Year 12 Literature 2013
2013
Unit 3 Outcome 3:
Considering Alternate Views
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
From this point on you should be doing Exam preparation as these texts
are examinable. You may have an idea in your head now of which texts
you are going to work with on the exam but this may change. It is also
good to start your skill preparation early. I will provide you with
passages to examine and have outlined a process for text review which
helps as well. Try to dedicate an hour a week to the development and
practice of this skill – this is not homework, it is study but it pays off for
both the SACs and the exam!
Unit 3: Outcome 1
On completion of this unit the student should be able to analyse, interpret and evaluate the views
and values of a text in terms of the ideas, social conventions and beliefs that the text appears to
endorse, challenge or leave unquestioned.
The study design indicates that this unit of work should cover the following aspects:
Key knowledge
This knowledge includes
• the viewpoints and assumptions of a review, critical essay or commentary;
• how various viewpoints about a text can be developed;
• how to construct a response that articulates and justifies an independent interpretation.
Key skills
These skills include the ability to
• identify the viewpoints or theoretical perspectives expressed in a review, critical essay or
commentary;
• demonstrate an understanding of the underlying values and assumptions of the review, critical essay or
commentary;
• evaluate another interpretation;
• construct an interpretation providing supporting evidence from the text.
Unit Outline
Week
7
Day
Tue
Wed
Fri
8
Tue
Wed
Fri
Tue
Wed
Fri
Tue
Wed
Fri
Tue
Wed
Fri
9
10
11
Lesson
Overview (LEGAL EXCURSION)
Part 1 – The Last To See them Alive
Cross Country
Part 1 – The Last To See them Alive
Infamous
Infamous (GALWAY CROSS COUNTRY)
Part 2 – Persons Unknown
Sac Tutorial and Practice Task
Part 3 - Answers
GAT
Part 4 – The Corner
Text Review and Catch Up
Practice SAC – Article Analysis
Practice SAC – Response
Feedback
SAC – Article Analysis
SAC – Article Feedback
Homework
Text Book – 90 min
Infamous, Research and Focus
Questions – 90 minutes
Close Reading Questions – 1 hour
Close Analysis Micro Passages – 1 hour
Practice Task 1 – 1 hour
Close Reading Questions – 1 hour
Close Analysis Micro Passages – 1 hour
Practice Task 2 – 1 hour
Catch Up
SAC
Assessment
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In this unit your assessment is broken into two components.
In the first you analyse an article which provides commentary on the text.
In the second you discus this article and indicate your own response.
You will have a number of short activities throughout the unit which will model the style of
the assessment as well as a full practice task to complete.
The SAC itself is undertaken over two sessions with one session for each component.
This assessment task is worth 20 percent of the semester mark or 5 percent or your study
score.
ConsideringAlternateViewpoints
Chapter 5 of your text deals with this outcome. You should read over it to familiarise yourself with
some of the aspects of our study.
As you read over this work you will need to pay particular attention to the following three tasks:
Page 163
Note the qualities of the three different text types offering alternate views. Do a Google search and
try to find an example of each that relates to In Cold Blood. You never know you might stumble
upon the article for the SAC. What a head start that would be!
For each article note the viewpoint taken and assumptions made. This can be done by annotating
or making notes on the document itself.
Page 165
Briefly sum up each of the four theoretical perspectives outlined.
Identify and explain which sort of reading you engaged in while reading:
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Past The Shallows
The Rip
The Poetry of Michael Laskey
In Cold Blood
Page 170
The material on page 170 and 171 is a very detailed way of looking at an article and responding.
There is a sample version filled out on pages 176-77. Stick a bookmark in this part after reading
through it – you may find it useful in a week or two.
ContextandOverview
Notes as we view ‘Infamous’
Having read In Cold Blood certain things should occur to you during ‘Infamous’.
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What moments strike you as being important?
Note down moments where you suddenly realise that Capote was there – it might help you
look at that moment in a new way.
Note down potential biases, Capote’s nature and contextual features that may give you a new
insight into moments of the text.
Note down your reactions to the relationships in the film. Questions the accuracy of their
portrayal but also think about the way they may have impacted the writing.
