Capote and In Cold Blood

Hi All!

I know we are on Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas right now and we just watched part of Gonzo in class yesterday, but I feel like I need to share some of my thoughts on In Cold Blood since I haven't done that yet.

One of the things that really concerned me about the book was the apparent lack of interest that Mr. Clutter's eldest daughters had about the trial and Perry's and Dick's eventual execution. I was surprised that they weren't present during the trial or at the executions; I think they owed it to their family to represent them. It doesn't surprise me that Perry seemed disappointed that none of the Clutter family was there to see him die because I didn't know who to direct his apology to. What did surprise me was Dick's apparent disappointment; for some reason he wanted the Clutter family to get their revenge, and I have the feeling that Dick thought his death was a waste because the people he hurt most weren't there to see him die.

The second thing that bothered me in the book was Perry's claim that he actually killed all four of the Clutters instead of just Mr. Clutter and his son, which he admitted to in his first confession. Even though Perry said that he shot the whole family by himself and that Dick didn't kill any of them, I just can't believe it. I think Perry was trying to protect Dick as well as Dick's mother. Dick must have killed Mrs. Clutter and Nancy. I have been thinking it over and over in my mind, and I just don't want to think that Perry was the one to kill them all; however, I guess it doesn't really matter who killed who because both Dick and Perry were at the house that night and they committed the crime together regardless of who pulled the trigger. Maybe Capote's love for Perry has made me biased towards him, but I feel sorry for the guy. He seems more like a victim than a villain to me.