Normal or Insane?

Dick and Perry both perceive to be normal to the outside world, both secret murderers, but Dick believes himself to be normal unlike Perry who second guesses his mental stability. Dick blatantly comes out and says, “Deal me out, baby. I’m a normal.” (111) Dick has confidence that the killing people doesn’t make you crazy. Similarly, earlier in the story Dick says the same line, “I’m a normal.” (93). With Dick saying this it could be reassuring himself that what he did was acceptable even though inside he can’t deal with reality. It could show that Dick is insecure so he has to show confidence to show his true feelings about the night of the murder. Throughout the story Dick perceives to be the confident one of the two friends. Perry continually wants to bring up the night of the murder. He says, “I think there must be something wrong with us.” (110). Perry can’t believe he went through with something as terrible as killing someone. Capote goes on to talk about how maybe he was born with it because his family is dysfunctional. Perry can’t live with what he’s done. He says, “Deep down, way, way rock-bottom, I never thought I could do it. A thing like that.” (111). Perry regrets the actions he’s made but doesn’t let the people around him take notice. Both Perry and Dick go about their lives like everything is fine and both want to start over in Mexico. Since Perry comes fourth and admits that killing people is absurd and only someone crazy would do such a task, I see Perry as the normal one. Dick thinks he’s normal after he’s gone and taken the lives of four innocent people. While Dick and Perry both live knowing they killed a family, both seem to posses mental instability.