of these sudden cold fevers that burned and chilled his friend. He had been mistaken, and in the aftermath of that discovery, had grown very unsure of Perry, not at all certain what to think- except that he felt he ought to be afraid of him, and wondered really why he wasn't"(108-109). This is the first time we are shown Dick almost fearing someone, he is usually presented as the tough one that cannot be bothered. Capote presenting him in this way shows us a break in his character and shows that he is not as tough as he wants everyone to think he is. He uses nicknames to take power over Perry, but in the end he is afraid of Perry taking power over himself. Capote uses this to give us a different side to Dick and to present a change in the power, even though Perry is usually presented in a feminine way.
DeleteDuring part II, the audience begins to see a different side to Dick and Perry, which begins to develop the story. On page 99, Truman Capote adds in dialogue between Dick and Perry. They stopped at a bar just after an eventful day of writing fake checks and pawning jewelry. While having a few Orange Blossoms, Dick exclaims, "'What about Dad? I feel -oh, Jesus, he's such a good old guy. And my mother -well, you saw her. What about them? Me, I'll be off in Mexico. Or, wherever. But they'll be right here when those checks start to bounce. I know Dad. He'll want to make them good. Like he tried to before. And he can't -he's old and he's sick, he ain't got anything'" (Capote 99). Perry then replies, "'I sympathize with that'" (Capote 99). Although we assume Dick is the type of person who only cares about money, Capote is slipping the audience a glimpse at his soft side. Previously, readers were presented with information, dialogue and thoughts regarding both Dick and Perry's lives before the murder. Some of this information is even about Dick and Perry's childhoods. Furthermore, we read about the terrible motives and plans that the duo schemed. We begin to be disgusted and hateful towards the murderers, but after all is said and done, Capote tries to present them as worried and caring for their loved ones. Though Dick may actually care about his family, as told before, he does not do anything about it. He recognizes that his family will not be able to financially support all those bounced checks, but he continues to leave for Mexico. In the end, we see that Dick only cherishes money, much more over family. Most would begin to feel sympathy for Dick, maybe think of the murders different, but it doesn't change what happened.
ReplyDeleteThroughout part II, the readers learn more valuable information about Dick and Perry. The information presented gives the audience a better understanding of who they are, and more importantly, why they are the way they are. Part II of the book blossoms to further explain Perry's paranoia after committing the crimes; whereas, Dick is unusually calm and careless. This is proven on page 106, when Capote explains how Perry can finally relax once they are out of the state. At the same time, he reveals what Dick is leaving behind in Kansas, and also that he couldn't care less. Capote writes, "Around midnight they crossed the border into Oklahoma, Perry, glad to be out of Kansas, at last relaxed" (Capote 106). This statement is a small representation of how Perry's nerves could only be calmed by fleeing the scene. The more striking quote on this page is about Dick and who he was leaving behind. Capote notes, "There were those Dick claimed to love: three sons, a mother, a father, a brother- persons he hadn't dated confide his plans to, or bid goodbye, though he never expected to see them again- not in this life" (Capote 106). These statements about the murderers allow the readers to better understand the two men. The audience may sympathize with Perry, due to his excessive regret and remorse about the murders. His nervousness and paranoia cause the reader to feel bad for him, even though it's his own fault. Capote also portrays Dick as a selfish, careless, and heartless human being. He not only does not feel remorse about the horrible crimes he committed, but also doesn't care that he is leaving his family and children behind. Both of these incidents written by Capote change the way the reader views the two men. They cause you to sympathize with Perry, due to his guilt from the situation, but also feel a hatred towards Dick because of his heartlessness.
ReplyDeletePart II goes into greater depth of Perry and Dick. Capote writes, "Deal me out, baby," Dick said. "I'm a normal." And Dick meant what he said. He thought himself as balanced, as sane as anyone--maybe a bit smarter than the average fellow, that's all. But Perry--there was, in Dick's opinion, "something wrong" with Little Perry," (108). Dick uses Perry to help boost his own self-image by belittling him with "childish" names. This helps Dick then prove himself "normal". On the other hand, Perry prides himself great, artistic, and sensitive compared to Dick. But each man looks at the other to help affirm their own masculinity. Perry also wants the approval of Dick which will make himself feel better. Capote writes, "When he's told Dick that story, it was because he'd wanted Dick's friendship, wanted Dick to "respect" him, think him "hard," as much "the masculine type" as he had considered Dick to be," (111). This passage again shows that Perry did not feel as masculine as Dick is. He wanted Dick to like him and respect him in order to gain that level of masculinity. I feel as though Perry has a very poor self-image of himself which leads him to think of Dick like this. Dick also thrives on breaking down Perry by calling him all of those names. So this could mean that Dick actually has his own self-image issues.
ReplyDeleteThe second part of the book focuses heavily on the two murderers. The reader is given more information about Perry’s personal life and what he values. Capote writes, “As the years went by, the particular torments from which the bird delivered him altered; others--older children, his father, a faithless girl, a sergeant he’d known in the Army--replaced the nuns, but the parrot remained, a hovering avenger,” (93). The parrot that stayed with Perry throughout his life was the center of his faith. It was a guardian angel that protected him from danger and lead him in the right direction. He sees the parrot as a light that helps him escape from his problems as they change over time. This leads the reader to think that he is very vulnerable and innocent. He relies on a guardian to help him through tough situations. Although Capote’s writing seems centered in Perry, he also exposes more about Dick’s life. He describes, “The car was moving. A hundred feet ahead, a dog trotted along the side of the road. Dick swerved toward it,” (112). Dick seemingly has very little concern for anyone but himself. He is not afraid to take the lives of others and do what he wants. This highlights the idea that he is a cold blooded killer who is seemingly emotionally unfazed.
ReplyDeleteUp until part II, Capote portrays Dick and Perry as killers and not much more. Only now does Capote give readers incite into their lives before the murder in attempt to humanize them. More information is given on Perry's personal life than Dick's. Except mentioning Dick's love for his family, his character is not further elaborated on. Perry, however, has most of his life's story written about. Capote writes, "What she used to do, she'd fill a tub with ice-cold water, put me in it, and hold me under till I was blue. Nearly drowned" (132). This allows readers to sympathize with Perry. Readers do not see Perry so much as the cold blooded killer that actually pulled the triggers but as a sad and abused child. I wonder is Capote tries to get the readers to sympathize with Perry more than with Dick because Perry actually killed the Clutters.
