ipl-logo

Perry Smith's Role In Divorce

911 Words4 Pages

“What is punishment? Being in jail isn't punishment, if you didn't like it on the outside. And neither is death, if it was painful to live.” (Infamous). Perry Smith was not fond of his life at all. He endured numerous hardships at a young age that even many adults would not experience. Being in and out of prison messed with Perry’s mind, and not for the better. He was a very frustrated person because of his attraction towards males during a time where being gay was almost taboo. Other factors also turned Perry into the complex, murderous man that he was. Without parents to show him right and wrong, he was already set up for failures as an adult. Childhood abuse scarred Perry for his life. To add to that, traumatic events that occurred throughout …show more content…

Most people assume that the couple pursuing the divorce react the worst to it. The fact is, the child is also put under a great amount of stress during the separation. Witnessing a divorce can break the trust between a child and the parents. This is especially true in Perry’s case when his mother and father split up. He did not confide with his mother when she won custody of Perry over his father. Perry eventually ran away from the house he lived in with his mother. He ran away to his father, who initially rejected him but later took him in. Perry later served a five to twelve year sentence at the Kansas State Penitentiary for breaking and entering. The Kansas State Penitentiary was where Perry and Richard “Dick” Hickock first met. Almost immediately Perry became fond of Dick. Dick and Perry quickly appealed to each other. Perry was very territorial over Dick and maybe even in love with him. This attraction spiralled out of control when Perry found out that Dick wanted to rape Nancy Clutter, one of the murder victims. Imagining Dick with another human being caused Perry to turn delirious. Perry became so enraged that he shot all four members of the Clutter family dead. The love that Perry felt for Dick was like being high on cocaine; the high only lasted for a short period, but the consequences were abiding. At one point in the novel, Perry compares Dick’s voice to a drug, “The sound of Dick’s voice was like an

Show More
Related

  • Dick Hickock And The Columbine Massacre

    491 Words  | 2 Pages

    Dick never wanted to discuss the murders. He always wanted to change the subject. Floyd Wells, his former cellmate, mentioned to Dick that he was a former employee of the Clutters, and they had a safe on the property, unaware that they never had any cash on them. When he did not find the safe or any money, Dick resorted to killing the whole Clutter family. Dick became a little too confident and thought he could get away with murder.

    Read More

  • Examples Of The Actions Of Perry And Dick

    168 Words  | 1 Pages

    Although Dick’s was fully aware of his actions, he even came up with the plan to go and try to steal from the Clutters, another important evidence that separates Perry and Dick is also overlooked by the court. Alvin Dewey states Perry, before signing the confession paper, “admit that Hickock had been telling the truth, and that it was he, Perry Smith, who had shot and killed the whole family” (255). It is revealed that Perry is the one who killed the members of the Clutter family and Dick did not. The court gives Dick the same death sentence that they gave Perry, the guy who actually did the killing. Although Dick is too some extent responsible for what happened to the Clutter and he was aware of his actions and what was happening, his punishment

    Read More

  • Examples Of Toxic Masculinity In In Cold Blood

    1583 Words  | 7 Pages

    The adults in Perry’s childhood turning a blind eye to the abuse he faced, and Dick’s pedophilia, which is swept under the rug, atop many more aspects of these men indicate one thing. It can be said that Dick and Perry were simply products of their

    Read More

  • Tyler Perry Research Paper

    215 Words  | 1 Pages

    “We should respect Tyler Perry he had a tough childhood,” “he got out, became famous,” forgave his father,” and showed many people that were in the same situation as him that you are more powerful than the person who is abusing you. Tyler Perry had a rough childhood

    Read More

  • Adversity In Touching Spirit Bear

    489 Words  | 2 Pages

    In his past, Cole was beaten by his abusive father and neglected by his mother. The adversity in his past contributes

    Read More

  • Dick And Perry Insanity Quotes

    126 Words  | 1 Pages

    This Quote represents Insanity (Sociopathy) because it shows both Perry’s killer natural way of thinking and it also shows Dick’s colossal use of them to get what he desires. Dick suffers brain damage he received from a concussion and Perry has paranoid schizophrenia . This could possibly contribute to their questionable mental state of mind. Some symptoms of insanity include : frequent lying, stealing , fighting , no guilt or remorse for anything whatsoever , breaking the law repeatedly , the ability to act charming and witty, disregarding of the safety of others, manipulating other people 's emotions, and inability to tolerate frustration . Both Dick and Perry poses some of these traits / symptoms which may lead us to believe they could

    Read More

  • Truman Capote's In Cold Blood

    961 Words  | 4 Pages

    Capote portrays only one of these two seemingly distinct characters (Perry) in a way that the reader feels the need to relate to and even sympathize with him. One can be taken aback by such an attachment to a murderer. This is not surprising as the author uses his compassionate diction to manipulate the reader’s emotions with a use of pathos, the appeal to emotions. At one point Capote goes as far as to write that “Smith’s life had been no bed of roses,” (Capote 245) attempting to have the readers relate to Perry. On the other hand, Capote has Dick say this about himself: “Deal me out, baby, I’m a normal” (Capote 116).

