How is Perry Smith characterized?
He is calm and gentle, and he seems to want love and acceptance, but he is eventually revealed to be the more brutal of the two men. One of his main motivations is to take Dick to Mexico, and to hunt for treasure and go skin diving.
How does Truman Capote characterize Perry Smith?
Capote often links Perry’s violent tendencies with his childhood, described as ‘no bed of roses but pitiful, an ugly and lonely progress toward one mirage and then another’, as he was raised ‘with no rule or discipline, or anyone to show [him] right from wrong’.
Does Perry regret killing the Clutters?
Perry was the one who actually killed all the members of the Clutter family. However, he shows remorse in later statements once he and Dick were caught, and he blames himself for everything that happens.
How would you describe Dick’s personality and character?
Personality… callous, impulsive, sociopathic. Dick is almost completely devoid of any decency – at any given time he’s either swearing, swigging, lying, or stealing. He has no conscience to temper his evil thoughts.
What do we learn about Perry’s childhood?
We learn about Perry from a lot of sources: his own reminiscences, letters from his father to the Parole Board (totally objective, we’re sure), and reports from his sister, the detectives and the author. Perry attributes the sorry state of his life to a childhood filled with constant violence and neglect.
What does Perry’s behavior at the beach and swimming pool reveal about his character?
At the beach or pool, he refuses to remove his pants, ashamed to reveal his legs. Perry’s behavior shows that, even while living his lifelong dream, he cannot escape the insecurities and inadequacies that made him an outcast in the United States.
What is Perry’s true and secret motive behind his return to Kansas?
The true reason that Perry came back to Kansas was because of a parole violation, for example in the text it says, “… true and secret motive behind his return to Kansas, a piece of parole violation he had decided upon…” (p. 32). It would explain why he was in jail the first time and how he was granted parole.
How did Perry’s childhood affect him?
He’s had an abusive childhood with an alcoholic mother who choked on her own vomit, a father who wouldn’t send him to school and dragged him around the country in a makeshift trailer. Two of his siblings committed suicide and his remaining sister is afraid of him.
What is the meaning of the poem Perry claims to have written?
After Perry no longer needs her to care for him, he gives her a poem that he pretends to have written as the explanation. The poem discusses his inability to sit still and remain content because of his desire to discover new things.
What does the nickname Perry has given himself reveal about his character and his self image?
What does the nickname Perry has given himself reveal about his character and his self image? He nicknames himself “the Lone Wolf”, showing that he is introverted and is aware that he is a social outcast. However, he still thinks that he is ahead of people by being clever (like a wolf) and he preys on others.
Why did Perry move around so much as a child?
He ended up in a series of orphanages and Salvation Army homes, where he was beaten for wetting the bed and tortured by the overseers. His father retrieved him and they lived together for awhile, always moving on so that Perry never had a chance to go to school.
What do we learn about Perry Smith from the beginning?
Since the story focuses on his thoughts and feelings, we have a lot of information about him, including his fascinating childhood and his feelings about his current life. One of the very first things we learn about Perry Smith is that he loves books.
What does Perry Smith look like when he stands up?
Perry Smith had a strange look. While he and Dick are sitting down together, Perry looks like a large muscular man. He has big arms and shoulders which reflect his weightlifting hobby. When he stands up, however, he looks disproportionate.
What do we learn about Perry’s personality in the novel?
We learn that Perry is not self absorbed, but he does find himself fascinating. This is because he performed ”mirror-guided experiments” to practice looking innocent, intimidating, soulful or romantic. In other words, he is a bit manipulative and knows how to adjust his expressions to deceive others.
Who is Perry Smith in clutter?
Character List and Analysis Perry Smith. One of the two murderers of the Clutter family, Perry grew up under difficult circumstances. He was abandoned by his family and severely abused by nuns (who he develops a life-long aversion to) and other caregivers.