In In Cold Blood, the issue over the death penalty is prominent. Did Perry and Dick deserve to die? Should the severity of one’s crime determine one’s fate? Although Truman Capote writes the novel in a straightforward, “from a distance” way, he conveys, through his characters, theme, and plot development, that the death penalty is an issue that should be looked at from all sides and that the legal system itself is the real issue at hand, and that the death penalty is used as a means to suppress the distress and indignation of the citizens surrounding the case, instead of suppressing the victim himself.
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote is a true story of a quadruple homicide in the small town of Holcomb, Kansas that greatly impacted the community in 1959. Capote begins his novel by introducing a prominent, well respected family in the community, the Clutters. The Clutters lived average everyday lives until they were abruptly ended at the mercy of a 12 gauge shotgun. The killers were two men unknown to the Clutters, who had two completely different backgrounds and personalities. By choosing to include details about each of the killers, Capote delineates the differences between psychopaths and sociopaths and suggests that the combination of the two personality disorders creates the environment for horrific
No one deserves to die, and no one deserves death. Some executions are justified, but David Herold’s was not. Herold was a skilled and talented man who was deprived into a corner to help a killer. James L. Swanson’s novel, Chasing Lincoln 's Killer, a diary entry, “Last Diary Entry of John Wilkes Booth,” and an article, “Lincoln Writ of Liberty” contain evidence that proves Herold’s innocence. Herold did help a murderer; however, he is like everyone, in that he is susceptible to violent threats. For this reason, Herold did not deserve a conviction with a capital sentence; the punishment was far too severe, and does not fit the crime.
In his play Twelve Angry Men, Reginald Rose brings us back in time to 1957, to a jury room of a New York Court of Law where one man, Juror #8, confronts the rest of the jury to look at a homicide case without prejudice, and ultimately convinces Juror #2, a very soft-spoken man who at first had little say in the deliberation. Throughout the play, many of the jurors give convincing arguments that make one think about whether the boy is “guilty” or “not guilty.” Ultimately, one is convinced by ethos, logos, and pathos. We can see ethos, logos, and pathos having an effect on Juror #2 as he begins as a humble man and changes into someone brave at the end. Although all three modes play a part in convincing Juror #2, pathos was the most influential
Violence is often incorporated in media as a means of entertainment; however, there are certain instances where the use of violence crosses a line. It is up for debate on when this line would be reached and when the violence would be considered too extreme. In these cases, it may be necessary for schools to remove such literature from their libraries and from their curriculum. In Cold Blood is an example of literature that has been deemed questionable by several parents; therefore, banning this novel has been a popular topic of discussion in many different school districts. In Cold Blood tells the true story of the Clutter family, who were savagely murdered in their own home. The murder was brutal, and it was described by Capote in a very graphic
In Andre Dubus’ short story, “Killings,” a question of morality is brought up, can killing be justified. Richard Strout in an act of passion kills Matt Fowler’s son. Fowler plans his own justice by killing Strout. Are either of these killings justified? What are Fowler’s consequences for his actions?
Imagine your significant other’s body getting discovered at a park after he/she went missing for about three weeks. This is exactly what happened to Don MacGillivray when his girlfriend Hae Min Lee’s body was found in Leakin park in Baltimore, Maryland in 1999. In the podcast Serial, Sarah Koenig discusses the possibilities of who’s guilty and shows evidence to prove him innocent or guilty. One of the suspected murderers? Hae’s ex-boyfriend Adnan Syed. Adnan was known as a kind, gentle teenager, being involved in sports and other activities and having many friends. He had a darker secret though. A vengeful Adnan Syed cold-heartedly murdered Hae Min Lee, pulling his friend Jay Wilds and possibly another man into it to assist him; meanwhile,
The saying “the pen is mightier than the sword” is widely known and referenced. However, contrary to popular belief, actions may speak louder than words. This rings true in the case of Michelle Carter, this specific case has been a reoccurring debate, in terms of whether Michelle Carter should be found guilty or not guilty for the death of her boyfriend, Conrad Roy III. While those in favor of her being found guilty seek imprisonment, others, like the opposing side, seek to have her let off due to the situation not being entirely her fault.