Note down contextual information that may have impacted the writing and ideas explored.
Research
You can find plenty of biographical information about Truman Capote and the events of the Clutter
murders on Wikipedia. Here are a few quick references to get you started.
This is the first part of a documentary which looks at Capote’s early life. It is interesting to compare
it to Perry’s life. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfWMAReGazY
This is a documentary about the murders and includes reference to Capote coming to the town.
Interesting in the video is original footage and interviews with residents of Holcomb, including
people involved in the trial. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14zSOAoV38Q
Focus
Consider these questions and take some basic notes on each:
1. Capote tried to be both documentary and literary author. How does the literary
embellishment of a true story influence readers?
2. How is montage used? Does shifting perspective hide what Capote thinks of the crime or
people involved? Does it make the tale more vivid?
3. The voice of the Clutter’s comes from friends, neighbours and family whereas the
perpetrators of the crime can speak for themselves. How do the sources of the information
shade the readers’ opinions?
4. Beside the primary characters why would Capote flesh out people like Dewey, the other
prisoners on death row, Mrs Ashida or Bobby Rupp?
5. Why would Capote choose the order he did to tell the story?
6. Did Capote take a stand on the death penalty?
TheLastToSeeThemAlive
Consider This View
Truman Capote’s new form of ‘reportage’ is most clearly evident in the way he reconstructs the last moments of the
lives of the Clutter family. The first section of In Cold Blood paints such a clear picture of the last day of both Mr Clutter
and Nancy that the brutal murder of the family, even though evident from the outset, has a resonance with the reader
that makes them feel great sorrow at this loss. The description of the murder scene by Larry Hendricks, the accounts of
Nancy’s friends and the reactions of the other town’s people heightens the impact of the murders by showing how
devastating the events of that night were on the entire town. Extending this is the interspersed introduction of Perry
and Dick, showing them as cold and heartless in their forethought of the killing and intentions. What ultimately tugs at
the hearts of the readers however is the futility of the crime; the loss of such an innocent family with such noble and
virtuous character is the result of greed that was always destined to go unsatisfied.
Close Reading Focus Questions
1. Given that we know what happens how does Capote create suspense in this section? Find
three examples to deconstruct for tension and suspense building techniques.
2. How does Capote suggest that each of the Clutter family were viewed but their community?
Complete a set of notes on each character with page references or specific quotes which
suggest how they are portrayed. Break down at least two quotes which result in the reader
being positioned.
3. What is the reaction intended to Herb buying the insurance policy? Given that this is a true
event how is this emphasised by Capote’s choice of explanation and description to make it
serve its purpose.
4. Pick 3 other details of the Clutter’s last day that makes you feel attached and invested in the
family and explain how it does this.
5. How is the reader initially positioned to see Dick and Perry? Deconstruct three quotes that
suggest how we are meant to view them.
6. How do Dick and Perry compare. Draw a Venn diagram showing each man’s characteristics
with the centre shared space indicating those things they have in common.
7. What is the significance of Willie Jay? He is introduced as being an influence on Perry at page
40.
8. Larry Hendricks relates the first investigation of the house. Why is the tale related from his
point of view? Look at this section beginning on page 59 and choose 3 examples of description
or commentary that expose the purpose of using Hendricks as the narrator here.
9. Mrs Clare’s response (p66) is somewhat bizarre in the degree to which it differs from everyone
else’s. Why does Capote include it?
10. Write a short explanation of why Bobby’s reaction to the news is so impactful. What is the
intention of including it? Make sure you justify, with specific textual evidence, why you think
this.
PersonsUnknown
Consider This View
Following the horrific descriptions of the Clutter murders it is hard to believe that Truman Capote could create sympathy
for the murderers but in the second section of In Cold Blood, one constructed after Capote had met both Perry Smith and
Dick Hickock, the reader is presented with the pair’s pasts. The information included in this section, which fleshes out
the life of Perry Smith particularly, forces the reader to see the men not just as a criminal force but as people with
ambition and impediments to these ambitions which force them down a certain life path. It is however difficult to view
the dissatisfaction of the men with the outcome of their crime and resulting struggles in Mexico without experiencing
disgust at their lack of remorse.
