in cold blood

Essay by gabymmmCollege, UndergraduateB, December 2014

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"In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote

Some people have different problems in life that affect their emotions. Some of them can deal with these difficulties, but some others are overwhelmed and it can lead in insuperable madness. An extremely case of madness is if someone became a murderer and feels the freedom to kill anyone. This could be related to what happened to Perry Edward Smith, one of the main characters of the well-known novel "In Cold Blood" written by Truman Capote. In the story, we know the case of Perry and his friend Dick who were executed by hanging on April in 1965 after being found guilty of the deaths of the Clutter's family. This leads us to think and understand the factors that took Perry to become a murderer.

First, Perry's childhood was determinant in his future behaviour. Perry's family life during his childhood was very problematic and marked by years of abuse.

He witnessed beatings of her mother by his father; so as result of domestic violence, his parents divorced. Due to these problems, he run away from home and that was why he was "in and out of detention homes many times". These violent episodes compelled his bitterness toward other humans. When Smith entered adulthood, he committed acts of thievery and acts of aggression. While in the merchant marines, he once threw a Japanese policeman off a bridge and into the water. All these events had an impact on Smith's life and it aggravated his behaviour through over the years.

Second, Perry suffered the lack of family support. Perry represented everything it meant to come from a broken home and the Clutters symbolized the utmost integrity of family life. The Clutters' uprightness was related to the strength of their family, as Perry's criminality was connected...