These pages give the reader more of an insight on Perry as a person. Capote adds details about a letter written to Perry about his sister, a letter about Perry's life from his father and details about his personal belongings that he carries around with him. The letter about Perry's life that was written by his father gives the reader an explanation to why Perry is the way that he is. In the letter, his father describes the relationship that Perry had with his mother and that Perry had chose to live with his father because his mother had basically kicked him out after not obeying to not see his father. It also develops Perry as a trustworthy person because his father states that "you could trust him with any amount of $ if your his friend." This characteristic in Perry has been shown briefly before in the novel when he decides to go with Dick to the Clutter's home even though he gets "cold feet" while at the gas station. This could later be important in the book because it could show that Perry was just as guilty as Dick was in the Clutter murders because he chose to go along with him.
The letter written by Perry' sister Barbara, the only living sibling he has left, shows the reader that the only family he has left, other than his father, feels no sorrow for him being in prison. His sister thinks that he could do much better and is almost bitter towards Perry because she doesn't understand how Perry is still loved most by their father even though he is the "mess up" in the family. Barbara has a family and the perfect life, yet her father clearly does not respect her like he does Perry.
Another detail Capote adds in these pages about Perry is the words he has in his "personal dictionary." The words that appear in this dictionary are "beautiful" to Perry and he writes them down so he will always be able to look at them. Yet, to others, these words would depict dark feelings upon them not feelings of happiness. Some of the words are "thanatoid=deathlike...depredate=to pillage, rob, and prey upon." Both of these words can be associated with the Clutter murders. Perry basically did "depredate" the Clutters because he robbed Kenyon of his radio and they killed them all in the end, preying on them just for their materialistic objects that the Clutters possessed. This personal dictionary can later be used against Perry by the detectives on the Clutter case because it portrays Perry as being a ruthless person that could easily be capable of committing such a crime like the one that happened to the Clutter family.
1 comment:
ok, materialistic possessions isn't the right word, its material. most of the time i'm just finding grammatical errors with your writing. something i would suggest is if you ever were writing an essay that wasn't done in class, you should have someone you know read it. they might pick up on these things because they are a different person and would realize little incongruities like that. in addition, i've really enjoyed how you always tie the details that capote presents to the murders and how they could prove Dick and Perry to be the murders.
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