After Dick and Perry go to jail, they change very little. After they are put in jail Capote continues to make the reader like Perry, but not Dick. Dick stays to be what he always has been, a cold-hearted middle-aged man with no regrets, while Perry continues to be a caring person. Both prisoners make a plan to escape, while Dick is explaining his plan, Dick states, “alone of course; Perry’s future did not concern him.” This shows that he blames Perry for being caught and is another way Capote makes the reader not like Dick after he is arrested. But when Perry is telling what his plan is to escape, Perry states, “What about Hickock? All Preparations must include him.” This is Capote making Perry seem like a good person and to make the reader feel bad for him. Another example of Capote making the reader sorry for Perry is when he is kept in the ladies jail. This was the first time that any man had ever been kept in the ladies stall and Capote does this because of all of the other references to Perry being a woman, and for the reader to feel bad for him. While Perry and Dick are in Jail, Capote continues making you feel bad for Perry, while making you dislike Dick because of their ideas about escaping and where Perry is put while in jail.

The Trial

Even during the trial, Capote makes the reader pity Perry. By describing the attire of the court, particularly Dick and Perry, he is able to show the misfortune of Perry. Capote contrasts the attire of the court, "All four of the lawyers sportednoe suits...Hickock too, was sharply dressed in clothes provided by his parents...ONly Perry Smith, who owned neither jacket nor tie, seemed sartorially misplaced. Wearing an Open-necked shirt...and blue jeans rolled up at the cuffs, he looked as lonely and inappropriate as a seagull in a wheat field," (272). This epitomizes the misfortune of Perry, showing he has nobody to turn to, even for clothes. It also describes the isolation that Perry felt while being held in the woman's prison. Capote uses another history, this time autobiographical, to describe Perry's troubled past, but in comparing it to Dick's autobiograpy we can see the favoring of Perry again. He compares the two saying, "Hickock did not write with his companion's intensity. He often stopped to listen to the questioning of a prospective juror, or to stare at the faces around him," (276-277). This suggests, as as revealed later, that his past is not as troubled or worth writing about. The size of the two histories are both quite length, but Perry's has a full page more than Dick's. Once again, he makes the reader pity Perry for his misfortune and troubled past.

As Perry’s desire for friendship increases he appears more pathetic, causing even more to have sympathy for lost man. Perry, after being captured and taken back to Kansas for a trail, was separated from the one person he truly believed was his friend, Dick. As the separation between the two became continuous, Perry missed Dick and felt as though he had no companion. He yearned for a friend as he sat alone in the women’s cell. He did whatever he could to pass the time, but seemed not to be able to. While writing in his daily journal one day he caught the sight of a squirrel and from then on that squirrel became his only friend. Mrs. Meier, the undersheriff’s wife, described Perry’s interaction with the squirrel, saying, “Perry taught him several trick: to play with a paper ball, to beg, to perch on Perry’s shoulder” (254). This interaction between the squirrel and Perry showed a longing for friendship. It became even clearer that Perry was friendless when he finally realized his fate. As he wrote about his fate he stated, “The rich never hang. Only the poor and friendless” (257). Perry has now realized that he is friendless and will be for the remainder of his life. Mrs. Meier becomes sympathetic towards Perry as she recognizes his depression and lonely demeanor. She continuously showed him sympathy, one her many ways being making him Spanish rice, Perry’s favorite dish. At one of the trails the one person that was least expected to have sympathy for Perry did, Mrs. Hickock. After hearing multiple things that had gone on throughout Perry’s life and about his attempt of changing his statement for her family’s well being, she became sadden for the man. She stated, “And this boy Perry. It was wrong of me to hate him; I’ve got nothing but pity for him now” (288). In the end Perry’s friendless and terrible fate caused more to have deep sympathy for him.

Mr. and Mrs. Hickock, continuing to believe Dick is still their wonderful and talented little boy, become blind to the fact that their son has become a threat to society. As the Hickock’s continuously attempt to reassure themselves on how well they raised their son, they fall deeper into denial. When hearing of the situation that his son has gotten into, Mr. Hickock, though on his death bed, urgently goes to care for his son. While there he listens to Dick’s side of the story and feeds off of his every word, truly believing his son’s account. As he speaks to reporter, he gives thoughts about the circumstances, stating, “I seen Dick…We had a long talk. And I guarantee you it’s not like people say…Those boys didn’t go to that house planning to do violence. My boy didn’t…Smitty’s the one. Dick told me he didn’t even know it when Smitty attacked the man” (259). Mr. Hickock, being naïve to his son’s manipulation, believed his son’s account without question. Mr. Hickock even looks pass the fact that his son planned on robbing the hard working family; thus causing the murder in the Clutter home to even take place, but only takes in full account the fact that Dick did not commit the actual murders. Mr. Hickock continues to disbelieve that his son is any danger, although evidence given that proves it is true. Mr. Hickock, an observer at the trail held against his son, sits through testimonies, but still attempts to blame others for Dick’s fate. During Richard Rohleder, the photographer who took pictures of the Clutter’s dreadful state, testified, so to prove that Dick and his companion are monstrous. The picture contained a bloody foot print left by Dick and although this was shown Mr. Hickock was still in disbelief, not believing that his son to be a monster. Instead of allowing himself to believe the worst in his son, Mr. Hickock blames the judge for being prejudice against his son and continues to say, “No sense. Just no sense having a trail” (281). Mr. Hickock’s emotions and phrase showed a double meaning he was convinced that his son was not guilt, but believed that this son was ultimately doomed. Mrs. Hickock, who was not as blind as her husband, but truly smitten over her son, could not see pass reality, still picturing Dick as a boy. Like her husband, she too was spoken to by a reporter. While speaking to the reporter she had spoken continuously about her son as a child. As she spoke, Mrs. Hickock stated, “Dick was the best-natured little kid…There’s a lot more to Dick than what you hear back there in the court room” (287). By failing to see that her son is no longer that child that she still images him being, she also fails to see that he is no longer the same person, but a dangerous asset to society.

