Dick And Perry Relationship Analysis

Perry is described as a “...normal sized man, a powerful man, with the shoulders, the arms, the thick, crouching torso of a weight lifter...but sections of him were not in proportion to others... his tiny feet...would have neatly fitted into a delicate lady’s dancing slippers... no taller than a twelve year old child…(15)” Just from the way Perry is described, he’s not seen as the stereotypical villain, but more of a tired and pained man with dreams and aspirations. With Dick as his “partner in crime”, the two contrast--making Perry look more good and innocent in light of Dick. Through Capote, the readers learn of Perry’s past: a father who beat his mother who in return drank until she died, a suicidal brother and sister, another sister who shivered at the very thought of him, life in a trailer, staying in an orphanage, and being denied education from his father. This causes more of a sympathetic approach--letting the readers potentially feel more sorrowful rather than

This is not the case with Dick or Perry. It is similar to when one is putting a puzzle together and two very different colored pieces fit together to make a whole. It is unexpected and makes people think. Like the puzzle, Perry’s background defies expectation. The fact that he was beaten for something he could not control creates sympathy for Perry.

These details give the reader an inside look to the mind of Perry. It allows readers to connect to him as Capote did while learning and listening his story. Dick on the other hand is completely ignored compared to Perry. His backstory is documented during the book, but in segments. Every once in a while details about his past spring up, but only to explain certain actions or events. The reader is never given enough information about him to fully allow themselves to become immersed in his though process or state of

There are many types of murder cases such as first degree, second degree, felony murder, and plenty more. Second degree murder is not purposely killing someone which is what occurred here in the novel ¨In Cold Blood.” Perry Smith and Richard (Dick) Hickock were responsible for the murder, that took place in Kansas, of the Clutter family. The two men did not plan on killing the family. It was only meant to be a robbery.

Perry’s anxiety towards the crime leads him to not eating the “untouchable hamburger and a glass of root beer in which three aspirin were dissolving.” Perry Smith does not doubt that one way or another, the police department will get hold of the two criminals “Perry and Dick.”

He verbally demands to be removed from the conversation. He also subtly bullies Perry by calling him a baby for mentioning his worries. Dick finds Perry’s confusion and commentary rather irritating because it is a reminder of the murder.

When Dick finally returns after being out for a little more than a while, Perry describes the sound of his voice when he returns as, “an injection of some potent narcotic, a drug that, invading his veins, produced a delirium of colliding sensations…”(Capote 194). Perry is so dependent on Dick that in his absence he completely panics and then upon his return he is hit with an inconceivable sense of relief. The comparison of Dick to a drug shows just how manipulating he was to Perry. Furthermore proving that Perry would be willing to do nearly anything to keep Dick around, because he becomes so severely unstable with the lack of his

There is no justifiable reason for taking the life of an innocent man, it is an wrongful act that Dick becomes blind to. The fact that Dick can once again plan someone’s murder without giving it a second thought, shows the reader how much of an animal he truly

During which time I’m sure they developed a different relationship than I am familiar with. All the time that they had spent together and learning each other’s secrets. It seems that they both have indifferent sexual tendencies towards others. Dick tells Perry several times “how about it honey?” He was sorry he felt as he did about her, for his sexual interest in female children was a failing of which he was sincerely ashamed (Capote 201). I can’t remember Perry mentioning much about his sexual interests in the book except for maybe what he says about Willie-Jay. The only other thing is when Perry mentions that he is disgusted with people who cannot control their own sexual desires.