ReplyDeletePart II goes into much more detail on Dick and Perry, which gives the reader a better sense of who they are. Throughout the beginning of the book Perry and Dick were presented as a team, but as you get farther into the novel their partnership is beginning to crumble. Capote writes, "Dick dropped the binoculars into a leather case, a luxurious receptacle initialed H.W.C. He was annoyed. Annoyed as hell. Why the hell couldn't Perry shut up? Christ Jesus, what damn good did it do, always dragging the goddam thing up? It really was annoying. Especially since they'd agreed, sort of, not to talk about the goddam thing. Just forget it" (108). Capote uses this to show readers that the friendship might not be as strong as previously thought, and shows that Dick is already growing tired of Perry. Through Dick's frustration the reader gets a clear picture of his temper. While including small parts about Dick's character Capote still focuses on Perry throughout part II. When going through Perry's items Capote writes, "two thick notebooks, the thicker one of which constituted his personal dictionary, a non-alphabetically listed miscellany of words he believed "beautiful" or "useful," or at least "worth memorizing" (146). Capote's example included words like "Thanatoid" and "Dyspathy" along with others which are almost all dark. Through Capote including this detail of Perry it helps the reader assure that Perry has a very dark mind, and there is something wrong with him mentally.
ReplyDeleteThroughout part two of the story, Capote goes into great detail about the murders and how they act. In part one we only saw glimpses of who the two murders were and some background on how and where they met. But in part two, each section of reading is focused on one of the specific killers. Readers begin to see the murders of the Clutter family haunts Perry as he hears there plea for mercy and Dick who has no remorse for the killing he and his partner have committed. As the two men are in Mexico, Perry begins to dwell on the crimes the two have committed. Capote writes, 'Know what I think?' "Said Perry." 'I think there must be something wrong with us. To do what we did' (108). Perry is starting to feel remorse for what the two had done and questioning how they could have done it and gotten away with it. As Perry can not believe what he has done, Dick feels almost no remorse for the four murders he and Perry have committed. Dick would rather have Perry shut his mouth then go om about the murders. Capote writes, "Why the hell couldn't Perry shut up? Christ Jesus, what damn good did it do, always dragging the goddamn thing up?" (108). Dick has no regret for what he had done and does not have the flashbacks Perry has. He believes that the two have gotten away with the murders and that there is no reason to continue to dwell on the crimes. The two men have completely different views from one another. Capote uses their views on the murders to show the opposite view points they have, helping describe their character traits in a better way.
ReplyDeleteIn part two of the novel, Capote describes Perry and Dick's personalities in more depth. Part one mainly focused on the murder of the Clutter family. However, it did not show who Perry and Dick were and what goes through their minds. Capote describes Perry as more of a worrier and shows regret about the murder of the Clutter family, while Dick does not care about killing anyone and mainly thinks about himself and no one else's feelings. Dick is thought of as the masculine one and Perry as the feminine one. In the text, Capote narrates, "Then he heard Dick say, 'Deal me out, baby. I'm a normal.''Deep down,' Perry continued, 'way, way rock-bottom, I never thought I could do it. A thing like that.' And at once he recognized his error: Dick would, of course, answer by asking, 'How about the nigger?' When he'd told Dick that story, it was because he'd wanted Dick's friendship, wanted Dick to 'respect' him, think him 'hard,' as much as 'the masculine type' as he had considered Dick to be" (111). Perry worries that something bad will happen as a result of their crimes. He thinks that because of Dick's "normal" dream, it is testing them to show that they are actually abnormal for committing a crime that they did. When Dick calls out Perry for killing the black man, Perry tells Dick that he thinks killing a black man is not as evil as killing a white family. Perry actually only said he killed the black man in order to impress Dick.
ReplyDeletePart 2 of In Cold Blood focuses on the life of the murderers. In page 108 Capote says, “‘Deal me out, baby,’ Dick said. ‘I’m a normal.’ And Dick meant what he said. He thought of himself as balanced, as sane as anyone—maybe a bit smarter than the average fellow, that’s all. But Perry—there was, in Dick’s opinion, ‘something wrong’ with Little Perry.” This quote is used to show how Dick thought that he was better than Perry. Dick was often portrayed as very masculine, while Perry was not as much. Dick was not afraid to commit these murders, and this caused Perry to be a little relieved even though he was scared.
ReplyDeleteIn Part II of "In Cold Blood," Capote goes into a more deeper detail of Dick and Perry than he ever did in Part I. Capote begins Part II with the murders of the Clutter family but, he ultimately switches points- of- view to Dick and mainly to Perry which gives the reader a chance to explore the inner workings of a murder behind the scenes. On page 124, Capote describes Perry, "Of course, Perry could have struck out on his own, stayed in Mexico, let Dick go where he damn well wanted. Why Not? Hadn't he always been "a loner," and with any "real friends"...? But he was afraid to leave Dick; merely to consider it made him feel "sort of sick," as though he were trying to make up his mind to "jump off a train going ninety- nine miles an hour." The basis of his fear, or so he himself seemed to believe, was a newly grown superstitious certainty that "whatever had to happen won't happen" as long as he and Dick "stick together" (124). This quote allows readers to explore a reason why Perry behaves the way he does and why he sticks to Dick like glue even though Dick is cruel and full of angst. Perry is dependent on Dick because that is how he has been his whole life. He was dependent on his dad rescuing him from his mother, he was dependent on his army buddy having a place to stay, and he was dependent on his friend in Alaska who gave him shelter while he was injured. Sticking with Perry is good because he can protect Dick, so long as Perry obeys Dick. Readers are able to visualize the murders and how it probably happened. Based on Perry's "lonesome" attitude, you can imagine that it was Dick who did most of the planning and the actually killing. Perry could have done the lesser work like tying up hands. The murder could be speculated as a one person crime at this time. This quote makes the audience connect to Perry. They feel sorry for him, that he is stuck with a controlling man like Dick. Dick would be a harsh personality compared to Perry, who never had any "real friends." Capote's preference to include the men's stories makes the whole novel more interesting. Not only can you picture the happy family who helped the community, you can also visualize the two men and their stark differences in personalities and lifestyles. Where the Clutters were happy with what they had and with helping others, the murderers always wanted more and a better way to live, like their decision to move to Mexico. Overall, while the two men may seem very similar, they are so very different because of the way they view the world and what they have done.
ReplyDeleteAfter the murders had been committed Perry and Dick deal with what they had done in different ways. The way they deal with it shows more about their character and how they are very different. Perry is remorseful and has a conscience, but Dick is psychopathic and has little remorse for the actions he commits. They made a truce not to bring up their actions, but it keeps eating at Perry. When driving Perry mentions, "I think there must be something wrong with us. To do what we did" (108). Perry believes what they did was wrong and inhuman by saying they must have something "wrong" with them. He does't think what they did was right and he can't stop thinking about it, but it doesn't even cross Dick's mind. Perry is seen with a true conscience of what is right and wrong, and he knows what they did was horribly wrong on all accounts. Dick on the other hand is not phased and feels little remorse. Dick is shown as a true psychopathic killer. He believes death is exciting. When driving Dick swerves to purposely kill and innocent dog then yells out, "Boy! We sure splattered him!" (113). He doesn't feel saddened, but instead he is excited. He uses the word splattered which is very vivid. He went out of his way to kill because that's what causes him joy. Perry is seen as more human and able to feel regret while Dick is seen as a true killer.