Truman Capote perhaps empathises with Perry Smith due to the similarity in difficulties of their upbringing. In this way
Capote fails in his attempt to develop a new type of novel which recounts factual events in a literary style. His own
voice, biases and interests seep through and influence how he shares information and what information he preferences.
In an attempt to balance the account of the murderers’ lives and experiences Truman Capote perhaps builds sympathy
for Alvin Dewey as he investigates the case. As a member of the community that is noticeably damaged by the loss of
the Clutter family and as the man tasked with capturing those responsible the reader is made to feel the intensity of the
burden placed on Dewey. The fear he must confront in the community and his own household is an intense motivation
to see those responsible brought to justice and the reader observes the toll that is taken on this man as an allegory of
the impact of crime on those who know victims rather than just the victims themselves.
Close Reading Focus Questions
1. Look at the scene where Perry reads the paper (pg 84). What is important about this
moment? What does it expose about Dick and Perry?
2. Consider how we are introduced to Dewey. Find five quotes that support your idea of how
the reader is meant to see him / be positioned. You may like to move onto the discussion of
the impact of the investigation on his family.
3. We gain a lot of information about Perry’s upbringing. Undertake 3 close analysis
discussions of three of the different ways we learn of his past. You may like to choose from:
a. Fixing the Guy in Vegas(pg 105)
b. His father’s letter (pg 121)
c. His Reaction to his father’s letter (pg126)
d. His sister’s letter (pg134)
e. Willy Jay’s interpretation of his sister’s letter (pg139)
4. What does Mrs Ashida’s decision suggest to the reader? You may like to think about how it
positions the reader to consider the views and values of the text.
Answers
Consider This View
Truman Capote exposes his preference for Perry Smith over Dick Hickock in the third section of In Cold Blood. His focus
on Perry’s accounts and regular inclusion of commentary which places more of the planning and premeditation on Dick’s
shoulders damn’s this man to forever be blamed for the murders despite not firing a shot. In addition Capote constructs,
through what he chooses to include, a difference in the two characters that suggests that Smith is a pitiable but
pleasant fellow who is swept up in a situation he cannot control by a manipulative and aggressive individual in Hickock.
The way Dick’s actions are described in his interaction with hitchhikers, in the final days of the pair’s flight from the law
and in his eventual questioning by detectives, shows him as the more inherently criminal. Perry, by contrast, seems a
more naive person and his eventual admission of his actions seems so out of character with the young man we have
been exposed to that the reader musty assume that he is not fully aware of his actions or in control of them.
Close Reading Focus Questions
1. Floyd Wells’ connection to the Clutters is a positive one. How does his discussion of their
relationship impact the reader (pg152)?
2. Look at Detective Nye’s conversations with Mr and Mrs Hickock (pg 158). What is the result,
for the reader, of the parent’s thoughts of their son? Cite at least two specific pieces of
evidence.
3. How does the interview with Perry’s sister have an impact on the reader (pg 173)? Does
Barbara’s request of Nye make you feel differently about Perry?
4. What do you make of Dewey’s dream on page 189? Deconstruct and unpack it in light of
what happens next.
5. Look at the interaction with the boy and his grandpa that Perry and Dick have which begins
on page 200.
a. How does it show the difference between Perry and Dick?
b. Does it result in a different view for the reader?
c. What comparison or contrast do we draw between the boy and man and the
murderers?
6. Look at Dick’s interview from page 210 to 217. Break it into three parts. In each section
pick a quote which characterises or says something about Dick. Break down what it says
and how it positions the reader.
7. Compare Dick’s interview to Perry’s. Who do you sympathise with more? Why?
8. Consider Perry and Dick’s interaction with Nancy prior to killing her. How does Perry’s
account on page 235-236 make you feel about him as compared to Dick?
