Thirst for Knowledge

Perry may be a killer and a follower, but he has a deep desire for knowledge and without money and commitment enough for an education was never able to get that comprehension before his death. Perry meets Andy and from then on can’t stand him for having a better education. It also doesn’t help that Perry gets angry easily. When first meeting Andy: “Perry…imagined himself more learned than most of his acquaintances, and enjoyed correcting them, especially their grammar and pronunciation. But here suddenly was someone—‘just a kid!’—constantly correcting him” (317). Perry liked being the one that knew everything, enjoying his one small advantage and power when dealing with others. When Andy comes along and starts to correct him, Perry is shown what his dream would be, but to never get the chance upsets Perry and makes him feel inferior. Andy is “the one thing in the world Perry wants to be—educated. And Perry couldn’t forgive him for it” (333). Now, with his anger rising, Perry seems as though he could kill Andy as he did the Clutters. His lust for knowledge overpowers him even more than anything else previously could.

Perry IS a Monster

Capote literarily illustrates Dick as the evil that caused the death of the Clutters, but as we know it was Perry that truly kills them and in the trial we can see that Perry is in fact a monster. Perry is unfeeling for the Clutters and has no real motive for killing them. When talking to Don Perry says “And it wasn’t because of anything the Clutters did. They never hurt me…. Maybe it’s just that the Clutters were the ones who had to pay for it” (290). Perry tells Don that he had no motive to harm the Clutters and that all his anger and rage from his early life was to be forced onto the Clutters. Perry at this point seems relatively insane for committing the murder. Moreover, what he says quickly after does not help his case against a mental illness. Perry then says “Am I sorry? If that’s what you mean—I’m not. I don’t feel anything about it. I wish I did. But nothing about it bothers me a bit” (290-291). His heartlessness is also a sign of his madness because he killed an entire family, shot them with a shotgun, and later that same night he and Dick are laughing about it. Perry is a monster no matter how much Capote tries to cover it up.

Perry as a Female

Perry throughout the book is described as a child-like girl, sensitive and innocent, however, at first it looks to be Capote making look nicer there are also parts that Capote can’t change that still imply his feminine side to be prominent. One of the earlier encounters with Perry we see him as feminine when they are caught and put into jail cells, “Far as I know, Perry Smith was the first man ever stayed in the ladies’ cell” (252). Perry is put into the women’s cell which is in the Undersheriff’s house, which in turn makes him appear less dangerous. Perry is emotionally a girl, but also physically has concerns of the average women. Even stuck in a cell he does things a girl might, “But he found things to do: file his fingernails with an emery board…and comb his lotion-soaked and scented hair” (254). The fingernails and the hair are both a glimpse into his womanly side. Filing his nails is feminine, and although everyone uses shampoo, his use of lotions in his hair appears also to be feminine. Perry is womanly and Capote doesn’t just include those parts for himself.

Dick is a Hypocrite

Dick under pressure, and slightly afraid of what will come becomes a hypocrite, and shows us that he is not as tough as he tries to portray himself as. Dick starts out being strong and clever at the beginning of the book but he is now slowly letting his tough outer shell peel off. Now, even Perry is sensing this and is scared he might brake under the questions. Perry thinks to himself, “Dick was smart, a convincing performer, but his ‘guts’ were unreliable, he panicked too easily” (227). Perry would never have doubted Dick for a second before, but now there is uncertainty. The uncertainty hits both almost simultaneously, because in the other cell Dick is thinking almost the exact same thing about Perry. Dick agonizes over the fact that Perry might already have left it out. Then he becomes angry and says, “Perry, if he lost his nerve and let fly, could put them both in The Corner. And suddenly he saw the truth: It was Perry he ought to have silenced.” (228). He seriously considers, however late, that he left a loose end and Perry would give them both up. He thought of him as a friend and partner now his fear leads to paranoia and then his judgment on what to do becomes murky with other thoughts. Dick is a hypocrite that tries to justify his situation with blaming someone else.

As Dick and Perry become further apart they soon realize the way they truly feel about each other, finally recognizing their differences. Dick and Perry growing up under completely different circumstances realize that they are not one in the same, sharing no common traits. As Dick realized his distaste for Perry he became more annoyed with the thought of him. While planning his escape in from jail he came to the conclusion as to where he would run off to. As he thought about his glorious future place he made a note to himself that he did not wish to share this luxury with Perry. When thinking about exactly this, he states, “…head to Colorado mountains, and find there a cabin where he could hide until spring (alone, of course; Perry’s future did not concern him)” (263). Dick has completely lost interest in Perry now that he has used Perry to his benefit. Perry, not knowing that Dick has turned on him entirely, turns on Dick as well because he realizes that Dick cannot be trusted. Perry, though at first was determined to continue his life with Dick, showed no sign of caring for Dick after he came to his senses. As Perry plans his escape, he states, “What about Hickock? All preparations must include him” (265). Being naïve he still should signs of affection for his only friend, but he soon saw the light and grasped the fact that Dick was ultimately not truly his friend. Perry soon begins to put down Dick and shows no remorse for him. When he talks about his statement, he says, “I wanted to fix Dick for being such a coward” (255). This shows that Perry no longer has remorse for his so called friend and the two have completely turned on one another.

Dick Manipulating Perry

Dick is undeniably a creepy figure capable of manipulation to get whatever he wants. This, combined with Perry’s reliability on others proves to be his ultimate downfall. Perry is a capable person, but still has to rely on others, and in this case Dick. Perry is described as, “[Perry] was still (and wasn’t it incredible, a person of intelligence, his talents?) an urchin dependent, so to say, on stolen coins” (193). Perry probably could have done the crime himself had his need for people not gotten in his way. Therefore his life depends on the “stolen coins”, or in other words he needs others to live or else he would die. Although Perry is dependent on others, Dick can manipulate him very easily. Dick power came from a smart use when the situation called for it, “Dick was a ‘blowhard’; his toughness, as Perry had come to know, existed solely in situations where he unarguably had the upper hand” (193). Dick controls Perry with the precise use of his power when he has the advantage. The malevolence of a person who would do this to someone else is appalling; especially for the partners they appear to be. Then finally Dick knows that he is in control, and doesn’t really consider Perry on equal ground with him. As a representation of his power we see that, “Dick grinned, and said, ‘Come on. We’re eating again’” (194). The grinning is the first sign that he knows who has the power; it becomes visible physically to the reader that the smile is creepy and meant to be more of a smirk. And secondly the way he talks to Perry. His diction is of a command to do something. Perry still follows without question. Dick is a master of manipulation like Capote himself.

The Trial: Part II

Capote uses Dick's former cellmate, Floyd Wells, and Dick's lawyer, Harrison Smith, effectively to cast a dark image on Hickock. His well-rehearsed story reveals an "established premeditation of great degree," (283). (Premeditation of murder qualifies it as murder in the first degree in American courts). This casts quite a poor light on Dick, as not only a murderer but premeditated murderer and burglar. Capote's quick and effective use of this bit of information makes the reader continue to dislike Dick. Dick's snappy lawyer also makes us dislike Dick a bit more. He snaps questions at Floyd such as, "Don't they call you 'Squealer' now? or do they cal you 'Snitch'?" and, "Some of those times for lying, were they?" (284). His accusatory tone does not bode well in the readers eyes. It makes the reader dislike the layer, and in essence Dick. Floyd's calm and measured responses make us cheer for him. Capote not only uses the characters themselves, but those who have connections to them to change the reader's feelings about the characters.