ReplyDeleteDuring Part II, readers get a glimpse of who Dick and Perry really are. How did Perry and Dick turn out to be murderers? Reflecting back at Perry’s family, readers have this brief moment of empathy for him: “His mother, and alcoholic, had strangled to death by her own vomit. Of her children, two sons and two daughters, only the younger girl, Barbra, had entered ordinary life, married, begun raising a family. Fern, the other daughter, jumped out of a window of a San Francisco hotel…And there was Jimmy, the older boy—Jimmy, who had one day driven his wife to suicide and killed himself the next” (110). Perry had a rough life, and this may have driven him to commit murder. Could it be that Perry had some anger that he needed to release? Dick, on the other hand, is the stonyhearted beast that Perry believes to be the epiphany of masculinity. He is very sly. He could trick a person better than Houdini (in my sense). Dick seems to not really need Perry. Dick is independent and knows his way around. However, Perry needs Dick. Dick is the driving force for Perry.
ReplyDeleteOverall, Dick and Perry make a great duo. They complement each other, Perry softhearted with Dick’s stone heart and Dick’s ingenuity with Perry’s passivity. This is what makes us love to hate them.
Most of part II is focused on Perry and his childhood. We learn that Perry was very fond of his father, and he was his fathers favorite. While Perry recieved extensive love from his father, he never understood Perry and his natural talents. In the words of Perry, Capote notes, "I had this great natural musical ability...I liked to read to. Improve my vocabulary. Make up songs. And I could draw. But I never got any encouragement..." (133). The reader can't help but wonder what would have become of Perry if he had simply recieved the encouragement from his father he wanted. He could have pursued a musical career, or became a writer. Perry could have done great things if he had gotten support.
ReplyDeleteWhat makes this book interesting to me is the fact that the Clutters are in fact left behind. Capote had a great opportunity in front of him when he was able to has extensive time with the murderers and get, in full detail, their side of the story. We learn much about Perry and how he grew up and as readers even grow to like him despite what he had done to the morally good characters, the Clutters. This use of detail is seen when Perry describes,"Like I could play a harmonica first time I picked one up. Guitar, too. I had this great natural music ability. Which Dad didn't recognize. Or care about"(133). This makes the reader feel sympathy for Perry because it makes it seem like he never had a chance. He is not seen a a killer, but rather an innocent boy in the wrong situation. While I believe his childhood and parents did not help his situation, I do believe we all make our own decisions and I believe he makes the wrong ones consistently.
ReplyDeleteWhile the characterization of Perry Smith is clearly more prominent in Part II of Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood, his counterpart, Dick Hickcock, is also further characterized in more of a subdued manner. It is made known that Dick is the mastermind behind the murder of the Clutter family (Perry following Dick’s lead much like he did the first time he ever got into real trouble), and his motivations are based solely on impulses. Dick seems to be a perfect model of the seven deadly sins: pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath and sloth. Within two pages of part two, he demonstrates three of these sins (gluttony, pride, and wrath). Capote notes, “During the past few days he’d [Dick] known hunger that nothing- three successive steaks, a dozen Hersey bars, a pound of gumdrops- seemed to interrupt” (90). He then goes on to say, “his confidence was like a kite that needed reeling in,” and Perry notices, “symptoms of fury rearranging on Dick’s expression: jaw, lips, the whole face slackened; salvia bubbles appeared on the corners of his mouth” (91). Later on in part two, two more sins become evident (greed and lust). He uses his “very personable character” to greedily use bad checks to buy things he wants, and during his trip to Mexico has sexual intercourse with a prostitute. The most interesting part of Dick’s character however, is he takes a moment to think about his parents and how his actions will affect them. His affection for his parents is obvious, which makes Dick as a character a lot more complicated than initially suspected. However, other than his relationships with his parents, Capote makes it very clear that Dick is not the underdog of this story. Readers are intended to feel somewhat sympathetic for Perry, and Dick is used as a prop to make Perry look even more innocent. When readers compare Dick to Perry, Perry almost doesn’t seem guilty at all.
ReplyDeleteIn part II, Perry is shown to be on edge; he's scared of being caught. His root beer is even "aspirin-spiked"(89). He has a head ace from mulling over if they left any evidence behind and subdues it with three aspirin. Perry is clearly at the very least completely unnerved. He regrets his decision and wishes he hadn't done it. He wishes he hadn't been putty in Dick's hands. Perry is even a bit passive aggressive in response to Dick saying, "'Aw, come on, baby. Get the bubbles out of your blood. We scored. It was perfect'". Then, "'I'm surprised to hear that, all things considered,' Perry said. The quietness of his tone italicized the malice of his reply"(90). Perry's reply to this shows he is irritated and on edge with the situation and Dick. He didn't could not be more nervous about this situation, while Dick is so calm and confident. This goes along with Maddie's idea that Dick is a foil to Perry. Perry seems like an innocent boy who wishes to take it all back.
ReplyDelete^that was me, I pinky promise. -Tori
DeleteTruman Capote gives readers a closer look at the two murderers, Dick and Perry, in his novel In Cold Blood. Especially, Perry's doubtfulness becomes more prominent in this part. When discussing plans with Dick about going to Costa Rica and finding treasure there, Perry asks, "Are you with me, Dick?" (100). Following, Capote writes, "Heretofore, Dick 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, just kidding him. The thought, acutely painful, passed, for Dick, with a wink and a playful jab, said, 'Sure, honey. I'm with you. All the way.'" (100) Readers get a heightened sense of Perry's reliability on Dick. He is very determined to reach his ultimate goal of finding treasure, and having his companion, Dick, on his side is one of his steps to get there. For Perry, it would be a shame if Dick had left him this late in the plan. This sense of doubt also shows a vulnerable and a rather ironic side to Perry. A murderer is characterized as cold-blooded, heartless and uncaring. However, although Perry is a murderer, he cares much about Dick and would feel helpless and lonely without him. By letting readers see Perry's vulnerability and his dependency on Dick, Capote gives readers an unexpectedly deeper insight to these two assumed murderers.
ReplyDeleteAs Truman Capote's "In Cold Blood" starts following the aftermath of the murder of the Clutter family, we find out who their murderers, Dick and Perry, truly are. Throughout part II, we see that Dick stays calm and content like nothing had happened. For example, on page 112 and 113, Capote tells us of how Dick runs over an old, decrepit dog. He did this "whenever the opportunity arose. 'Boy! We sure splattered him!'" (113). Here is a prime example of how Dick never cared about the murders: he killed the family and went on with his life as if nothing had happened. Perry, on the other hand, was quite 'sympathetic' about the murders. On page 108, Perry states that "'There's got to be something wrong with somebody that who'd do a thing like that'" (108). Perry shows that he actually felt a certain level of guilt about the murders, proving that he has some sort of feeling for the crimes he had committed. As part two progresses, Capote gives us a true description of who he Dick and Perry truly are.