9. Perry’s description of the moment when he kills Mr Clutter is interesting in light of the
psychiatric evidence not admitted in the trial. Look closely at his statement and deconstruct
the narrative of this moment. (pg 237-238)
10. What is the significance of Dewey’s reaction to Perry’s statement? (pg 239
TheCorner
Consider This View
The final section of Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood is a fierce indictment of the criminal justice system and capital
punishment. Capote, as a famous liberal figure, uses the story of two men who he came to know very well to suggest
that capital punishment is a barbaric act. Equally he questions the nature of the court system in Kansas, especially
drawing attention the lack of recognition given to psychiatry as a valid form of expertise for explaining the actions of
criminals and potentially mitigating the most sever punishments. Ultimately, the vivid descriptions of the hangings
leaves the reader with little option than to agree that, despite the horrendous nature of the pair’s actions, their fate is
less than deserved. This is compounded by the ongoing suggestion that Perry, in particular, has a past and mental state
which should minimise his responsibility for his actions.
Close Reading Focus Questions
1. Perry gives two reasons for initially blaming two of the murders on Dick (pg 247). How does
this reposition you to Perry? Does attributing all of the murders to him make you feel
differently? How does his desire to protect Mrs Hickock complicate this?
2. On page 248 Perry describes Dick and himself as not being able to ‘stop laughing, neither
one of us; suddenly it all seemed very funny – I don’t know why, it just did.’ How do you
react to this statement? Think about the less common punctuation used here and how it
makes you read the statement.
3. On page 249 Duane West is one of the first to really spell out the seeking of the death
penalty.
a. Outline your own response to the request? What do you think of the death penalty?
Do you think it was deserved in this case? It is important to recognise your own
thinking.
b. Now consider what you think the feeling in America about the death penalty may
have been at the time? Do you think this differs from your own thoughts?
4. Do you think the description of Dick’s behaviour in prison positions the reader?
5. Consider the selection of the jury (pg 264). What strikes you as unusual about this? Is there
anything given your context that especially seems unfair or non-represeatative?
6. Dick writes an autobiography of himself at the request of Dr Jones, a psychiatrist, look at it
closely (pg 268-271). How does he try to build a case for himself. Is this included in a way
that makes it seem realistic that it will work? Does it build the same degree of sympathy as
has been built for Perry?
7. Mrs Hickock speaks, most likely to Harper Lee, on page 278. Look at this section and
consider the point of its inclusion. What do you think Capote hoped the response to be?
8. Breakdown the role of Cullivan. How is the reader supposed to react to this past
acquaintance of Perry? How might he be a powerful technique to show how lacking in
compassion the justice system is?
9. How do the five character witnesses called for Perry and Dick fair? Do you think they have
any impact on the outcome of the case? Do you think they have any impact on the reader?
10. Closely examine the descriptions of the closing arguments of both sides.
a. What do you think Capote wants the reader to infer by comparing them?
b. What is the significance of both sides citing the Bible? How does Green’s reference
make you feel about capital punishment? Do you think this is how Capote wants you
to react?
11. Consider the character of Lowell Lee Andrews. Provide an example from his brief history
that indicates why he is included in the text and one from his hanging that indicates another
reason for his inclusion. Be sure to deconstruct and unpack each example.
12. The various appeals and arguments of Perry and Dick’s various lawyers while they are on
death row raise many issues with their trial and sentencing. Does Capote give them an
unbiased coverage or is there an argument being made through their inclusion? Provide
evidence for your position.
13. Look at Dewey’s reaction to those witnessing the hanging (pg 330) in contrast to those of
the others present. Do you think he has compassion for the murderers’ deaths? What
might be the point of suggesting this?
14. Do you think Perry actually apologised? Consider the comments made in ‘Infamous’. Why
might have Capote needed him to? Justify your opinion.
15. Dewey’s response to Perry’s hanging is very different to Dick’s. Look closely at the insights
given into Dewey’s different reactions (pg 333). As a final thought in the text about the two
men how powerful do you think this is? Does it support your feelings about Capote’s bias?
Close Analysis Micro Passages
Often the thing that students of Literature find most rewarding is building a discussion out of
evidence rather than thinking of what to talk about and then finding the relevant evidence to back
it up.
Building discussion out of evidence forces you to base what you say on close examination of the
text and its construction. It also leads to you developing original and plausible discussion – two
criteria important for exam essays.
So… you are going to practice this as your homework during this unit. Hopefully you have already started.
