Personal Response, Part Four

As we read the final section of In Cold Blood, we finally see the conclusion of the story’s main conflict. Now, Alvin Dewey is victorious and the murderers are finally captured. But now, we face an important question: is capital punishment ever a wise punishment? Alvin Dewey is able to walk away from the two prisoners and he is praised as a hero. But we see Dick and Perry, and we follow their story, even when it seems like it should be over for them. They continue to live for five years in a maximum security prison, and yet, they continue to make and maintain relationships. Keeping them alive for so long seems almost cruel. They are permitted to meet with friends and family, but what good does it do either one? Can you imagine being Mrs. Hickock, meeting with Dick on Death Row? She must have felt like she was talking to a ghost, constantly being forced to relive the same pain. Can you imagine how she must have felt, looking into the eyes of her once-so-promising son, and having to face the fact that he had become an evil, bloodthirsty murderer?

I felt outraged that they waited so long, for all of the people on Death Row. It’s just cruel, keeping them there locked up with only their thoughts for five years, raising them like pigs for slaughter. I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy.

Anyway, the book, as always, was full of persuasive writing techniques that are designed to make the readers feel sorry for the prisoners. And it worked, at least for me. However, in the final section, I’m afraid to say, the writing dragged a bit. At a few parts, I felt that the author didn’t quite have enough to say, so instead went into excruciating detail for things that ultimately didn’t affect the storyline too much. For example, the long explanation of mental health in criminal patients, or the back stories of every single prison mate.

Overall, though, this book was thrilling, and I was on the edge of my seat on several occasions while reading it. It’s a well-written novel, with a terrifying subject: the horror of criminality without apparent motive.

Theme, Part Four

Death

The very name of the section suggests that the two killers will be hanged in the end. No matter how much the two pray or try to get out of it, they always knew that it would happen. What goes around comes around. But should murderers be murdered for their actions? Is it right to avenge bloodshed with more bloodshed? This is a controversial theme in In Cold Blood, because even though what Dick and Perry did was an inexcusable act of evil, do they really deserve to be put to death? If they’re dead, they can never make up for what they’ve done. They can’t ever see how much their actions have negatively impacted others, and they’ll never have the chance to get better. The truth of the matter is, with every death, there is at least one negative side effect. One mother heartbroken, one friend unnecessarily grieving. And honestly, killing them doesn’t solve much. It just hurts people like Mr. and Mrs. Hickock, Perry’s family and friends, and even Mrs. Meier and poor little Red (and yes, I know Red’s a squirrel). Regardless of their actions, Dick Hickock and Perry Smith are still people, and I believe that all people can be saved.

Style and Rhetorical Elements, Part Four

“Institutional dourness and cheerful domesticity coexist on the fourth floor of the Finney County Courthouse.” (Capote, Page 251)

I love Capote’s use of diction here. This is the first sentence in the final section, and I appreciate that the author jumped right into a description of the place Dick and Perry are sent. The last thing the readers remember is our murderers being escorted through a crowd of enraged citizens, and the killers’ overwhelmed looks of fear and defeat as they’re taken to their final home.

But the great thing about this quote is the great contrast between the cells, and the home of the assistant sheriff and his wife. The rest of the prison cells may be lonely, boring, and dreary, but the apartment attached to the “ladies’ cell” seems perfectly normal. The Meiers seem perfectly content to live there, and Josephine has made a nice home out of what most would consider a terribly depressing place to live. She obviously isn’t allowing herself to be negatively affected by the criminals with whom she must constantly share the space.  She’s never mean or sour to them, and she becomes good friends with Perry, whom she is sad to see leave. This contrast shows two kinds of people: those who work hard and follow the rules, and those who cheat, lie, and ultimately murder.

“Although the eyes of the nation were not upon them…” (Capote, Page 272)

Here, the author uses personification to portray the country as one unified being. When he says “the eyes”, he means the way the people get their information, in this case, the press or media. The rest of the sentence goes on to say that though they aren’t being viewed by a large audience, the participants in the trial look and dress well. They want to present themselves in a positive light despite the lack of cameras and reporters.

The fact that the author chose to generalize the entire nation as one person, is actually a powerful theme in this novel. Most citizens didn’t follow the trial and sentencing detail by detail, like the readers of this book had to. Very few ordinary citizens paid attention to the actual case. Capote wrote this book to inform the public of what had transpired on the night of the Clutter murders. And obviously, there was interest in finding out the mystery of the quadruple homicide in Holcomb, Kansas. At the auction, most people came simply out of curiosity.

I think this use of personification was added in to show how much of the nation was intrigued by the murderers, and curious to find out how two seemingly normal men could commit a crime so horrifying.

“wild goose, aspic salad, hot biscuits, cold milk, freshly baked cherry tarts, cheese, and coffee—seemed to concern him more than the outcome of the trial…” (Capote, Page 289)

I find this part extremely ironic. Perry is sitting on Death Row, and he’s more concerned with a dinner than with the decision that could save his life. Now he says that this is because he is sure that the outcome of the trial is a lost cause, and there’s no way that the jury will vote in his favor. But you would think he would still hope. Where’s the bird now, to change the jury’s mind? He thinks it’s more likely that he’ll be happy by committing suicide, than the jury declaring him an innocent, free man. In all fairness, he was right, and he was sentenced to death, but you would think that, like Dick, he would be desperately trying to save his own life. Instead, he worries about a feast.

This use of irony made me question whether I really know this character at all. He felt no remorse for the Clutter family, so I thought that he’d be more hopeful with regards to the outcome of the trial, as opposed to someone who does feel remorse and wants to face the consequences.

At this point in time, food is the last thing Perry should be worried about. And the irony of his situation makes us feel bad for him.