ReplyDeleteIn the second part of Truman Capote's In Cold Blood, Capote goes into the past and the personality of the two murderers Dick and Perry. Perry is given a long section about his past and how he grew up, but little is shared about Dick. One mentioning of Dick is when he is trying to persuade Perry to leave Mexico. After Dick saying that they could sell the car Perry says, "Suppose they got two or three hundred for the old Chevrolet. Dick, if he knew Dick, and he did-now he did- would spend it right away on vodka and women" (119) Although this passage about Dick is very short it shows a multiple things about his personality. Dick does not care much for other people. He treats them like temporary things that he can get rid of at any time. Dick also cares not for the way other people feel. He simply tries to get what he wants and leaves, without care for whatever damage he has caused them. For example Capote shares information about two girls Dick has been sleeping with in Mexico, both of which he has promised to marry. Dick, however, has no plans whatsoever of marrying either of these women, who think he loves them. So when Dick leaves to head back to America, he will leave both of these women heartbroken. Whereas he will have not a care in the world how they are because he is out spending money he doesn't have on alcohol and trying to get other women.
ReplyDeletePart II of Truman Capote's "In Cold Blood" provided information about Dick and Perry that sharply contrasts the two killers, particularly in their values. Though both put little value on human life, when it comes to priorities, the two men are polar opposites. Early in the morning, before the team was to leave the Mexican hotel, Perry was "assembling and packing his possessions" (124). Meanwhile, Dick was "lying on one of the room's twin beds" (124) with Inez. Clearly, Dick is not worried about his future and what will become of his possessions, even the living ones. Nearly the entire remainder of part II is spent explaining Perry's "much-loved memorabilia - the two huge boxes heavy with books and maps, yellowing letters, song lyrics, poems, and unusual souvenirs," (125). Dick's possessions are not described to this extent because Dick has much less sentiment, if any, attached to material things. It it possible that Perry attaches himself so much to material things because of his broken childhood. In contrast, Dick has a family (of whom he had a nice visit with the morning after the murder of the Clutter household) and children. Perry has none of this, so he must find something else to identify himself with. One object that served this purpose was his guitar. When it was stolen, Perry's friends, including Dick, did not think much of it. However, Perry was heartbroken: "'You have a guitar long enough, like I had that one, wax and shine it, fit your voice to it, treat it like it was a girl you really had some use for - well, it gets to be kind of holy,'" (125). Thus, Dick does not grow attached to material things (including women), while Perry becomes terribly attached to belongings, valuing his objects the most (and Willie-Jay, of course).
ReplyDeleteIn the second part of In Cold Blood, Truman Capote gives the readers a very clear image of Dick and Perry and how they are handling the murders. Although it may seem that Perry shows more emotion towards the Clutters, he truly could care less for them. For example, when Perry's guitar get's stolen Capote says, "And Perry was bitter about it. He felt, he later said, 'real mean and low,' explaining, 'You have a guitar long enough, like I had one, wax and shine it, fit your voice to it, treat it like it was a girl you really had some use for-well it gets to be kind of holy," (124-125). He is more preoccupied with being upset with his guitar being stolen than he is with feeling guilty about stealing a precious family's lives. He treated an object better than he treated the Clutters when they were being murdered. And Dick, on the other hand, is not much better. When they are driving, Dick sees a dog on the road and swerves towards it, then he exclaims, "'Boy!' he said-and it was what he always said after running down a dog, which he did whenever the opportunity arose. 'Boy! We sure splattered him!'" (112-113). Dick ran down a dog just for the heck of it. Isn't animal cruelty one part of the homicidal triad? He went out of his way to "splatter" a dog, and it was not his first time doing it. Readers could understand if the dog had been in the road and he ran over it. But, the dog was walking on the side of the road. If he treated an innocent dog, whom he could gain nothing from, this way, just imagine how he treated the Clutters, whom he planned on robbing.
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ReplyDeleteIn Part II of “In Cold Blood,” Capote focuses on the opposite characterizations of Dick and Perry. Capote characterizes the two murderers through superb diction and word choice. Within Part II, Dick is described as “smooth” and “smart" while Perry is described as “calm” and “gentle”. Additionally, Dick is said to focus on wealth and women, while Perry focuses on finding buried treasure and skin diving. The opposite attraction between Dick and Perry is unexpected and makes for an interesting partnership. Before Dick and Perry depart to Mexico, they scam businesses with a sort of wedding espionage. Capote writes, “Perry was sorry to see them go. He’d begun to half credit the make-believe bride, though in his conception of her, as opposed to Dick’s, she was not rich, not beautiful; rather, she was nicely groomed, gently spoken, was conceivably ‘a college graduate,’ in any event ‘a very intellectual type’—a sort of girl he’d always wanted to meet but in fact never had” (Capote 98). In this excerpt, Perry is fantasizing about a wife of his own creation. He creates a back story and personality for his dream girl. This reveals the dreamer side of Perry and the child-like qualities he possesses. Oppositely, Dick is a realist with a tough guy persona. He wants to snap Perry out of his fantasies and bring him back to the real world. This might not go well and the two could break-off their partnership soon after. To summarize, Dick and Perry are opposites who find solace within each other’s perspectives. However, the frustration from Dick might end with violence and the corruption of Perry’s fantasies in the future.
ReplyDeleteIn part two of “In Cold Blood” the readers begin to get a much greater sense of whom Dick and Perry are and of there background. Previously the reader was only given small details and snippets of the killers’ lives. In part two, Capote reveals much more about them. He uses the letters that Perry carried with him to develop his character more. The letters were from his father and sister and both helped to describe what his childhood was like and how he came to be where he is now. Perry’s father says in a letter he wrote that, “One time a kid twice his age at school, run up and hit him, to his surprise Perry got him down and give him a good beating”(127). This shows that from a very young age Perry was already violent and hurting others. Perry was not raised very well and the lessons he was taught were not always the best lessons. The reader is shown how there was not a tragic even in his life that turned him into a killer. Perry and dick both were poorly raised which lead to there murderous lives. The killers become viewed as two psychotic men who come from bad backgrounds.
ReplyDeleteIn part two of "In Cold Blood", Capote expands upon the few details we have of the killers. In the previous part, we were given small amounts of information on Dick and Perry, only minimal background information. In part two, we learn more about them as people. For example, on page 125, we read a copy of the letter Perry's father sent to Parry's parole board about his past and childhood. In it, and though Perry's thoughts, we learn more about Perry's unorthodox upbringing and how it led to where he was. On page 38 we also see a letter from Perry's sister from when he was still in prison. It contains very thinly veiled hatred from both sides and Perry even says that "He 'loathed' Barbara, and just the other day he had told Dick, 'The only real regret I have--I wish the hell my sister had been in that house.'" (pg 143). We also learn more about Dick in part two, whereas previously we only knew that he had been married and had children. We do not learn more about his past but we do learn more about his character and personality. Capote writes, "Suppose they got two or three hundred for the old Chevrolet. Dick, if he knew Dick, and he did--now he did--would spend in right away on vodka and women" (pg 119). We find out that Dick is a man of simple pleasures, trying to find the fastest way to make money so he can immediately spend it on alcohol and the company of a woman, no matter how little cash he has.
