Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood takes a plunge into the deepest depths of the Clutter family murders of Holcomb, Kansas. Although Capote’s original intent was to publish an article about the effect of the murders on the small town, his work gradually transformed into something completely different. After hours upon hours of interviews and research, Capote decided to take his piece in a whole new direction, painting a truly accurate picture of the murderers. He included in depth descriptions of the backgrounds and trials of each of the killers, helping to depict their motives and mental states. The novel demonstrates the clear injustices done to both Smith and Hickock based on how insignificant the psychological aspect was through the duration
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As a child, he suffered from neglect and abuse that deeply affected his mental state later on in life. Not only was Smith forced to witness several accounts of domestic violence from within his immediate family, but he was also exposed to his mother’s “promiscuity”. He describes his parental unit as having “no rule or discipline, or anyone to show me right from wrong" (Capote 274). He was eventually thrown to the wolves, in a sense, when he was placed into a series of orphanages and Salvation Army homes where he was both emotionally and physically abused. Smith recalls one of his experiences in an orphanage as a young child: “There was this one nurse, she used to call me "nigger" and say there wasn't any difference between niggers and Indians. Oh Jesus, was she an Evil Bastard! Incarnate. What she used to do, she'd fill a tub with ice cold water, put me in it, and hold me under until I was blue” ( Capote 172). Had Smith’s psychological analysis been prioritized more during the trial, he could have been given a significantly less severe sentence, or treatment for his …show more content…
He was a good student and a fantastic athlete; he lettered in nine sports. He has an IQ of 130 and he planned the murder down to the amount of tape and rope the men would need. Although Hickock was raised under radically normal circumstances, he too exhibited some extremely irregular psychological patterns. However, his psychopathic tendencies did not require a trigger like those of Smith. When asked by his prison psychologist about his attraction to young girls he responds with, “I know it is wrong. But at the time I never give any thought to whether it is right or wrong. The same with stealing. It seems to be an impulse.” (Capote 321). Hickock is thought to have had what is known as a conduct disorder. Web.MD.com states, “A child with this disorder may display a pattern of disruptive and violent behavior and have problems following rules.” These symptoms are made evident by Hickock’s hand in the murder of the Clutter family, however it is never made note of during the
As a child, he suffered from neglect and abuse that deeply affected his mental state later on in life. Not only was Smith forced to witness several accounts of domestic violence from within his immediate family, but he was also exposed to his mother’s “promiscuity”. He describes his parental unit as having “no rule or discipline, or anyone to show me right from wrong" (Capote 274). He was eventually thrown to the wolves, in a sense, when he was placed into a series of orphanages and Salvation Army homes where he was both emotionally and physically abused. Smith recalls one of his experiences in an orphanage as a young child: “There was this one nurse, she used to call me "nigger" and say there wasn't any difference between niggers and Indians. Oh Jesus, was she an Evil Bastard! Incarnate. What she used to do, she'd fill a tub with ice cold water, put me in it, and hold me under until I was blue” ( Capote 172). Had Smith’s psychological analysis been prioritized more during the trial, he could have been given a significantly less severe sentence, or treatment for his …show more content…
He was a good student and a fantastic athlete; he lettered in nine sports. He has an IQ of 130 and he planned the murder down to the amount of tape and rope the men would need. Although Hickock was raised under radically normal circumstances, he too exhibited some extremely irregular psychological patterns. However, his psychopathic tendencies did not require a trigger like those of Smith. When asked by his prison psychologist about his attraction to young girls he responds with, “I know it is wrong. But at the time I never give any thought to whether it is right or wrong. The same with stealing. It seems to be an impulse.” (Capote 321). Hickock is thought to have had what is known as a conduct disorder. Web.MD.com states, “A child with this disorder may display a pattern of disruptive and violent behavior and have problems following rules.” These symptoms are made evident by Hickock’s hand in the murder of the Clutter family, however it is never made note of during the