Perry Capote Rhetorical Analysis

Although Capote appears to vehemently argue Perry’s undeniable purity, that is not the case, as his true focus is proving Perry is never at fault for his wrongdoings, therefore solidifying that certain circumstances can determine someone’s fate. Capote inserts a phrase and an idea, a parenthetical, in his writing in order to convey his point that no one can hide from destiny. He uses this parenthetical to lift the blame off of poor little Perry’s shoulders when he writes,
‘But I’m afraid of him. I always have been.’ [...] [Mrs. Johnson] had said she was afraid of Perry, and she was, but was it simply Perry she feared, or was it a configuration of which he was part--the terrible destinies that seemed promised the four children of Florence …show more content…
Johnson. Even though she explicitly stated her fear of Perry was real, Capote must take the blame away from Perry his perfect little pet, so he adds the phrase into his writing to shift the blame and attention to another matter--fate. Fate is what caused Perry to carry out all the ghastly tasks he has, not free will. It is the family destiny--the family curse--to go down in a spectacular show of flames. It is what it means to be a Smith, and in realizing that it is not just her baby brother that she is afraid of, this awareness amplifies Mrs. Johnson’s fears, because if it has happened to every one of her siblings already, she is next in line. She is next to lay her head down on the chopping block. Barbara Johnson’s realization of destiny’s implications creates a chilling tone of unrest and suspense. If Perry can fall off of his high horse into the fiery grasp of corruption, who is …show more content…
The police officers use asyndeton when giving starkly contrasting descriptions of the two men, amplifying the divide in their personalities and intentions: “[Dick was] clean, polite, nice voice, good diction, a pretty decent-looking fellow, with a very disarming smile [...] But [Perry the] chunky, misshapen child-man was not pretty; the pink end of his tongue darted forth, flickering like the tongue of a lizard” (216, 224). When Nye describes Dick without using any coordinating conjunctions, it appears as though he is reading from a list. As though he is only noticing surface level traits of the wolf in sheep’s clothing. Dick is parading around with a false front of politeness that only accentuates his manipulative nature. He is able to pass himself off as an innocent person, and Perry as a monster, however, the roles are reversed. Perry, looking for Dick’s approval, tried acting like Dick, modeling himself after Dick, becoming Dick. In doing so, he appears as though he is a disgusting, reptilian beast. It is easier to pin a murder charge on something inhuman over someone who looks like the average Joe from down the block, which Dick most likely knew from the start. In his quest to rid himself of any blame, Dick transformed his naive partner into his spitting image, his