CeciliaCarranzaDavis

InColdBlood

InColdBlood
isabookbasedonatruestorywritten

byTrumanCapote.Itisaboutthe
Clutterfamilyandhowtheywerebrutallymurderedbytwoseeminglyordinarypeople,Dickand
Perry.DickandPerrymayseemlikeeverydaypeoplebuttheycertainlyarenotnormal.Reading
thisbookthroughmultiplelensesgivesthisreadadeepermeaning.Usingthepsychoanalytic
lensspecifically,itisobviousthatthereissomethingpsychologicallywrongwithDickand
Perry,whetherthatbebecauseofatroubledchildhoodorfrompreviousevents.
RichardEugeneHickock,alsoknownasDick,showssignsofbeingapsychopath.A
psychopathissomeonewhoisamoralandshowsantisocialbehavior.Theyfailtoformreal
relationshipsandoverallfailtolovetheycannotfeelemotionsthatcannormallybefelt.
Reading
InColdBlood
readerscanimmediatelyconnectthisdefinitiontothischaracter.For
instance,

Ipromiseyou,honey,we'regonnablasthairalloverthemwalls.(Capote1.59)
BeforeDickandPerrymurdertheClutters,DickassuresPerrythateverythingwillgoas
planned.Heseemssoconfidentinhisphysiologicalabilities.Hewasreadyforanycasualtiesor
anywitnesses.HeisalreadydeterminedtomurdertheCluttersevenbeforetheydoit.
Dickisobsessedwiththeideaofmoney.WhenDickservedtimeinjailwithFloyd
Wells,WellstellsDickthatHerbClutterwaswealthy.Dickseemsinterestedbythisideaof
moneyandbeginstoaskmorequestionsaboutthehouse.WellswasjustanotherpersonDick
usedinordertogetwhathewants.Forexample,Afterthat,Dickneverstoppedaskingme
aboutthefamily.Howmanywasthey?Exactlyhowdoyougettothehouse?(Capote161).
WellsclaimsheinnocentlytoldDickinformationabouttheCluttersheclaimshedidn'tknow

whatDickhadplanned.TherehasbeenrobberiescommittedbeforeinHolcomb,Kansassoitis
notcompletelyunusualtohearajailmatetalkaboutcrime.What
is
abnormalaboutthis
exchangeofconversation,iswhatDicksaidaboutkillingthem.Forinstance,Hedescribedto
meadozentimeshowhewasgonnadoit..(Capote162).What'sironicis,whileDickwasin
jailhewasthinkingofdoingsomethingthatwouldlandhimrightbackinjail.Floydisreferring
toDickinthisquote.Sofromtheverybeginning,readerscanbegintopaintthisimageintheir
mindofDickbeingmentallyunstable.
Throughoutthebook,PerrySmithscharacterisquestioned.Itiswrittenandshownhow
Perryschildhoodwastough.Hedefinitelydidnotdeservewhathesufferedduringhisyouth.He
livedwithhisparentsforthefirstpartofhislife.Later,theyneglectedhimandheendedupin
orphanages.Forexample,
Therewasthisonenurse,sheusedtocallme"nigger"andsaythere
wasn'tanydifferencebetweenniggersandIndians.OhJesus,wassheanEvilBastard!Incarnate.
Whatsheusedtodo,she'dfillatubwithicecoldwater,putmeinit,andholdmeunderuntilI
wasblue.(Capote2.172).Mostofhischildhoodheneverreallyreceivedtheproperloveand
carethathedeserved.Thatcouldexplainwhyhelackedemotion.Italsoexplainswhyhekilled
theCluttershehadthisangerballedupinsideofhimself.Hewasangryandsourafterthathis
childhoodcouldhavepotentiallydrovehimtoseekrevengeonsomeoneelse.Perry'schildhood
experiencescouldhavepushedDicktotargetPerry,justbecauseheseemedweak.Allthrough
thebookreaderscanexaminehowPerryhasmoresympathyforpeopleingeneral.Itseemslike
Perrysometimeshassympathyforothersbutothertimesheseemslikehe'stotallyinfluencedby
Dick.WhenhimandDickwereabouttorobtheClutters,Perrysaid,I
didntwanttoharmthe
man(Mr.Clutter).Ithoughthewasaverynicegentleman.Softspoken.Ithoughtsorightupto

themomentIcuthisthroat.(Capote234).HehadconsciousfeelingsofMr.Clutterandknewit
waswrongtoharmhim.NowhereinthetextdoesitsayDickfeltremorseforwhathedidtothe
Clutterssothereisdefinitelyadifferencebetweenthetwomurderers.BothDickandPerryhave
somethingmentallywrongwiththem,buttheydefinitelyhavedifferentmindsetsand
personalities.Now,justbecausePerryshowedremorse,doesnotmeanthereisnotsomething
wrongwithPerry.HewasstilldrivenandinfluencedbyDicktodothoseterriblecrimes.It
appearstoseemthatPerryslitMr.Cluttersthroatwithoutbeingconsciousofdoingso.For
instance,[Dick]washoldingtheknife.Iaskedhimforit,andhegaveittome,andIsaid,All
right,Dick.Heregoes.ButIdidntmeanit.Imeanttocallhisbluff,makehimarguemeoutof
it,makehimadmithewasaphonyandacoward.See,itwassomethingbetweenmeandDick.I
kneltdownbesideMr.Clutter,andthepainofkneelingIthoughtofthatgoddamdollar.Silver
dollar.Theshame.Disgust.AndtheydtoldmenevertocomebacktoKansas.ButIdidnt
realizewhatIddonetillIheardthesound.Likesomebodydrowning.Screamingunderwater.
(Capote244).Perryhaslowselfesteem,itseemsasifhealwayslookstoDickforhisapproval.
HewantedDicktostophimfromkillingMr.ClutternordidDicktrytostophimfromkilling
Mr.Clutter.Itwasalmostagametheywereplayingtoseewhowouldbeacoward.Nearthe
endofthisquote,PerryiswaitingforDicktostophimwhenbeforeheknewit,hehadalready
cutMr.Cluttersthroat.Thatisinsane,heunconsciouslykilledaman,asifhereallywantedto
killhimwithoutbeingawareofthoseurges.Whattheaudiencecanobserve,isPerrysego.
AlthoughPerrywaitsforDicksapproval,Perryfeelslikeheisaboveaveragesmartandis
overallfullofhimself.Saying,
Ihappentohaveabrilliantmind.Incaseyoudon'tknow.A