Below are a collection of moments from the four sections of the text. You should discuss one or
more of them as skills practice for deconstruction and unpacking as well as general discussion of
the text and fluency of expression.
I have given you the starting line of a paragraph and it is then up to you to look at this section and
choose the specific lines, images and language to pull apart. Even if you are choosing a long section
(say a couple of paragraphs), restrict your discussion to the few very specific textual references
within these that lead to an interpretation.
This is the same as what you did in Rear Window last year but essentially:
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Start by subtly contextualising the moment to be discussed
Then indicated what the moment suggests
Select a feature (dialogue, sound, camera angle etc) that leads to you thinking this way
Outline how that feature leads you to this conclusion
Support this with at least one or two other features, techniques, or moments that construct
the same meaning
Finish by suggesting how this may form part of a larger interpretation of the views and
values present in the text.
Good luck.
Part 1
Page 7 – Other than a housekeeper who came in on weekdays…
Page 17 – Now upstairs she changed into faded Levis and a green sweater…
Page 35 – ‘Miss,’ said Perry, attracting a salesgirl’s attention…
Page 45 – ‘Yes, yes,’ said Mr Clutter, as though conversing with himself…
Page 50 – The phone rang once. Twice? Gosh, I can’t remember…
Page 60 – ‘Well, it was pretty bad. That wonderful girl…
Page 71 – Far of, in the town of Olathe, in a hotel room where ….
Part 2
Page 83 – Not everybody. Certainly not Holcomb’s widowed post mistress….
Page 85 – Perry shoved the plate across the table…
Page 88 – Never mind. It’s not important….
Page 91 – The four coffins, which quite filled the small, flower crowded parlour…
Page 100 – Dewey’s wife dozed, but she awakened when she felt him leave their bed…
Page 108 – There was some truth in the story…
Part 3
Page 163 – Mr Hickock ruminated…
Page 166 – Perry, as he later recalled, thought, Five kids – well too bad…
Page 175 – She considered, and unable to decide, said she didn’t know….
Page 178 – ‘Please, Bobo. Please listen…
Page 186 – A clock on the wall kept catching his eye…
Page 189 – Dewey and his colleague KBI Agent Clarence Duntz stood waiting for a free table…
Page 207 – ‘Paul – I’d sent him out to the washline for some of Alvin’s socks…
Page 235 – ‘No. The taping came later…
Part 4
Page 251 – Neither Perry Smith’s father nor sister wrote him or came to see him…
Page 273 – While this was being done Hickock’s father, addressing a journalist seater near him…
Page 278 – Once her anguish has subsided, Mrs Hickock expressed a need to confide…
Page 280 – Many observers of the trial scene were baffled by the visitor…
Page 299 – Train whistles, the fanfare of an approaching Santa Fe express…
Page 311 – All summer Perry undulated between half-awake stupors and sickly…
Page 314 – Unlike conventional prisoners, the condemned are not …
Page 328 – ‘Well, what’s there to say about capital punishment…
YourCriticalResponsetoCommentary
Often students find this essay the most challenging to wrap their heads around but really it isn’t all
that difficult. You just have to really make sure you understand what you are required to do.
Essentially you are required to show that you can respond to other people’s opinions and ideas by
either being critical of them or expanding on their ideas with your own discussion. This is actually a
key element of literature studies at a university level.
What does this mean for you? Well first of all you need to read another person’s comments on the
text you are studying. While reading you should think about the following ideas:
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What are their main ideas?
Can you boil these down to one major contention?
Do you agree with them? If so what have they said that is compelling and why? How might
you extend on their idea with additional evidence or your own ideas?
Do you have issues with anything they have said? Where are they mistaken or where do
you see things differently? What evidence supports your point of view?
Do you think they could have taken their ideas further and gone deeper? How?
Just be clear you are not being critical of their writing but of their ideas. Reserve your
comment for an analysis of what they have said not how they have said it.
Now for the writing. I guess this essay is a little different because as well as responding to the text
itself you are responding to the comment that has been made on it. There is a very basic structure
you should follow:
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Introduction
Identify the contention of the commentary you are responding to.