The play ‘The Rimers of Eldridge’ gives a twisted, yet vibrant array of interesting plot twists and suspense to always keep the viewer on the edge of their seat. It tells the story of a girl named Eva and a man named Skelly that live in a run down bible belt town by the name of Eldridge, located in Missouri. Skelly is being accused of raping the little crippled girl Eva, but he really did not commit this crime. He tried to stop this cynical crime from happening. You might think this would be a simple story. Skelly tells the police and the boy known as Driver Jr., gets arrested for the rape of this poor girl, but Skelly has a terrible reputation in this small, judgemental town for creepings and spying on girls and guys of all ages ,and things such as beastiality,
After months of investigators not finding anything on the murder of Ronda; the young women killed at the local laundromat. They had decided to arrest Walter based off Ralph Myers word. They had no evidence and they weren't even fully sure what they should charge him with. Ralph was said to have been afraid of Walter. One day one of the officers had even hinted at Walter maybe even rapping Ralph. Ralph Seen that as a great excuse; so he claimed that it was true. The Alabama police then set out to arrest Walter but they had a reason this time. So a dozen of officers gathered together on an old road; they had known for sure that Walter used to travel home. They then stopped Walters’s truck with weapons forcing him out of his vehicle. The officer then proceeds to tell Walter exactly what he was being arrested for, but instead of worrying, Walter laughed. The officer then started called him “N**** this and N***** that”, went far enough to threaten to lynch him. The officers were arresting him for allegedly rapping Ralph yet they questioned him about the
All around the world criminals have the motivation to commit crime. One evening Ms. Harper asked for a bike ride from Mr. Truscott but it turned to a sexual assault and murder case. It shocked the community and country as a whole which later paved the way to amend capital punishment. It is agreed that Mr. Steven Truscott committed homicide. This argument will be proven by a physical examination, forensic evidence and eyewitness testimonies.
Cold Case Closure by Patrick Ian O’Donnell and Charles O. Gaylor is touted as a police procedural novel, and deals with a number of fictional cold murder cases. It is a standalone novel and falls into the general fiction/detective thriller category.
There once was a good peasant, by the name of Orion. He was a an 18 year old, delightful person to be with, and was loved by his village. However, he was hated by one person, whose name was Eli. Eli despised of him so much, he wanted to kill him. Eli and Orion were enemies, because one day, Orion had been quite a bad person, like Eli, and they had just stolen money from the general store. The alarm had gone off, signalling for them to run. They ran and ran, Because their house was around the outskirts of town. Eventually they hid, because the police didn 't seem to be near them. Orion could sense them coming, so he was ready. As soon as they camp around the corner, he ran. Eli was cornered by the police and screamed at Orion to help him, but Orion just ran. Eli promised himself he would get revenge, and that as soon as Eli was out of jail, Orion would never see another day. Now, Orion’s mother Ana was a witch. She knew about everything that had happened to Orion. She had guards check in on Eli in the night and check his work. The guards found Eli once with a notebook, plotting on how to kill Orion. The guards figured it was not in their position to execute Eli for this offense, as it wasn 't something to be executed over. However, they went straight away to tell Ana. Ana plotted for weeks and weeks over how to keep her son safe. Orion had become a better man, and Ana didn 't want her child to die. One day, however, Eli unexpectedly broke out of jail. He crept into
The narrator murdered, dismembered, and concealed the body of an old man. The evidence suggests that the narrator was perturbed and mentally unstable during the time of the murder. The narrator has also admitted the crime and is expected to take responsibility for his actions. This was inferred based on the fact that he confessed to his crimes and willingly turned himself in. Additionally, the narrator has given the exact location to the body of the perished man.
Given the circumstances, some crimes are justifiable: a poor man steals to feed his family, or someone kills in the name of self-defense. However, stabbing a hoof pick through the eyes of six innocent horses seems inexcusable at first glance. Peter Shaffer, in his introduction of Equus, writes that his purpose in writing the play is “to create a mental world in which the deed could become comprehensible” (Shaffer 9). Before introducing Alan Strang to Dr. Dysart, Hesther prefaces that most people, including professionals like psychiatrists and magistrates, have been disgusted by Alan’s crime and that Dysart is his last hope (I. 2 11-12). Here, Shaffer anticipates that the audience, like fictional society, will detest Alan for his crime. By characterizing