brilliantmindandtalentplus.(Capote3.132).
Furthermore,Perryscharacterisquiteinteresting
andhardtograspwhohereallywas.
AquestionthatpopsintoreadersmindsisthequestioningofDickandPerryssanity.
DidDickreallyknowwhathewasdoingduringthetimeofthemurder?Capotewasreally
descriptivewhenitcamedowntothisquestion.Neartheendofthebook,phycologistsanalyze
bothDickandPerrytodeterminewhetherornottheywereintheirrightmindsduringthe
crime.Dickwasaskedtowriteabouthimself,inwhichhementionsaspecificpoint.Suchas,I
knowitiswrong.ButatthetimeInevergiveitanythoughttowhetheritisrightorwrong.
(Capote278).Readerscandefinitelyconnectthisconfessionwiththemurders.Atthevery
beginningwhenDickandPerryareabouttogointotheClutterhome,Capoteneverincludesthe
descriptionofeitherofthemthinkingthemurderoutordoubtingtheirdecisiontodowhatthey
planned.IfsomethingdrovehimtotheClutterhome,somethingthathewanted,hecouldhave
beenfocusedonhimselfandhisneeds.CapotewritesDickscharacterassomeonewhoknows
whathewantsforexamplehowDickchosePerrybecauseheknewPerrywouldagreeto
committhismurderwithhim.HewantedmoneyandhehadanurgetorapeNancyClutterhe
didntgivehisactionsanythought.Moreover,Dickhasapersonalitythatmainlyfocusesonhis
urgesandhedoesntcarewhoorwhatgetsinthewayofthataslongashegetswhathewants.
TrumanCapotewrotePerryasmoreofafemininecharacterwhichforsomeoddreason
makeshimseemlessofacoldbloodkillerthanDick.ButinallactualitydidPerryreallykillthe
Clutterfamilyincoldblood?Likementionedbefore,Perrycouldhavewantedtotakeoutallhis
angeroninnocentpeopleforthewrongthatwasdoneinhislife.Fromtheverybeginning,when
CapotewritesabouthowPerryhadatoughchildhood,readerscanpredictthatPerrywassetto

haveafuturewithproblems.SoPerrybeingapartofkillingtheClutterswasnotsomethinghard
forthejurytohearincourt.Perryadmitsthemurderwasn'tbecausehehadanissuewiththem.
Forexample,AnditwasntbecauseofanythingtheCluttersdid.Theyneverhurtme.Like
otherpeople.Likepeoplehaveallmylife.MaybeitsjustthattheCluttersweretheoneswho
hadtopayforit.(Capote290).Perrylivesinthisworld,inhishead,wherepeoplehavetopay
forbadthingsothersdid.ThefactthatPerryexcuseshiscrimebyputtingforththattheyhadto
payforthebadhesuffered,ispsychotic.
Perrycontradictshimselfattwodifferenttimesinthebook.WhenPerryishavingameal
withDonCullivanhesays,AmIsorry?IfthatswhatyoumeanImnot.Idontfeelanything
aboutit.IwishIdid.Butnothingbothersmeabit.(Capote291).Readerscanquestionwhy
PerrysayshewisheshefeltsomethingafterkillingtheClutters.Perrysayshewisheshefelt
somethingaboutthemurders,hewantstoidentifywithnormalpeoplebuthecant.Lateron,
beforeheishanged,hesays,ItwouldbemeaninglesstoapologizeforwhatIdid.Even
inappropriate.ButIdo.Iapologize.(Capote340).MaybePerrysawthisasanopportunityto
apologizesotheycouldfeelempathytowardshim,andpossiblychangetheirmindsabout
hanginghim.It'snotunbecomingofPerrytowanttowigglehiswayoutofapunishment,being
thatheisnotinhisrightmind.Eitherway,hewashangedandthelastingthoughtwehaveof
himisanapology.
Inconclusion,itisobvioustoassumethatDickandPerryareeverythingbutnormal.
Theybothhaddifferentideasinmind,whenitcametothemurders.Dickhadhisneedsputfirst,
thatultimatelydrovehimtothiscrime.However,Perry,moreofamellowperson,was
persuadedbyDicktoparticipateinthesemurders.Itistrulyunknownofwhatthesetwopeople

wantedorwhytheydidwhattheydid.Itisalsouncertainwhatwasrunningthroughtheirminds,
aswellaswhatcausedtheirbrainstohavethesepsychologicalbreakdowns.