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How Does In Cold Blood Deserve The Same Punishment

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In Truman Capote's "In Cold Blood," the murders of the Clutter family shocked the nation. The two culprits, Perry Smith and Dick Hickock, were caught and tried for their crimes. While Perry was the one who physically carried out the murders, it can be argued that Dick deserved the same punishment because he planned the crime, intended to rape Nancy Clutter regardless of what happened, and manipulated Perry into becoming a killer. One of the most significant pieces of evidence that suggests Dick deserved the same punishment as Perry is the fact that he was the mastermind behind the crime. From the beginning, Dick had a detailed plan of how they would carry out the murders, and he made sure that Perry was on board with his ideas. The scary part of all of this is that Dick considered himself normal, by saying, “I’m a normal” (Capote 108). In the book, it is clear that Dick was the one in control, and Perry is merely following his lead. For example, when they first discussed the robbery, Dick said, "If it's going to be done, it's got to be done right. No slip-ups...You know what …show more content…

In the book, it is revealed that he had sexual fantasies about her and had made up his mind to act on them. When they arrived at the Clutter house, Dick went to Nancy's bedroom while Perry searched the rest of the house. When he returned, he said, "I thought I'd wait and surprise her...but I couldn't go through with it...not yet" (Capote, 105). This suggests that Dick had planned to rape Nancy, but for some reason, he had to delay his actions. Also, Dick explained the main reason he wanted to go there by saying, “I think the main reason I went there was not to rob them but to rape the girl... I thought about it alot. But Perry never gave me a chance” (Capote 278). It is clear that Dick's intentions were not just to rob the Clutters but also to carry out his sick sexual

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