Quotes, Part Four

“the yellow bird, huge and parrot-faced, had soared across Perry’s dreams, an avenging angel who savaged his enemies or, as now, rescued him in moments of mortal danger.” (Capote, Page 266)

Throughout the novel, Perry speaks of this yellow bird. The bird appears especially when he is in a dangerous or uncomfortable situation, such as his father beating his mother, or a nun beating him for wetting the bed. The bird is his symbol for hope or justice.

But unlike the other times, in this quote, he is dreaming. In his dream, he breaks a light bulb in his cell and cuts his wrists and ankles with it. Then he sees the mighty yellow bird swoop down and carry him up, up. It’s interesting that now his symbol for hope shows up after he commits suicide. His life has gotten so bad that the only hope he has is for the sweet release of death. Pretty depressing.

It’s also interesting that the yellow bird would seem to be taking him to heaven. He even describes it as an “avenging angel.” However, he has shown that he doesn’t trust in the Christian religion or anything associated with it. Perhaps he wants to be wrong, and he wants to believe that there is a place, after death, where his sins will be forgiven, and he can exist peacefully for eternity.

This yellow bird is a recurring theme in the novel, and since Perry tends to relive his worst experiences with us frequently, the bird shows up quite a bit. And sometimes, the bird doesn’t just protect him. It attacks his attackers, which is when it is a sign for justice.

This quote emphasizes how much Perry relies on hope and karma, as opposed to fighting back himself. This bird, though beautiful, shows Perry’s cowardice toward his fellow man. Everything he couldn’t stand up to or confront, he ran away from. This bird is just another way for him to run (or fly, I suppose) away from his problems with people, instead of being brave enough to handle them.

“I think we both felt very high… Couldn’t stop laughing, neither one of us; suddenly it all seemed very funny—I don’t know why, it just did.” (Capote, Page 256)

Another thing that is discussed a lot in this section is the question of Dick and Perry’s mental state. They are assessed thoroughly because “killing without a proper motive” is a very insane action to take. The psychiatrist uses this quote in his evaluation of Perry to prove that he isn’t necessarily sane. Dick is declared sane, however (or at least he was able to distinguish between right and wrong at the time of the incident). I think it’s odd that Dick is said to be more mentally stable than Perry because, well, this was all Dick’s idea, and he was pretty much the one that got them caught. Like I said in a previous post, I think they would have actually been able to get away with it if Perry had been the one calling the shots.

But I’ll be the first to admit that Perry has certain qualities that are downright insane. Like his rages, his Aspirin addiction, his lack of remorse, or hey, how about the fact that he constantly hallucinates a yellow bird flying in to save him.

And yet Dick was the one to initiate the job. He’s just as guilty as Perry, and much more bloodthirsty. We find out later that he just wanted to rape the girl, and had been bragging about blasting hair all over the walls. I can’t see Perry doing anything like that for fun or pleasure, like Dick. Neither one felt remorse for their victims, but Perry’s last words were an apology, which means he understands the destruction he had caused, and he understood the consequences.

This quote stood out to me because it shows that neither one is totally sane. It’s scary how they can laugh after what they did. It’s scary how they can’t feel remorse for the destruction and sadness they’ve caused so many to have.

Summary, Part Four

The section begins with the description of the Finney County Courthouse where, on the fourth floor, Perry Smith and Dick Hickock are being kept. Smith is held in the “ladies’ cell” which is part of the apartment where the assistant sheriff and his wife, Josephine, live. Perry quickly befriends Josephine, though her husband is quick to warn her of the dangerous Perry Smith. Perry spends his days painting, writing in a journal, sleeping, and training a squirrel who he keeps as a pet and names Red. He also starts to reconnect with an old army friend, Don Cullivan. Dick is less content to remain in his cell. He builds a “shiv” with the intention to escape, though it is quickly confiscated.

Finally, the trial begins, and a psychologist is brought in to evaluate Dick and Perry’s mental state. As the trial continues, several witnesses are called to the stand, including Floyd Wells, Nancy Ewalt and Susan Kidwell, and the Chief Investigator of the Garden City Police Department. However, “The prosecution’s most damaging witness proved to be Alvin Dewey.”  He describes what actually happened the night of November 15, 1959, including Dick’s intention to rape Nancy Clutter, which shocks the crowd, and especially Mr. and Mrs. Hickock.

There is an auction, for all of the Clutters’ belongings. The turnout is huge, as some come merely out of curiosity. No one has been able to see the murder house until now, and the auction is compared to as “a second funeral.”

Dick’s mother doesn’t deal with the trial well. At one point, she is asked to leave the room, and goes to the restroom to cry and confide in a female reporter.

Don Cullivan comes to visit Perry, and had a grand feast with his friend in the prison cell. When the trial resumes, we hear from the psychologist.  Dick is said to be sane for the most part, and in control of his actions. The psychologist isn’t as sure about Perry, though. He says he might be a paranoid schizophrenic.

The trial continues, and after more witnesses and statements, the jury decides that the two killers should suffer the death penalty. They are brought to Death Row, much to the dismay of Josephine, who misses Perry, and Red, who will not permit being fed by her, and instead sits there, waiting for Perry.

Dick and Perry have to wait five years before their sentence is carried out. In that time, they meet many men and learn what they did to end up there. Dick also tries to declare an unfair trial, but on April 14^th, 1965, Death takes the final two victims of the Clutter massacre.

The novel ends with Alvin Dewey recalling a meeting with Susan Kidwell, now a junior at the University of Kansas. She tells him that Bobby is now married, and he thinks of Nancy and the rest of the Clutters. He then turns and walks away, turning his back on the town where the Clutters lived.