After Dick and Perry were arrested for murder, there was an elected jury to hear their case and decide whether or not the death penalty should be issued to them. The jury is picked on the idea that Perry and Dick should be executed because of the kinds of people that are elected to be jurors. While electing the jury, the book states, “another twenty won dismissal either because they opposed capital punishment or because they had admitted to having already formed a firm opinion regarding to the guilt of these defendants.” Both of these reasons that some people were dismissed are because of the fact that the state believes they will hold back the death penalty. Either because they opposed it, or because they had already made a decision, and therefore wouldn’t pay attention to the evidence presented and this is where the prosecution wants to show they deserve the death penalty. Therefore, they believe that all twenty will not issue the death penalty, so in return they are not invited to be jurors. Another example of the state picking people that will issue the death penalty is when the book is describing the people picked for the job. The book sates, “They were all family men, and were more affiliated with one or another of the local churches.” First, this quote shows that the people picked for the jury are family people, and Dick and Perry killed a family, so the state is hoping that these people will have no mercy toward the killers. Second, this quote says that everyone was affiliated with the church, and even though it says that the preacher of the church was still against the death penalty, neither Dick or Perry were very religious, and therefore the state is hoping this is another way the jurors will have no mercy toward the killers. The state obviously wants Dick and Perry to be killed, and the way that they pick the jurors is in a way that will give them the best chance to have Dick and Perry executed.

Their Plan to Escape

Perry continues to portray Dick as a heartless while portraying Perry as kinder and more thoughtful. Both of their plans to escape are vastly different. Dick chooses a quite a violent, but not very well thought out plan. While in his cell, he creates “‘Shiv,’ an instrument very like an icepick—something that would fit with lethal niceness between the shoulder-blades of Undersheriff Meier,” (263). Here Dick’s brutal plan to kill the undersheriff does not seem to be very well thought out. There is no evidence of further planning, just where he will go when he escapes. Perry’s plan however seems much less violent and better thought out. He draws maps, plots the best places at “which a ‘getaway car’ could most advantageously be stationed,” (265). He also has concerns about the two men whom the plan depends on. On the back of the map he writes, “But do you realize the consequences if you get caught (nod your head if you do)? It could mean a long stretch in prison. Or you might get killed.” (265). His plans show that Perry is more thoughtful about what happens to those involved in the escape plan. He doesn't want the two innocent men he keeps seeing outside the window to get in trouble. Dick's plan also makes him seem heartless. He plans on going to the Colorado mountains, "alone, of course; Perry's future did not concern him," (263). He seems to be thoughtless about Perry's well being. For one half of a pair that has just spent so much time together, to not care about the other half is quite cold-blooded. Capote makes Perry once again seem kinder and more thoughtful where it is concerned with Dick. On the back of the map, he notes "What about Hickock? All preparations must include him," (265). The kindhearted Dick feels that it is necessary to include his partner-in-crime to his more thoughtful plan of escape. Capote once more makes Perry seem the better of the two.

Family

Perry comes from a rough child hood whereas Dick had the support of his family when he was growing up which makes an immense difference on the character of a person when they grow up between a murderer and someone who just wants attention. When Dick and Perry have to write a diary entry to the psychiatrist Dick’s background story differs from Perry. Dick initiative was more about going to rape the young Clutter girl and he writes, “I think the main reason I went there was not to rob them but to rape the girl. Because I thought a lot about it. That is one reason why I never wanted to turn back when we started to. Even when there was no safe.” (278). Dick’s motive in the whole scandal wasn’t about the money or killing the family but more the fact that he needed to fill his sexual desires. Dick’s entry to the psychiatrist described his young life as pretty normal. He was a varsity athlete, managed his grades pretty well, and his parents rarely argued. Instead of having a rough family life, he emphasized more on the idea of his girlfriend and how he never touched her. Dick also talked about his marriage then went down the drain (278). Perry’s story talked his mother cheating on his father and how they use to fight all the time. His father use to beat him and he was always scared. He wrote “I was fightfully scared because I thought my father was going to hurt me.” (274). Perry didn’t have stable relationships growing up like Dick. When Dick was growing up he was focused on school, sports and girls like the average teenager. Perry spent his time worried about when he would get beat up by his parents, fighting in the wars and where was going to live. In the end though Dick doesn’t end up killing the Clutters but Perry does. The role of having a family and where you are brought up defines a person when they get older. Perry was use to violence where Dick just needed someone to build his self esteem.