Perry Smith was one of the murderers involved in the slaughter of the Clutter family on the night of November 15, 1959 in the small town of Holcomb, Kansas. Nancy Clutter was the youngest daughter of the well-loved Clutters who had displayed much promise in her future. Truman Capote is the author who becomes captivated by the case and follows the investigation, interviewing and paying close attention to detail in his narration of it. In his novel, In Cold Blood, Capote paints depth in the characters involved with the Clutters and produces sympathy for each character within his account. Specifically, Capote depicts Perry Smith as a mixed-race man who feels that the world is against him and Nancy Clutter as an up-and-coming talented young woman
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To begin with, Capote employs imagery throughout his narrations of Perry in order to effectively create sympathy for him. For example, on page 132, Capote had interviewed Perry about his childhood; “I was always thinking about dad…And all you wore was grass and flowers.” Capote describes Perry’s recollection of how he waited for his father in the Catholic orphanage, where he was abused; the racism and harassment he faced when living with Salvation Army, mentioning the nurse who’d tried to drown him; the primitive life he had lived when his father had finally come for him, mentioning how as he got older, he began to like his father less and less. Capote’s inclusion of this …show more content…
For example, on page 242, Perry speaks to Nancy after he had tied her up in her home; “Then I pulled up the covers, tucked her in till just her head showed…so I mentioned my mother had been a champion rodeo rider.” Perry remained casual through the entire conversation he held with her, thereby creating a disparity between him and the situation at hand. It does such in that the occasion is a tense, frightening house robbery-to-be-murder, yet Perry is casually conversing with Nancy whilst she was attempting to act casual and friendly as well when speaking about herself. Additionally, by saying, “Then I pulled up the covers, tucked her in...” and “…easy little chair…” the eased diction Capote selects describes precisely Perry’s attitude during the exchange. As well as on page 244, Perry reveals his perspective on Herb Clutter, “I didn’t want to harm the man. I thought he was a very kind gentleman. Soft-spoken. I thought so right up to the moment I cut his throat.” Perry’s nonchalance and his apathetic feelings detached him from the emotions of remorse that one should be feeling in such a position; he did not dislike the Clutters, yet he felt no desire to not murder them. This contrast between the situation and Perry creates sympathy for him because the laid-back diction emphasizes the child-like qualities he possesses because he is unable to perceive the actual severity of the situation, and he
To begin with, Capote employs imagery throughout his narrations of Perry in order to effectively create sympathy for him. For example, on page 132, Capote had interviewed Perry about his childhood; “I was always thinking about dad…And all you wore was grass and flowers.” Capote describes Perry’s recollection of how he waited for his father in the Catholic orphanage, where he was abused; the racism and harassment he faced when living with Salvation Army, mentioning the nurse who’d tried to drown him; the primitive life he had lived when his father had finally come for him, mentioning how as he got older, he began to like his father less and less. Capote’s inclusion of this …show more content…
For example, on page 242, Perry speaks to Nancy after he had tied her up in her home; “Then I pulled up the covers, tucked her in till just her head showed…so I mentioned my mother had been a champion rodeo rider.” Perry remained casual through the entire conversation he held with her, thereby creating a disparity between him and the situation at hand. It does such in that the occasion is a tense, frightening house robbery-to-be-murder, yet Perry is casually conversing with Nancy whilst she was attempting to act casual and friendly as well when speaking about herself. Additionally, by saying, “Then I pulled up the covers, tucked her in...” and “…easy little chair…” the eased diction Capote selects describes precisely Perry’s attitude during the exchange. As well as on page 244, Perry reveals his perspective on Herb Clutter, “I didn’t want to harm the man. I thought he was a very kind gentleman. Soft-spoken. I thought so right up to the moment I cut his throat.” Perry’s nonchalance and his apathetic feelings detached him from the emotions of remorse that one should be feeling in such a position; he did not dislike the Clutters, yet he felt no desire to not murder them. This contrast between the situation and Perry creates sympathy for him because the laid-back diction emphasizes the child-like qualities he possesses because he is unable to perceive the actual severity of the situation, and he