Align your own opinion with this contention such as ‘I agree with this and can take this
further’ or ‘I agree with some of what is said but would like to clarify other elements’ or
‘The author of the piece is mistaken in a number of respects I would like to clarify.’
State how you can clarify or extend the ideas. This indicates your reading of the text more
clearly.
Body
Each paragraph is based around one of the points in the commentary you
would like to respond to. I will look at how you might like to structure each
of these points in more detail shortly.
Conclusion
What is your overall response to the text?
How does this relate to the comment being made in the article you are
responding to?
So now for the body paragraphs - like all essays there is no one approach but a simple checklist of
what should be in each paragraph can help. This is an essay about how you respond to critical
commentary and ideas of others and how these lead you to more complex ideas of your own so
structuring your paragraphs in the following ways should mean you cover these bases:
Element
Topic Sentence
Explanation
Context Of
Evidence
Main Evidence
Interpretation,
Unpacking and
Deconstruction
Link Back To
Contention
Content
This sentence flags the idea you will be exploring in this paragraph. It is
like a mini contention and should share some of the wording of the ideas
outlined in the introduction without being repetitive. You will likely
make reference to both the article and the text.
This gives some of the detail of your idea and expands upon your topic
sentence. In the case of this essay you may find that this involves citing a
comment made by the commentator and pointing out how you would
respond to the idea being presented. This means you might incorporate
a quote from the article.
To support your opinion presented in your topic sentence you are going
to have to cite evidence from the text itself. Because at this point you
may have only discussed the article you should now incorporate some
overarching discussion of the way in which the text connects to the
article and your position on comments in the article. This will include
setting up the evidence you will b citing.
This is a long quote (a full sentence of about 8-14 words). It might also
be a major image of significance or a major symbol or language feature.
You shouldn’t just shove it in as its own sentence but try and find a way
to weave it into your discussion or interpretation.
You need to discuss the reason for including this evidence, pointing out
why it is important and how it supports your response to the
commentary. This might mean explaining how the evidence justifies you
disagreeing with the commentary or how it extends upon the ideas
presented. As always you may need to point to the hidden meaning in
the quote or image. In this type of essay you should be exploring how
the evidence relates to the interpretation both you and the
commentator are making but you don’t have to be quite as specific as in
a views and value essay or passage analysis – you only need as much as
proves your interpretation
Finish with additional explanation and discussion that links your detailed
unpacking of the evidence back to your overall contention.
Purpose
“This is what I
think”
“What I mean
by that is...”
“This is
evident in the
original text
when...”
“I can prove
this because
this means...”
“This is
important
because...”
Now for the criteria. You should never ignore the criteria because it tells you what to aim for, what
to ensure you do in the essay and what is most important.
This is the’ Very High’ descriptor for this essay:
Highly-developed understanding of viewpoints or theoretical
perspectives. Detailed and carefully-selected reference to key
concepts and terms in the review/essay. Comprehensive
exploration of the values and assumptions underlying one or
more viewpoints on a text. Sophisticated evaluation of one or
more viewpoints. Considered selection and highly-effective use
of textual evidence to support an independent interpretation.
Highly-expressive and coherent development of ideas.
So looking at each sentence as a dot point it is saying:
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You must demonstrate, by regularly referring to it, that you understand what the article is
saying and the opinions it is presenting. This might mean identifying key sentences and
terms and correctly identifying its contention.
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You have to discuss specific claims made in the commentary and, like analysing a text, pay
particular attention to the nuances of language used by the author of the commentary in
communicating their opinions.
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You must discuss how your ideas and interpretations relate to the ideas and interpretations
in the commentary. This means pointing out how your ideas extend on or differs from the
points made.
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You must be able to support your own ideas with evidence. Just like any other lit essay this
means showing that you understand what the text is saying and how it is saying it, how the
author is communicating views and values, positioning a reader or how the text is being
shaped by its genre, context or major themes.
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You need to write well. This means structuring your essay in a logical and coherent way. It
also means being clear and concise.
You best bet for good prep is to have this sheet and feedback sheet next to you while completing
the practice essay.
