Truman Capote's In Cold Blood

Words: 1519
Pages: 7

In a small town in the state of Kansas, a family of four was mysteriously murdered in the comfort of their own home. In the novel, In Cold Blood, Truman Capote describes the childhoods of Richard “Dick” Hickock, and Perry Smith, showing how their upbringing created their adult lives. Capote talks about how Dick had a troubled childhood, a history of crimes, and a bad relationship with his father. Perry experienced a more traumatic childhood that included abuse and neglect. These backgrounds shaped their decision-making skills and ultimately contributed to their criminal choices later in their adult lives. Their early experiences shaped who they became and influenced their later decisions. By understanding their backgrounds, it shows how their …show more content…
Perry being more introverted and his family not being liable in the past had an impact on how he built relationships. Dick was the opposite and always easily formed connections with people without struggle. Dick and Perry’s backgrounds and personalities show how different they were from each other, but still in the end committed the same crime together. Seeing their pasts helps show us how it influenced their ultimate decision and the path they both decided to take. Despite them being different, Perry and Dick showed us how your past can shape how you are as an adult and contribute to the decisions you make in your future. Perry Smith and Dick Hickcock had different childhoods that shaped them into how they grew up. They grew up in different environments and both faced difficult childhoods that included abuse. Perry experienced a lack of stability and bounced between a lot of different homes growing up. Perry being in an unstable home affected his emotional health and his ability to have strong healthy relationships growing up. On the other hand, Dick came from a somewhat healthier and more stable background than Perry. He had a more supportive family and a better childhood