ReplyDeleteIn part II, Capote gives the reader more insight as to who Dick and Perry are. Capote explains, "As for Perry, he'd never tried to 'pass a check.' He was nervous, but Dick told his, 'All I want you to do is stand there. Don't laugh, and don't be surprised at anything I say. You got to play these things by ear.' For the task proposed, it seemed, Dick had perfect pitch" (97). Here we see that Perry has no clue how to pass a check but Dick has a good deal of experience in the situation. This shows how Perry, although a killer, has more of a conscience than Dick. Perry is nervous about getting caught but Dick knows that if he plays it cool then it will work. This also further displays the contrast between Perry and Dick in the sense of the remorse they feel for their actions.
ReplyDeleteIn part II, the reader gains more knowledge as to what components truly make up Dick and Perry's relationship. Up until now, Capote makes it seem like Dick and Perry get along because of their harmony and conformity. However, they are ultimately brought together by their rivalry. Dick reveals to Perry his true thoughts about Perry's plans by proclaiming, "his therefore concealed opinion of Perry's dreams and hopes" leaving Perry "hurt and shocked" (Capote 124). At the same time, it "charmed him, almost revived his former faith in the tough, the 'totally masculine',the pragmatic, the decisive Dick he'd once allowed to boss him" (Capote 124). Perry thrives off the fact that he no longer is compliant to Dick. Also, Dick has become so tired of listening to Perry's schemes that he has told him the hard truth. The undying tension between the pair is undeniable and more evident than ever. This further demonstrates the real contrast between Dick and Perry in their constant rivalry.
ReplyDeleteIn part II, Truman Capote gives an insight into the dark side of both Dick and Perry. Capote explains both Perry and Dick, "He "loathed" Barbara, and just the other day he had told Dick, "The only real regret I have-I wish to hell my sister had been in that house." (Dick had laughed, and confessed to a similar yearning: "I keep thinking what fun if my second wife had been there. Her, and her whole god damn family.")" (143). This passage describes the killer side of both Dick and Perry. Both murderers have dark thoughts, but you see the normalcy of joking around about killing more people. They both think that by saying this the words are humorous, but if a normal person overheard the conversation it would not be seen as humorous. It makes me think that if the two would not have got caught for murdering the Clutter's, the partners would have developed a plan to get back at their hated persons. The joke they made would not have been humorous as it cracked into a real life event that would have fulfilled the two's deepest dreams.
ReplyDeleteIn part II of In Cold Blood, Capote develops the characters of Dick and Perry more in depth. In part I, not much was revealed about the criminals as individuals; they were just known to be the killers of the Clutter family. But as we read on, we discover that both murderers have stories behind them. We learn that Perry had a rough childhood and was never able to fulfill is true calling. We learn that he is the type to dwell in the past and reminiscence on what he could have done with his life. After injuring himself in a motor cycle accident years before his crimes, Perry recovers with a friend and his family. He states, “So to give me something to do, try to make myself useful, I started what become a sort of school…I was teaching harmonica and guitar. Drawing. And penmanship…It was fun. I like kids” (135). Here we see Perry as a teacher, helping children, and having a heart. The reader realizes that Perry was a good guy in previous years and only can wonder what he could have accomplished if only he had chosen the right path to follow. In contrast to Perry who always lives in the past, Dick is known to always live in the present. Although we learn little about Dick’s past in part II, we still discover more about his personality. While trying to make money, Dick makes a plan. He explains to Perry, “We’ll sell the wagon. Find a job. Save our dough. And see what happens” (119). We as readers notice this is not much of a plan at all, but more like “winging it”. This shows that Dick is not the type to worry about his wrong doings and is confident in finding money for a place to stay each night.
ReplyDeleteThe murderers of the Clutter family, Dick and Perry, have personalities that mix like fire and ice. in the novel "In Cold Blood" Capote describes Dick as not only a far more experienced con man and criminal but, as a man who feels little to no remorse with a short temper in the novel. Dick's violent outbursts that caused him to have "cursed, kicked the boxes, called them 'five hundred pounds of pig slop!'"(page 106) show that he is hot headed, rude, and vulgar. His ability to use people such as the two women he promised to marry and anger are a stark contrast to Perry who is a nervous man who lives in his dreams. Perry is the kind of man that gets a look of "inflated fulfillment, of beatitude, as though at last, and in one of his dreams, a tall yellow bird had hailed him to heaven"(page 120) from simply catching a fish, which shows Perry is a hopeful man living in his dream world. Capote's descriptions of Dick as a fiery man and Perry as a calm and hopeful man allows Capote to ensure that the reader views Perry in a more positive light and see Dick as the evil in the pairing, which Capote could have done because of his biased feelings for Perry.
ReplyDeleteNow that the Clutters are dead, Capote decides to expand on the lives of the killers in In Cold Blood. For instance, Capote stated in an earlier part of the novel that Perry was keen with his grammar. He restates the idea to give the reader a sense of who the killers really are. Near the beginning of Part II, Perry and Dick are sitting in a diner and Perry is reading an article about the murders in the newspaper, he says "''For this killer or killers'' said Perry reading aloud. 'That's incorrect. The grammar is. It ought to be 'For this killer or these killers''(Capote 89). Perry was more concerned with the incorrect grammar of the piece rather than what it was actually saying, which tells a lot about him as a person. The reader is reminded of how much of a perfectionist Perry is, which may contribute to the reasoning behind the murderers' method of killing the Clutters. This doesn't, though, reveal anything related to the reason Dick and Perry killed them.
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ReplyDeleteIn Part II of the story, Capote really starts to show who the two murderers were. It is in this part of the book that Perry tells Dick about him murdering an innocent black man, named King. It is during this recollection that we find out what kind of man Perry really is. While telling the story, Perry says, "I hit him across the face. Broke his glasses. I kept right on. Afterward, I didn't feel a thing. I left him there, and never heard a word about it. Maybe nobody ever found him. Just buzzards." This account of the killing really shows what kind of person Perry is. After reading this, readers really start to understand how Perry could have killed an innocent family like the Clutters.
ReplyDeleteIn Part II of the story, Capote really starts to show who the two murderers were. It is in this part of the book that Perry tells Dick about him murdering an innocent black man, named King. It is during this recollection that we find out what kind of man Perry really is. While telling the story, Perry says, "I hit him across the face. Broke his glasses. I kept right on. Afterward, I didn't feel a thing. I left him there, and never heard a word about it. Maybe nobody ever found him. Just buzzards"(112). This account of the killing really shows what kind of person Perry is. After reading this, readers really start to understand how Perry could have killed an innocent family like the Clutters.
ReplyDeletei can see that
DeleteNo you dummy he was fibbing about that!