Thisisanadditionalpracticearticleshouldyouwanttodomorepreparation
ToPitytheKiller
ByCuthbertPerriwinkle
Despite Truman Capote’s desire to create a new type of novel, telling the tale of true events in an unbiased
but literary way, the fact he developed a close relationship with one of the killers, Perry Smith, results in his
novel focusing on what Capote suggests are the reasons for Smith’s criminality more so than the victims of
the crime. Further, it is evident that Truman saw Perry Smith as deserving of pity and the readers
understanding and ultimate forgiveness.
From the outset the reader is positioned to Perry Smith more favorably than Dick Hickock. Initially this is
achieved by portraying Dick as the more calculating individual. He is depicted as having the premeditation
behind the crime. The foreshadowing of the murderers' intentions in the scenes leading up to the killings
comes solely from Dick — who is eager to leave "no witnesses" and to leave "plenty of hair on them-those
walls." These remarks, coupled with Dick's reluctance to disguise his face despite Perry's desire to do so,
leads the reader to therefore believe that it is Dick, primarily, who is responsible for the deaths of the Clutter
family. The motive for the crime seems to be robbery, because Dick is talking about a "big score," but his
overall focus seems to be on weapons, restraints, and a general eagerness to commit violence. This stands
in contrast to Perry who seems more interested in treasure hunting and the promise of a better life. This
difference in ambition sows the seed that Perry has a past to escape where as Dick is simply evil.
It is suggested in the first part of the novel that there is also somewhat of an unfulfilled romantic
relationship between Dick and Perry. The two murderers remain faithful to one another in spite of each
having potential alternatives; Dick refers to Perry as "honey" and dons the role of protector and teacher.
Perry is clearly intrigued by Dick and analyzes his interests and behaviors; comparing Dick to Willie-Jay as a
woman might a compare two potential suitors. Capote never refers to the two men as lovers, but romantic
symbolism permeates the language he uses to describe them. For example, at one point, Capote states that
Dick and Perry's journey to the Clutter home finds them "Scrubbed, combed, as tidy as two dudes setting off
on a double date…" By sexualizing their relationship the reader is set up early on to see that Dick has
groomed Perry for his foray into violent crimes the pair perpetrate. As we later discover Dick is a sexual
predator and as the two are established here as having a relationship of a romantic nature, at least
symbolically, we are forced to feel that Perry has been manipulated by Dick.
It is not only the demonizing of Dick that makes us feel pity for Perry but Perry’s own history. During Perry's
previous incarceration, his sister sent him a lengthy letter urging him to take responsibility for his actions but
Perry's friend Willie-Jay "analyzes" the letter and convinces Perry that his sister is being unfair to him. Perry
clings to every word Willie-Jay says; Willie-Jay has become very much like the bird in Perry's dream,
protecting him from those who would do him harm. And so in the end, Perry loathes his sister; he tells Dick
that he wishes she had been in the Clutter home at the time of the murders. Rather than using this to
suggest Perry’s violent tendency Capote suggests that this indicates the deep-seated but justifiable anger
that Perry has for his family; thus perhaps he murdered the Clutters out of displaced anger for his own family
rather than an innate criminal sensibility.
Truman Capote’s rumoured relationship with Perry Smith may be the reason the killer is portrayed as an
innocent, albeit damaged and misguided, individual. He is portrayed as a loner, drifting through the world
with few real connections to ground him. His father, whom Perry invested a great deal of himself in,
betrayed him and his mother was less than a positive influence. The one woman who has had a positive
impact on Perry's life is Cookie, and Capote mentions her to illustrate Perry's disinterest in women, as well as
his issues with love and his own arrogance regarding his own intellect. Perry speaks to Cookie about love and
marriage, but has no intention of marrying her. When he leaves her, Perry gives Cookie a poem "he
pretended to have written." This suggests Perry's need to think people view him as intelligent, cultured, and
artistic, and his complete failure to achieve these things in any real way. Just a few paragraphs later, Perry is
genuinely surprised to discover that perhaps Dick had only been humoring him about their trip to Mexico.
Perry's innocence and naiveté are almost child-like. Capote wants us to see him as a lost soul who has
stumbled down the wrong road in life as a result of the poor guidance he is given in his early life. His
inability to be himself and desire to affect a more intelligent persona reminds us that he desperately wants
to distance himself from the man his past has made him. His inability to successfully achieve this is the crack
in the foundation of his psyche that leads to his criminal behaviors.
