But the main characters were Perry Smith, one of the two murders of the Clutter. He was a short aggressive man with a broken leg from a fatal motorcycle. He was abused, toss around, and less educated as a kid. “I finished the third grade,” Perry recalled, which was the finish.” (pg 175) this quote emphasis lack of education because of his surroundings.His environment where he grew up in seems to take a big toll on his criminal records. Perry seemed to blame everything on his past because of “no rule or discipline, or anyone to show me right from wrong” (pg 54)
Richard Hickock grew up with a good family but had a bad habit of writing bad checks. He portrays himself as a smooth-talking petty criminal but in reality he was cruel. He also loved to steal until the point he made it a habit. “I know it is wrong. But at the same time I never give any thought to whether it is right or wrong. The same with stealing. It seems to be an impulse.” (pg