Quotes, Part Three

“‘One thing more. Have you any idea, any at all, where your son might have gone?’ ‘Open a map,’ said Mr. Hickock. ‘Point your finger – maybe that’s it.’” (Capote, Page 172)

In this section, we finally get to hear about Dick’s story and childhood. Throughout the novel, we’ve heard Perry talk about his past, and because of this, we sympathize with him. Now we hear about Dick. But not from him: from his parents. I think it says a lot that Dick didn’t tell us this information himself. Whenever we’ve read from Dick’s point of view, he was criticizing Perry, so we get the idea that that’s all there is to him: a selfish criminal that lies, cheats, and takes others down with him. But according to his parents, his childhood wasn’t so bad. He was a star athlete in basketball, baseball, and football. He wasn’t a bad student, either. So why did he turn out to be a murderer?

I picked this quote because it shows the Hickocks’ complete lack of knowledge towards their son. They have no idea where he is, or why he turned out the way he did. I just think it’s sad that these people end up with a son who lies, cheats and eventually murders innocent people. They seem like a perfectly normal couple who just want the best for their children. They didn’t have a lot of money, but it’s clear that they cared about Dick. It’s also sad to see them so hopeful for Dick and his future. They know what he’s done in the past, and yet they still defend him or his intentions on several occasions. You can tell that they have pride for their son, no matter what they hear about him. They’ll never give up hope that he’ll change his ways and become a law-abiding citizen. Of course, no matter how much they hope and pray, it doesn’t change the fact that they have no idea where their son is, and this quote stood out to me for precisely that reason.

“…in a sense, she was the only survivor; and what tormented her was the thought that in time she, too, would be overwhelmed: go mad, or contract an incurable illness, or in a fire lose all she valued–home, husband, children.” (Capote, Page 183)

“Mrs. Johnson” is Perry’s sister. She is the same one who wrote him the letter when he was in jail. She is the same one that Perry resents, and is slightly jealous of. She has a nice house, a nice husband, and some very nice young children. But after Agent Nye comes to ask her about Perry, she gets worried, and thinks about all of the other Smith children. Her oldest two siblings had committed suicide, and now Perry was being chased by a police officer. She seems to be the only one who lives a normal, happy life, but she wonders if there is some curse over the children of Florence Buckskin and Tex John Smith.

This is ridiculous, obviously. Her older brother and sister decided to kill themselves, and Perry chose his own path toward thievery and murder. It’s just such a coincidence that she’s the only seemingly “normal” one. Capote does a great job of putting the audience in each character’s shoes. As we used to feel resentful toward this woman who has the “perfect life”, now we feel sorrow and grief for those she’s loved and lost.

The fact that we are getting to see the story unfold from so many different viewpoints is what makes it so captivating. He introduces her as a frantic housewife, eager to impress her arriving house guests. But when we leave her, she is thinking about her family, and how depressing it is to have lost them all.

This quote foreshadows Perry’s death, as she is already grouping him with their dead siblings. To her, a criminal is as good as lost or dead, which says something about her. She could be trying to find her brother and help him, but instead she marks him as gone, and grieves him, along with her brother and sister.