In Cold Blood
Rachel Jenkins
Period 5
In Cold Blood In the novel, "In Cold Blood" written by Truman Capote he illustrates the events leading up to, during, and after the murder of the infamous Clutter family. Throughout these events, the author frequently compares and contrasts the two main characters, Richard Hickock and Perry Smith. Perry Smith is one of the two main characters in the novel and also one of the murderers of the Clutter family. Perry "seemed a more than normal-sized man, a powerful man, with the shoulders, the arms, the thick crouching torso of a weight lifter..[but] his tiny feet..would have neatly fitted into a delicate lady's dancing slipper; when he stood up, he was no taller than a twelve-year-old child."(p.15) Perry's appearance is unexpected but correlates perfectly with his personality. Although Perry has a tough exterior he has moments, more often than not, of sensitivity. His delicate features show his attentiveness and good intentions. Perry's stature and features cause him a lot of first judgements that only attack his self-esteem, which had already been permanently damaged. Upon arriving to the Hickock residence, Perry wasn't to be had "in the house, one look and [they] saw what he was." (p.169) This shows how his intimidating and confusing exterior has caused him to have to deal with being automatically written off before he can express his true character. Another one of Perry's defining characteristics is his thirst for knowledge and to be educated. He "liked to read, improve [his] vocabulary, and [he] could draw...but never got any encouragement-from [his dad] or anyone else" (p.133). The lack of education Perry was offered, was one of the things that bothered him the most. He had different aspirations than his father, who made him travel and work after being pulled out of school with only a third grade education under his belt. His parents' lack of structure and guidance in his life was the reason his education had always been neglected.
Period 5
In Cold Blood In the novel, "In Cold Blood" written by Truman Capote he illustrates the events leading up to, during, and after the murder of the infamous Clutter family. Throughout these events, the author frequently compares and contrasts the two main characters, Richard Hickock and Perry Smith. Perry Smith is one of the two main characters in the novel and also one of the murderers of the Clutter family. Perry "seemed a more than normal-sized man, a powerful man, with the shoulders, the arms, the thick crouching torso of a weight lifter..[but] his tiny feet..would have neatly fitted into a delicate lady's dancing slipper; when he stood up, he was no taller than a twelve-year-old child."(p.15) Perry's appearance is unexpected but correlates perfectly with his personality. Although Perry has a tough exterior he has moments, more often than not, of sensitivity. His delicate features show his attentiveness and good intentions. Perry's stature and features cause him a lot of first judgements that only attack his self-esteem, which had already been permanently damaged. Upon arriving to the Hickock residence, Perry wasn't to be had "in the house, one look and [they] saw what he was." (p.169) This shows how his intimidating and confusing exterior has caused him to have to deal with being automatically written off before he can express his true character. Another one of Perry's defining characteristics is his thirst for knowledge and to be educated. He "liked to read, improve [his] vocabulary, and [he] could draw...but never got any encouragement-from [his dad] or anyone else" (p.133). The lack of education Perry was offered, was one of the things that bothered him the most. He had different aspirations than his father, who made him travel and work after being pulled out of school with only a third grade education under his belt. His parents' lack of structure and guidance in his life was the reason his education had always been neglected.