In addition, Perry at times feels that he is living "deep underwater," which harkens back to his initial desire
to go skin diving and find buried treasure. He also sleeps all day and is quoted as saying, "I pretend I'm a tiny
little baby that can't keep its eyes open." He says the phrase "tiny little baby" in a voice so child-like that it
creates a moment of compassion, seeing Perry as both a child and someone who once was a tiny little baby,
and who wants only to start over as something innocent. Capote continually reinforces the childlike naivety
and susceptibility of Perry by emasculating him. Perry's position as the occupant of the woman's cell after his
capture and return to Garden city contributes to this process in the first half of the novel. Considering the
way Dick used to call Perry pet names like "Honey" and Perry's noted small stature, his placement in a
holding cell meant for women seems natural and further develops his subservient position to the stronger,
hence more responsible and demonized Dick.
During the trial Perry's earns the affection of Mrs. Meier, who cooks for him and gives him books to read.
Perry almost becomes a member of the Meier family, and he accepts the love and care of Mrs. Meier in a
way he could never achieve with his own mother or sister. Mrs. Meier knows what Perry did and she is
disturbed by it, but she also cannot help but love and care for him — and to grieve for Perry when he is
gone. This is the unconditional love from a family member that Perry has yearned for his whole life, but has
now come too late. Through the experiences of Mrs. Meier and the commentary that she relates we see
Perry, after his graphic confession of his heinous actions, not as a vicious and violent criminal but as a little
boy who never received the love he deserved. Seeing a member of the community impacted by his actions
take pity on him and feel great sorrow at his treatment humanizes him and encourages the reader to do the
same. We are given a great deal of information on his time in his cell, the descriptions of his movements and
daily activity are far more detailed than those of Dick. This begins the increased focus on Perry for the
remainder of the text.
Perhaps the clearest moment of Capote’s desire to encourage the reader to view Perry in a sympathetic or
even positive light is through the discussion of Perry's desire to give comfort to Mrs. Hickock by changing his
statement to try to clear Dick of the murders. This creates some ambiguity over who actually shot the
Clutter women. It may be interpreted that Perry is already resigned to his fate and thus is happy to protect
Mrs Hickock, knowing full well that it will not impact his punishment. Coupled with the positive treatment
by Mrs Meier this could also be seen as Perry's method of forgiving womankind, now that he has met a
woman who treats him with compassion.
In the later parts of the novel Perry explores his motivation for committing the murders several times by
recounting the reasons he sees for his violence, but he sometimes alters them. Sometimes, Perry is
motivated by showing Dick was he is capable of; other times he is motivated by his rage towards his family
and caregivers. In truth, Perry's motivation to kill the Clutters seems to remain a mystery to him. He wonders
aloud to Don Culliver why he did it, and he does eventually admit that Dick didn't do it. While reporters,
investigators, doctors, and the court finally get the answers they seek, Perry never does. It is his lack of self
awareness and insight that makes Perry a tragic figure. Yes, Perry harbors resentment about his childhood,
but he has no real self-pity and he never alludes to his upbringing as a cause for his actions, only for his own
personal pain and deep desire to be liked, to be loved.
The final scenes where we see Perry hung clearly show how Capote hopes the reader will feel about Perry.
Describing the scene through Dewey’s eyes, rather than his own allows Truman to show no sympathy for
Dick in his bravado and defiance. Likewise, Dewey’s narration draws our attention to Perry’s ‘childish feet,
tilted, dangling’. This is a reminder that his has been a stunted life and character. This, along with his final
words; ‘It would be meaningless to apologise for what I did. Even inappropriate. But I do. I apologise.’ are a
plea to the reader by Capote to see the man who is being put to death and realise that he suffered in life
and that it is this suffering which led to him killing four people. In these last moments Capote asks us to
forgive him and recognise that he is not to blame. It is this clear request, the result of the relationship which
developed between he and Smith, which eliminates Capote’s objectivity and undermines the truth of his
novel.