The Clutter family was a well-respected family that lived on a large ranch in Holcomb, Kansas. The head of the family, Herbert William Clutter, and his bedridden wife, Bonnie Clutter, had four children, two of which (Nancy and Kenyon) were still residing in their home (Capote, 1966). Unfortunately, the four were murdered during a break in on November 15, 1959 (Capote, 1966). The killers, Perry Smith and Richard Hickock, drove 400 miles to the Clutter house with the goal of breaking in and robbing them of a safe containing 10,000 dollars (Capote, 1966). However, there was no safe, and they murdered the family for a mere 43 dollars (Capote, 1966). Being labeled as criminals and living in poverty were the key factors to why these two men committed such a crime. I will investigate the behaviors of Perry and Dick as revealed throughout In Cold Blood by Truman Capote (1966) and link their crimes to various criminological theories. This true story is thrilling, shocking, and in some instances, repulsive, but is an excellent application of the criminological theories displayed in the real world.
Though their screen time before their deaths was short, it is important to analyze the victims of violent crimes, so that the attention is not overly focused on the perpetrators. The Clutter family was a …show more content…
One would almost feel sympathy for Perry, a man who seemed truly human right up until the killings. When the two were sent to “The Corner” to be hung, I felt emptiness; the kind you feel when a book ends, and the characters are now lost within your own imagination. You know how the story ends, and you know that these men deserved it. Their actions were truly despicable; the story does not attempt to hide that fact. It feels strange to follow a story where the villains are the main
Though their screen time before their deaths was short, it is important to analyze the victims of violent crimes, so that the attention is not overly focused on the perpetrators. The Clutter family was a …show more content…
One would almost feel sympathy for Perry, a man who seemed truly human right up until the killings. When the two were sent to “The Corner” to be hung, I felt emptiness; the kind you feel when a book ends, and the characters are now lost within your own imagination. You know how the story ends, and you know that these men deserved it. Their actions were truly despicable; the story does not attempt to hide that fact. It feels strange to follow a story where the villains are the main