    Read More

  • Dick And Perry In Truman Capote's In Cold Blood

    178 Words  | 1 Pages

    While Perry is mortified that he and Dick could commit such a gruesome crime, Dick couldn’t care less. All Dick is worried about is how odd Perry is. Because of how quick Perry’s mood could change, Dick thought he was “spooky as hell.” Now, Perry wasn’t your average run of the mill man. He still wets the bed, cries in his sleep, and “could slide into a fury ‘quicker than ten drunk Indians’”.

    Read More

  • An Analysis Of Nature Vs. Nurture In Truman Capote's In Cold Blood

    758 Words  | 4 Pages

    While nurture may be the primary factor in deciding why Perry did what he did, his childhood does not excuse him from being prosecuted the the full extent of the law. The controversial debate of nature versus nurture may never be fully solved, however it is clear in the case of Perry Smith that his surroundings were the primary cause of his motivation to kill the Clutter family. Between his abusive family and the inmates at the Kansas State Penitentiary, the emotions convening inside of Perry fell too much to bear. Perry was a victim of his environment and projected the rejection he felt onto

    Read More

  • In Cold Blood Normality Analysis

    1021 Words  | 5 Pages

    However, the Clutters have certain aspects which could be considered ‘abnormal’, especially in the case of Bonnie, a depressed and reclusive mother. Perry and Dick are juxtaposed with the Clutters, they are a seemingly abnormal duo, who are antisocial, have a hunger for murder and are even physically disfigured. Both Perry and Dick have attributes that are still somewhat ‘normal’ despite their surface abnormality. Perry is sensitive, creative and sings, Dick has had an upbringing that was completely typical of any American child, that is, he was brought up in a loving and caring environment, with enough money to live comfortably and attend secondary education. Dick also constantly defends himself saying: “I’m a normal”.

    Read More

  • Truman Capote's Manipulation Of Perry In Cold Blood

    590 Words  | 3 Pages

    Although Perry is responsible for the murder of four innocent people, Perry’s actions do not reflect on who he is as a person because he is easily influenced, therefore; showing how easily people can be pressured into doing something they would not typically do. Dick, a violent, cold-hearted, manipulator, has molded Perry into the person he is today. As Perry is a follower, Dick has taken advantage of that by turning Perry into the cold-blooded killer he is today. Capote displays Dick’s manipulation of Perry through symbolism to make evident that while Perry did pull the trigger on four innocent people, although the fault does not entirely lay on him, as he was taken advantage of by Dick.

    Read More

  • Manipulation Of Language In Truman Capote's In Cold Blood

    1177 Words  | 5 Pages

    He is portrayed as a mastermind in the cold-blooded killing of the Clutters family, a man with little respect for the lives of others, which can be seen through Dick’s expression before the murder of the Clutters when he converses Perry, “We’re gonna go in there and splatter those walls with hair” (Capote 234). This sudden tone shift enables Capote to depict Dick as a cruel and immoral character. Dick’s lack of empathy and concern for other people beside himself allow him to commit crimes without remorse, which is in contrast to Perry’s moral contemplation after each bad actions they committed. Moreover, Dick is represented as the true criminal with evident motives in murdering the Clutters, while Perry is seen as a vulnerable victim who depends on Dick for validation and acceptance, something in which Dick happily provides in order to manipulate Perry, as Capote writes, “Dick became convinced that Perry was that rarity, ‘a natural born killer,’—absolutely sane but conscienceless, and capable of dealing with or without motive, the coldest-blooded deathblows. It was Dick's theory that such a gift could, under his supervision, be profitably exploited” (Capote 205).

    Read More

  • Guilty In Richard Eugene Hickock's In Cold Blood

    971 Words  | 4 Pages

    Perry wasn’t just included in the plan, he was hand-picked by Dick. Dick believed that Perry had the killer mentality that was necessary to kill the Clutters’. Dick was very opportunistic towards Perry and wanted to use him. By using Perry, Dick proves that he is a manipulator who is also the mastermind behind the plan. The situation of Dick and Perry is comparable to the situation that had occurred twenty years prior to the Clutter family murder.

    Read More

  • PTSD In Fallen Angels By Walter Dean Myers

    495 Words  | 2 Pages

    PTSD Affecting Soldiers He stood there, frozen, shocked, not knowing what to do when he saw a gun pointed at him. Thankfully, the trigger didn’t work, but he had to witness a scarring event, in which he had shot his enemy in the head. It is not surprising that soldiers returning from a stressful war often suffer from a psychological condition called Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. For instance, in the book Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers, the principle character Perry unmistakably demonstrates how war troopers can be damaged and experience the ill effects of PTSD.

    Read More

  • The Theme Of Death In Truman Capote's In Cold Blood

    1445 Words  | 6 Pages

    Throughout the book, Perry is genuinely the cold-blooded killer, and the reader 's view him that way. While in interrogation, Dick confessed that “ Perry Smith killed the Clutters... It was Perry” (Capote 230). At this point, the audience doesn’t know if they believe that Perry killed all four or if Perry killed two and Dick killed two. While talking in the interrogation room, Dewey mentioned to Perry that “Hickock [thought of Perry as] a natural born killer.

    Read More

More about Perry Smith's Role In Divorce

Open Document