Perry's Fatal Flaw

As the plot line of In Cold Blood continues to progress, Capote begins to describe Perry’s fatal flaw as an identity crisis, causing Perry to appear helpless and immature, clashing with the idea of Perry’s ordinary personality.

Though Capote does introduce Perry as ordinarily as possible, he brings a twist giving Perry’s personality a scene of being unsure; causing the reader to question the company around them and themselves as well. Capote first introduces Perry by stating, “…the young man breakfasting in a café called the Little Jewel never drank coffee. He preferred root bear.” (14) The normality of this image is spooky and plays with the reader’s perception of ordinary people. Many people favor root bear, eat breakfast and do so at cafés. Capote introduces Perry as normal as possible, in hopes that the reader would question the people around them. As Perry is further introduced he is not only described as an ordinary person, but a person with extraordinary qualities. As Perry discovered these extraordinary qualities within him he relieved that he was misunderstood, first by his father. In talking about this Perry states, “Like I could play a harmonica first time I picked one up. Guitar, too. I had this great natural musical ability. Which Dad didn’t recognize. Or care about. I liked to read, too…But I never got any encouragement—from him or anybody else.” (133) Perry, misunderstood and never encouraged, loses his identity underneath other people. As he searches for the love and the friendship that he felt he never truly received, he falls under the influence of other people’s wrong doings, only following the actions of his “friends”. Perry first ended up in jail being charged for burglary, as he speaks on his action of crime he declares, “…and there “fate”, in the form of “bad company”, asserted itself. His name was Smith…My friend there, bless his heart, looked around and made a suggestion. The suggestion was that they burglarize a nearby building, the Chandler Sales Company.” (137) Perry is desperate for approval and shows this is true through his actions when around his “friends”. Capote shows this preparing to show the reader how he lost his identity in the long run. Perry shows more signs of identity crisis, not only by following others, but by questioning himself. As Perry speaks on his time in the army and when speaking on it describes, “But I never got promoted…Know why? Because the sergeant we had was tough. Because I wouldn’t roll over. Jesus, I hate that stuff. I can’t stand it. Though—I don’t know. Some queers I’ve really liked.” (134) The “I” being in italics suggest that he is not sure if he hates queers; it can suggest that he is unsure if he is one himself. Perry’s identity crisis causes his ultimate fall, as he follows Dick to the Clutter’s house; in the end killing all four of them, which leads to his own death.