Dick’s Façade

Although Dick gives Perry the impression that he is hard core and tough, this is a façade that Dick hides behind in order to appear as though he is a normal man, when in fact he is neither tough nor normal.

Dick, who believes that showing signs of sensitivity or weakness is not what a real man does, shows none hiding behind his true personality. Though Dick is seen as the tough guy, the guy Perry uses to appear as though just as tough, Dick himself is not as stable and tough as it seems. Growing up in a stable environment, Dick had a good life, with parents who spoke highly of their son. As though like Nancy Clutter, Dick was an all around guy, his parents explain, “An outstanding athlete—always on the first team at school, Basketball! Baseball! Football! Dick was always the star player. A pretty good student, too, with A marks in several subjects. History. Mechanical drawing. After he graduated from high school—June, 1949—he wanted to go on to college. Study to be an engineer” (166). Capote uses this quote to show similarities between Dick, Nancy, and Kenyon, in order for Dick to appear not only normal, but as though he is a child with a bright future (18, 36). Dick knew himself that he had a bright future, but did not get his chance at the future he imaged for himself. Dick regretting this becomes jealous of the successfully prosperous people around, but attempts not to show his sensitivity towards the subject; for it is unmanly. Around Perry, Dick hides his sensitivity well. While out he becomes severely jealous of a successful young man he sees, hiding it from Perry it is said, “All that belonged to him…Why should that sonofabitch have everything, while he had nothing…Big-shot bastards…had better be careful…might open them up…let…their luck spill on the floor…Dick’s day was ruined. The beautiful blonde rubbing on the suntain oil had ruined it. He’d said to Perry, Let’s pull the hell out of here” (201). Dick thinks angrily on his life, how his future had been taken away from him when his parents would not afford to send him to college. He hides this from Perry only to prove that he is a normal man, tough, and always will be. Dick also hides his weakness from Perry, believing that if anyone knew it would be the end; he would no longer be looked upon as a real man. Coming to the conclusion that his weakness for raping young girls was not normal, Dick decides that it is safer to keep his private pleasures concealed from those that he knew. Dick thought often of this abnormality and while in Florida with Perry, it is said, “He was sorry he felt as he did about her, for his sexual interest in female children was a failing of which he was sincerely ashamed—a secret he’d not confessed to anyone and hoped no on suspected…because other people might not think it normal” (201). This proved that Dick had an abnormal side, but did not share it with anyone because of his fear of what others may think of him. His strive to be well thought of as normal corresponds with his strive to have the best. Only the normal and over achievers, him during his childhood, could succeed, gain wealth and social status, but knowing that he was no longer a complete normal man nor an over achiever he wallowed in jealous, all while hiding under a fake façade.