DeleteIn part II of "In Cold Blood", Capote expands on the backgrounds of each of the killers. Capote goes more in depth into Perry's childhood by introducing the reader to a letter written by Perry's father. Throughout this letter many important parts of the killer's past is presented to the audience. For instance, midway through the letter he states, "I tryed to see them in school. My wife had given orders to the teacher not to let me see them. However, I managed to see them while playing in the school yard and was surprised when they told me, 'Mama old us not to talk to you.' All but Perry. He was different"(Capote 126). Within this section Perry is not seen as a murderer but as an innocent little boy with daddy issues. These issues seem to shape the man that he is today. That man, somewhat broken, is seen by the audience with more sympathy and compassion after reading the letter. Adding this letter into the novel also shows how much Capote cared/felt for Perry. He wanted everyone to feel a bit more compassion for him so he used this method of persuasion to convince the readers that Perry wasn't just a cold blooded killer, but he was a real person.
ReplyDeletePart II of Truman Capote's In Cold Blood focuses on the exposition of Dick and Perry, the murderers of the Clutter family. Throughout his research, Capote got a good sense of who both men were, and that is evident in this section. The men are vaguely contrasted, in regards to their feelings toward the crime. Perry is depicted as feeling regret. He seems to have developed paranoia about the murders, and the only thing that helps him is talking about something he won't run out of information about, himself. Capote writes, "'I've always played my hunches. That's why I'm alive today. He [Willie Jay] said I had a high degree of extrasensory perception'" (90). Perry continues to rattle off small talk for a good portion of the section. On the contrary, Dick seems to have come to terms with the crime. He is shown as having no regrets when Capote writes, "Too bored to protest when Perry once more pursued the matter..." (90). It could be argued that Dick's lack of conversation is prompting Perry to essentially converse with himself. Overall, Part II is all about the differences between the murderers thoughts and actions after the murder. It provides insight into their thinking and who they are as a person.
ReplyDeleteIn part II of the novel, Capote completely drops the Clutter family and goes straight into the lives of Dick and Perry. We are taken into the childhood of Perry, seemingly being Capote's main character in this part, where much abuse and trauma had happened to him. Trying to gather the readers sympathies, Capote includes abuse that occurred early in Perry's life. Perry describes, " She woke me up. She had a flashlight, and she hit me with it. Hit me in the dark"(Capote 93). When Perry was younger, he was put into an orphanage ran by nuns. The nuns incessantly beat him. Capote reveals this to the reader to make them feel bad for Perry; to show them that the reason why he could commit such a cold blooded murder is due to the abuse and abandonment he had suffered throughout his life. On the other hand, Dick's childhood is almost never brought up. However, Capote portrays Dick as a cold hearted man who really does not care about anyone but himself. He is more or less a manipulator who uses people to get what he wants. He used Perry, and pretends to be his friend, when in reality, he gets annoyed by him. Capote narrates," He was annoyed. Annoyed as hell. Why the hell couldn't Perry shut up?"(Capote 108). Perry mentions the murder and asks Dick if there is something wrong with them for doing such a horrible thing to innocent people. Instead of actually considering to think about this, he just get annoyed. This shows the reader how Dick really does not care about what he did to the Clutters, and it also shows he does not care for Perry.
ReplyDeleteIn part II of Capote's "In Cold Blood", the readers really get to know who Dick and Perry are. Capote shows a new side to the murders, they are now viewed as people not just the men who killed the Clutters. The readers get to know Perry very well in part II, readers learn all about Perry's childhood and family. Capote's tells readers of Perrys rough childhood when he writes, " it was not long afterwards my mother put me to stay in the Catholic orphanage. The one where the Black Widows were always at me. Hitting me. Because of wetting the bed."(132). When the reader reads of Perry's troubling childhood, they begin to feel sorry for him. They sympathize with Perry because of this hardships. Capote's decribes the murders in such detail in part II because he wants the readers to see the murders as more than murders. He wants the readers to see Dick and Perry as real people.
ReplyDeletePart II of "In Cold Blood" is very interesting in the fact that background information and revealing qualities are shown for both Dick and Perry. This information seems like it should have been presented in Part I, but Capote went a different route. Capote acknowledges one of Perry's lost sisters in a way that seems different than that of the other siblings. Perry thinks of his family on pages 110 and 111, "Fern, the other daughter, jumped out of a window of a San Fransisco hotel. (Perry had ever since "'tried to believe she slipped'", for he'd loved Fern. She was "such a sweet person," so "artistic", a "terrific" dancer, and she could sing too. If she'd ever had any luck at all with her looks and all, she could have got somewhere, been somebody"(110-111). In this passage Perry refers to Fern much more than any of his other relatives, which gives the vibe that he cared more for Fern and she was different than the others. Also, Perry says of Fern, "she could have got somewhere, been somebody". This phrase reveals a longing Perry had for Fern to be successful and a pride he had in her which was never justified. This section of the text presents the reader with a reason to be sympathetic for Perry.
ReplyDeletePart II of In Cold Blood by Truman Capote puts large emphasis on Dick and Perry. Capote gives us insight into the feelings and emotions of the two murderers. For instance, Dick asks Perry who Cookie is and Perry just says that she is a woman he almost married. Capote then goes on to say," That Dick had been married- married twice- and had fathered three sons was something he envied. A wife, children- those were experiences 'a man ought to have,' even if, as with Dick, they didn't 'make him happy or do him any good'"(Capote 98). This passage reveals that maybe Perry is somewhat normal, even if his morals aren't. He wants what most people want: family- people to care for. Also, Capote describes Dick well when he describes how annoyed he was getting when Perry kept talking about what they had done and whether they were normal or not. Capote writes,"He was annoyed. Annoyed as hell. Why the hell couldn't Perry shut up? Christ Jesus, what damn good did it do, always dragging the goddamn thing up? It really was annoying. Especially since they'd agreed, sort of, not to talk about the goddamn thing. Just forget it"(Capote 108). This passage speaks volumes about Dick. The use of profanity displays Dick's character and impatience well. This passage also shows that maybe Dick doesn't want to talk about it because he feels remorse; he doesn't want to remember such a terrible thing. Maybe Dick and Perry are a little more complicated than they seem. Capote's focus on these characters in Part II gives us a look into who they really are.
ReplyDeleteCapote characterizes the murderous duo in Part II of "In Cold Blood" in a manner that allows the reader to develop an idea of how Dick and Perry came to be the people they are. After the completion of the murder, the two men find refuge in Mexico. Aspects of Perry's childhood are brought into light; his past was troublesome. His mother, an alcoholic, had been killed from choking on her own vomit. Of his two sisters and brother, only only one was able to develop into a fully functioning. ordinary adult. Perry reveals, "Fern, the other daughter, jumped out of a window of a San Francisco hotel. (Perry had ever since 'tried to believe she slipped,' for he'd loved Fern," (Capote 110). While he has kept fond memories of his sister, the fact remains that he has been faced with much loss and disappointment in his lifetime. Perhaps Capote is indicating that this misfortune began for this killer not recently, but instead many years ago. Perry hides these tragedies deep in his subconscious and the flashbacks of these memories seem to stir emotional turmoil.