Although Perry is the one who killed the family, Dick plans the crime with ease due to his evil characteristics and guilt free conscious, therefore vulnerability can easily be molded by manipulation.

motor company, "when I [Dick] had an automobile wreck with a company car. I was in the hospital several days with extensive head injuries" (Capote 278). The car accident caused his face to be slightly maligned, and, as concluded by Dr. Jones, caused residual brain damage and instability in his personality (Capote 286). Dick's father also confirmed that Dick had changed after the crash, expressing that "He just wasn't the same boy" (Capote 255). After experiencing the crash, many parts of Dick's life began to go downhill. His marital life twisted woefully, and when all was said and done, he had gone through 2 marriages. He did not have a steady job anymore, and he began to commit petty crimes, such as writing bad checks and stealing. The latter resulted in him being in jail, where he had met Perry, who was behind bars for burglary as well, among other charges. Dick and Perry had both agreed to kill the Clutters, however when the time came, Dick showed signs of doubt and lingered, while Perry had almost no hesitation. This seems to point back to each man's past, where Perry, who had a rougher childhood, did not seem to think twice about killing the family. His scarred adolescence points to a more cold-hearted, bitter, and lonely person, while Dick's more favorable youth showed signs of mercy and conscience.

In one specific account, Perry couldn't act like he was a believer to Dicks faith even though he knew he was risking staying friends with the person he feels could really make a strong bond with him. “Perry decided to speak out; he was sorry, but it was not for him—heaven, hell, saints, divine mercy—and if Willie-Jay's affection was founded on the prospect of Perry's someday joining him at the foot of the Cross, then he was deceived and their friendship false, a counterfeit like the portrait. “ (Capote,149) . It's a very courageous move on Perry's part to state his ground and go with what he felt. He refused to be a hypocrite. Through the book, the author tends to touch/exaggerate on many things that some people might say is controversial. Capote liked to build up certain characters to make the reader have a sense of feeling for them, while trying to make the story sound better and make the reader want to read more. Capote stated that everything in the book was true, even though some events in the book are said to be exaggerated and or not true to the story. Hes also known to make certain characters seem different than how they actually act. Of course, Dick was very literal-minded, very—he had no understanding of music, poetry—and yet when you got right down to it, Dick's literalness, his pragmatic approach to every subject, was the primary

We 've went through Dick 's nature and nurture, so we now know which one has made more of a effect in Dick 's life. Dick 's nurture had no wretched acts in it. His parents made sure he could go as far as they could help him go, and his siblings never did anything bad to him. The only act that was even a slight bit unnerving for Dick was that he couldn 't go to college. He was raised to a standard of excellence, and he used his raising to a good advantage for a good part of life. His nature was marvelous as well. He inherited good looks and he received a prepossessing mind. However, his nature was disturbed by a calamity involving cars. After his adversity, Dick had started implementing illicit activities

Cultural Dictionary defines psychopath as “A mentally unbalanced person who is inclined toward antisocial and criminal behaviors.” Dick’s childhood is normal; his parents love him and provide for him as best they can; despite his parents love, Dick is a psychopath who lives a life of crime simply because it is in his nature. Dick’s psychopathic nature is evident throughout the novel. For example, when he needs money, he resorts to writing fraudulent checks. Dick shows absolutely no remorse after he tricks people into giving him money. Dick simply feels that it is acceptable to scam people in order to get what he wishes. In addition, Dick shows his psychopath tendencies after he and Perry rob and murder the Clutter family, Dick goes on with his life and never feels any remorse about the murders that he committed. Dick obviously doesn’t see anything wrong with murdering innocent people because he is a psychopath. Dick’s lack of consideration for other people’s life clearly shows that he truly only cares about himself. An additional example of Dick’s antisocial tendencies is when he is arrested for the being involved in the deaths of the Clutter family, and he decides that to blame Perry for the deaths of all four members of the Clutter family in order to avoid

The dynamic between Dick and Perry was always fragile and dominated by a need to determine who was more masculine, who was in charge. This is made easier by simply blaming the other one for any negative consequences. Dick and Perry weren't particularly fond of one another; they had differing hopes, long-term goals, and motives. A dynamic as fragile as this was easily shattered after their arrests, leading to quick confessions and a solution to the puzzling quadruple