Justin Yap English 96 Janet Goldberg 12/01/08 If You Are In It, You Deserve It A book called In Cold Blood written by Truman Capote is about a crime scene that is happen on November 15, 1959 in a small town of Holcomb Kansas. Capote based his story on a true American documentary. On November 14, 1959, Herbet Clutter, family of four, inspects his ranch while Perry Smith and Dick Hickock on the other side of Kansas meet up. Dick plans to go to Mr. Clutter’s family on that night with a shotgun and a knife hoping to find a safe with large amount of money. The following morning, Susan Kidwell and another of Nancy’s friends found the Clutter’s bodies. The KBI agent in charge of this investigation, Alvin Dewey, suspects that someone close to the family must have done the murder. Perry and Dick return’s to Dick’s hometown of Olathe thinking that everything is fine and with “no witnesses” involved with the murder (Capote 37). Dick receives two big checks and flees to Mexico. Perry and Dick do these random things such as stealing, conning, and hitchhiking while the KBI investigates the murder. One day a police officer recognizes a license plate of a stolen vehicle and Perry and Dick receives further questioning. Perry and Dick are in custody, which then receives the death penalty during the trial. Perry’s sentence is fair for he is the one who started the killing spree of the Clutter family. Perry’s method of execution in Kansas at the time is inhumane. The killers should receive the same experience as to what the victims had received that night on November 15, 1959. Perry
was the first one to start the killing by slicing Mr. Clutter in the throat. There might have been a possibility that at the time Perry was getting angry with Dick, so he decided to do the work for himself. Perry has the possibility of having an anger problem as he had some other times where he rather went out of control. Capote states, “suddenly Perry…pushed her against a wall and held her there” with Perry saying, “I was his nigger” (Capote 185). This clearly defines that Perry, from time to time, has this random anger vibe running through his body making him do such acts that are consider as inhumane. Another occurrence is with Perry “almost had a fist fight…” with Dick “when he quite recently he had prevented Dick from raping a terrified young girl” (Capote 202). Perry has this anger problem quite frequently, where his acts are to be considering inhumane. Although the method of killing may seem fine, it still does not reflect back that Perry with his anger can result into such acts that be acknowledged as inhumane. Perry is mentally ill for such acts he has done in Kansas with Dick. Even if it was Dick who master minded the whole operation, Perry was the first to act in such a way that made Dick in awe. Perry’s sense of mind probably happened back in 1952 where he received his motorcycle accident that was “severer than Dick’s…his chunky, dwarfish legs, broken in five places and pitifully scarred, still pained him so severely that he had become an aspirin addict” (Capote 31). Perry’s motorcycle accident may have caused Perry to think in such a way that would be considering him mentally ill. Perry acted like if the Kansas incident never happened as he read an article. As Perry says, “Amazing! Know what I wouldn’t be surprised? If this wasn’t done by a lunatic. Some nut that read about what happened out in Kansas” (Capote 200). Perry is still considering intellectual when he was younger, but ever since he had that incident with the motorcycle; it may have screwed up his mind from then on. Even though it may be difficult to
determine mental illness, Perry’s acts are beyond normal. They are beyond normal that Dick himself is in awe when he sliced Mr. Clutter’s throat right in front of him. Perry did not premeditate the murderers; Dick did. Before Dick and Perry entered the Clutter’s house, Perry did not want to go in and wanted to bail out since they still have the chance. Dick did not agree with Perry and still wanted to go on with the plan. Dick wanted Perry to count him in or count him out for Dick will do it all by himself. After Perry disregarding with the decision of Dick, he still stuck with him. When Perry sees, Dick think of his rapping the females by his body emotions, he got disgusted and forced Dick to stop. Perry thought he could prove to Dick that he is not afraid at all for he will kill the family first. When Perry did, Dick did not come in to stop him, but instead watch Perry in awe. Perry states “Dick helped me, he held the flashlight and picked up the shells. And it was his idea, too…I wonder why I did it” (Capote 290). Perry still questions himself on why he did it even after the crime was committed. Perry states, “When you kill a man you steal his life. I guess that makes me a pretty big thief” (Capote 290). Perry just could not grasp the idea that he did all of this. Yes, it was true that it was Dick’s plan to go in and commit the crime, but Perry was the one who went along with the plan. To conclude this, Perry deserves his sentence of crime for he is the one who committed the evil act on the Clutter’s family. No matter who planned it, in this case Dick, Perry is still guilty for his acts. With Perry being mentally ill and with his criminal acts, he deserves his death penalty. Just because the society thinks he is mentally ill with his corrupted mind, he should not deserve to die. However, a crime is a crime and for those who commit crime should suffer the same pain, the victims had. If the jury says, that Perry does not deserve the penalty then who
will. Somebody has to be guilty and it cannot be the innocent one. Therefore, we have to ask ourselves, who is the guilty one. Does the person really deserve the execution or parole?