ReplyDeleteCapote deliberately describes Dick and Perry more in depth in part II of "In Cold Blood." While describing Dick and Perry's lives as they are now, he also contrasts the two murderers. For example when Capote says, "Deep down," Perry continued, "way, way rock-bottom, I never thought I could do it. A thing like that." And at once he recognized his error: Dick would, of course, answer by asking, "How about the nigger?" When he'd told Dick that story, it was because he'd wanted Dick's friendship wanted Dick to "respect" him, think him "hard," as much "the masculine type" as he had considered Dick to be"(111). Capote goes in depth with saying Perry's thoughts and his lies to his partner. He shows how Perry tries to act as manly as Dick is to fit in but Perry isn't that person. Perry is the intelligent one, not the brawn. Also this shows how Perry feels uncomfortable and not up to par with his partner so he has to lie to be up to his level of insanity. Part II develops the characters thoughts and actions towards each other and the crime they have committed. Towards each other they are hostile and oppose each others thoughts, and towards the murder, one has remorse while the other feels no pain. Capote contrasts the murderers very highly throughout part II.
ReplyDeleteIn Part II of "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote, Capote starts offering more description of Perry and Dick. Capote describes, "The car was moving. A hundred feet ahead, a dog trotted along the side of the road. Dick swerved toward it. It was an old, half- dead mongrel, brittle- boned and mangy, and the impact, as it met the car, was little more than what a bird might make. But Dick was satisfied" (112). Capote, essentially, is telling us that Dick has a want to kill or to hurt. Dick is always going to be satisfied no matter what he kills whether that be the Clutter family, Perry's dreams, or the dog. In Part II, we see more about Perry than we do Dick. The letter from Perry's father brings forward memories in Perry that he does not care to relive. Capote writes, "Until Perry was five, the team of "Tex & Flo" continued to work the rodeo circuit. As a way of life, it wasn't "any gallon of ice cream," Perry once recalled: 'Six of us riding in an old truck, sleeping in it, too, sometimes, living off mush and Hershey kisses and condensed milk'" (131). This gives the audience an insight on how Perry grew up and what it was like. The reason he does not eat much at the "last supper" could be because he was never used to eating a lot. It also tells the audience what a rough life he had and that could be the possible motive for murdering the Clutters.
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ReplyDeleteIn part II of In Cold Blood, Capote shows the reader that Dick and Perry are very different people. He shows that, in contrast to Perry's imaginative personality, Dick is a true criminal. On page 99, Dick asked how Perry planned to make money once they arrived in Mexico. Perry is unsure of how to answer the question, and Capote notes that some of Perry's earlier suggestions included "Prospecting for gold, skin-diving for sunken treasure" (Capote, 99). These suggestions are far-fetched possibilities that are commonly imagined by young children. While Capote does not attempt to portray Perry as a child, he shows Perry is a very imaginative, creative person, and kind person; however, Perry is a follower, which has led to his involvement with Dick. Dick is not a kind, imaginative person like Perry. Dick is shown as a selfish man who will steal, kill, or defraud anyone if it is to his personal benefit. When the two have run out of money in Mexico, Dick "borrowed money from the richer of his two fiancees, the banker's widow, Dick bought bus tickets that would take them...as far as Barstow, California" (Capote, 124). This incident shows Dick as a liar, having two fiancees, and a thief, borrowing money from the banker's widow before leaving the country. Dick is shown doing selfish, illegal, and immoral things like this part II. Capote shows these parts of Dick and Perry in order to make the reader realize that Perry is not an evil person, while Dick is worthy of his name.
ReplyDeleteDick and Perry, the infamous murderers written about in Truman Capote's In Cold Blood, are two very different people. Perry explains to Dick that "right before I had my motorcycle accident I saw the whole thing happen: saw it in my mind - the rain, the skid tracks, me lying there bleeding and my legs broken. That's what I've got now. A premonition. Something tells me this is a trap" (90). Dick replied to this with "Aw, come on, baby. Get the bubbles out of your blood. We scored. It was perfect" (90). Dick's casual response suggests that he is relaxed and laid back, unconcerned of the possibility of being caught while Perry carefully considers each detail in the newspapers. Perry's speech on premonitions not only displays Perry's fear of being caught, but also his belief in superstition, which Dick does not share. Dick appears to be a materialistic man, who is worried about getting food on the table and a roof over his head. Perry, on the other hand, seems to think deeper. While both men have their lives of crime in common, they do not share many viewpoints.
ReplyDeleteIn part two of In Cold Blood Capote gives a details about Perry's past. When Perry and Dick decide to go back to the states Perry goes through his things to see what he is going to keep and what he is going to leave behind. In one of the boxes he finds a letter that his dad wrote to the board to get Perry parole. In the letter Perry's dad says "Perry is like myself a great deal. He likes Company of decent type- outdoors people, he like myself, likes to be by himself also he likes best to work for himself. As I do. I'm a jack of all trades so to speak, master of few and so is Perry." (128). While Perry didn't have the ideal childhood his father still taught him many valuable things. He has many talents like playing the guitar, and he is very good at grammar. Perry also likes to be alone, like his dad. This makes me wonder why Perry feels the need to stick with Dick even after they have escaped. Perry's dad also taught him how to be a prospector. This makes me wonder if this is why Perry is so interested in diving for gold. Perry also likes to be his own boss, so I wonder why he allows Dick to control everything, and just goes along with the plan. Perry is a very well rounded person who could provide for himself if he had chosen to stay in Mexico when Dick decided to go back to the states.
ReplyDeletePart two of "In Cold Blood" is all about the readers getting more information about the murderers, so they can understand Dick and Perry better. Capote tells readers," When he'd (Perry) told Dick that story, it was because he'd wanted Dick's friendship, wanted Dick to "respect" him, think him "hard," as much "the masculine type" as he had considered Dick to be" (111). Capote wants to give readers the feeling that Dick is a real thug, and gives him a very tough personality. Dick is a confident man who does not take crap from anyone. The character Perry, on the other hand, is the complete opposite. Perry has lots of emotions and is very caring about what others think about him. So in order for Dick to like him, he made up a story about killing an African-American. Capote really makes the saying "opposites attract" really come alive with Dick and Perry; they are the perfect "partners in crime."
ReplyDeleteIn part two of Capote's crime novel, In Cold Blood, readers are given a detailed look inside the minds of Dick and Perry and shown just how unaffected they are by their murder of the Clutter family. Both murderers are eating at a Kansas City buffet, while Perry is reading and commenting on a newspaper written about the murder of the Clutters. Perry comments on the news article saying that, "'For this killer or killers,' said Perry, reading aloud. 'That's incorrect. The grammar is. It ought to be "For this killer or these killers"'" (89). Perry, while reading an article about how he murdered four innocent people, is correcting the grammar mistakes as calmly as if he is an English teacher editing a student's essay. His cool unconcern when talking about the people he killed gives us a deep look at just how unaffected he is by murdering. His mind and thoughts analyze the murders as if they were an everyday part of his routine. However, if anything, Dick is even worse. While Perry does not care about killing the family, his confidence lacks as he worries about getting caught. Dick does not have these insecurities or confidence absences, as self-absorbed as they are. Readers see this when Dick constantly tells Perry to "get the bubbles out of his blood", showing that not only does Dick murder people with ease and without remorse, but he completely confident about doing so. Capote gives us these telling activity descriptions to put on full display the inner-workings of Dick and Perry's minds and exactly how they similarly and differently view their murders.
ReplyDeleteIn part II of "In Cold Blood", Capote describes Dick and Perry very detailed and we get a sense of who they are as people now and before the murder. Beforehand we get to see the bond Dick and Perry have with each other. They are very close and trusted each other to commit crimes with one another. But afterwards Perry starts to get worried and panics, whereas Dick just wants to not talk about the murders. Capote writes, "Know what I think? said Perry. I think there must be something wrong with us. To do what we did" (108). It goes on to say how Dick wishes that Perry would just drop the topic. Capote writes about how Dick grows distrustful of Perry. Which contrast how he felt in the beginning. Capote describes Dick and Perry multiple times more, but this was a very strong example in part II.
ReplyDeleteIn part two of "In Cold Blood", Truman Capote delves into the lives of Dick and Perry. Up to this point, they are seen as heartless murderers who killed a well-liked family for no apparent reason. Capote uses part two to give us a better ideas of the two men. Dick has been seen as the head of this operation because he came up with it and was the one who was the most outwardly excited to carry it out. But we see a more caring side of him when he says, "'What about Dad? I feel- oh, Jesus, he's such a good ole guy. And my mother- well, you saw her. What about them? Me, I'll be off in Mexico. Or wherever. But they'll be right here when those checks start to bounce. I know Dad. He'll want to make them good. Like he tried before. And he can't- he's old and he's sick, he ain't got anything'"(99). The reader now sees a sentimental side to Dick that hadn't yet been revealed. He truly cares about his parents and is worried about the repercussions his parents will have to deal with because of his actions. It may not seem like much, but we now are given a different side of Dick.
ReplyDeleteIn part two, Capote goes in to depth about Perry´s past. He reveals a lot about his childhood and how he was raised. Most significantly, we get to read a ¨novel¨ written by Perry´s father. This gives a history of his family, as well as create a picture of his father. Because we find out that Perry was closest to his father and what his relationship to his mother was, this piece of writing is more significant than any other letter in understanding Perry. His father paints Perry as a ¨sober man¨, and ¨mechanically inclined"(128). This shows a father´s point of view, and shows that Perry was not always a criminal.
ReplyDeleteTruman Capote's "In Cold Blood" details the two murderers, Dick and Perry, of a Kansas city family. Dick and Perry are very different from each other, a fact that Capote places heavy significance upon. A subtle, yet very revealing example of Capote explaining the the murderers are, and comparing them, is when the two are expressed after the murder has been done and Perry and Dick are stopping somewhere to eat, "Dick ordered another hamburger. During the past few days, he'd known a hunger that nothing -three successive steaks, a dozen Hershey bars, a pound of gumdrops -seemed to interrupt. Perry, on the other hand, was without appetite; he subsisted on root beer, aspirin, and cigarettes" (90). Capote describes their eating habits for better reasoning than showing the reader what they choose to eat. He included this piece of information because it shows that Perry is a very analytical thinker. Perry is very anxious about the murders and has a feeling that him and Dick are going to get caught (as stated previously in the text on multiple occasions throughout part II). Perry constantly brings it up and cannot eat because it consumes his thoughts. Dick, on the other hand, is eating because he is suppressing his thoughts. He does not want to think about what he has done, but only what will happen as a result of it. Dick does not think much about his actions beforehand or afterwards, so he has no guilt or weight bearing on his shoulders. Capote puts significance on the contrast between Dick and Perry because he wants the reader to see that the Clutter family, the family that Dick and Perry murdered, was not killed by two psychotic people that were not self aware, because that was not the case. Another example of Capote allowing the audience to see who Perry and Dick are is when he describes both of the men leaving America and how they feel about the situation:
ReplyDeletePerry, glad to be out of Kansas, at last relaxed. Now it was true -they were on their way- On their way, and never coming back - without regret, as far as he was concerned for he was leaving nothing behind, and no one who might deeply wonder into what thin air he’d spiraled. The same could not be said of Dick. There were those Dick claimed to love: three sons, a mother, a father. a rother -persons he hadn’t dared confide his plans to, or bid goodbye, though he hadn’t dared confide his plans to, or bid goodbye, though he never expected to see them again -not in this life (106).
Perry has no emotional ties to anyone. He thinks deeply about things, but he does not care to maintain relationships like Dick does. Dick loves his family because he actually has a family. Dick is fairly close to his family and does not want to never see them again, but Perry has no family or friends really, and this complete change of pace does not affect him much at all. Capote includes this information to show more so how Perry can kill an entire family -he never had one. Perry has never had a family to love him and teach him how to love. He grew up an abused orphan and this definitely has a large role in why Perry does what he does. He was more apt to kill than Dick. Dick has a family and Capote is showing that Dick has a family that he loves, while Perry is just ready to kill.
In part two of Truman Capote's "In Cold Blood" the characters Dick and Perry are described more in detail than in the previous chapters of the novel. Perry's past being illustrated more in depth then his partner Dick. Capote describes Perry's time in the Merchant Marines, and then in the Army. "Years later, when I went into the Army- when I was stationed in Korea- the same problem came up. I had a good record in the Army, good as anybody; they gave me the Bronze Star. But I never got promoted." (134) Capote uses this description of Perry's past to show how he had actually done some good in his life before being introduced the life of a criminal. Possibly to lead the readers to feel sympathetic about the fate he will soon share with Dick.
ReplyDeleteI did not like this book but I did like the way that Truman Capote added depth to Dick and Perry . I enjoyed learning about Perry's childhood and why he is the way that he is. I enjoyed all of I did not like this book but I did like the way that Truman Capote added depth to Dick and Perry . I enjoyed learning about Perry's childhood and why he is the way that he is. I enjoyed all of the smallest details like what he ate like " Hershey's " that really showed how poor he was and how much he struggled. It made him seem more human and helped me to see him as who his is and not the murder he commited. I also enjoyed the details that I learned about Dick . I liked hearing that he had a family that cares about him and that he cares about . Capote never actually out right said this ; he let the reader infer and unravel the characters somewhat on there own . smallest details like what he ate like " Hershey's " that really showed how poor he was and how much he struggled. It made him seem more human and helped me to see him as who his is and not the murder he commited. I also enjoyed the details that I learned about Dick . I liked hearing that he had a family that cares about him and that he cares about . Capote never actually out right said this ; he let the reader infer and unravel the characters somewhat on there own .
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