...In the novel “In Cold Blood” the death penalty is discussed as a punishment for the characters Dick and Perry, murderers of the Clutter family. People who commit crimes, such as murder deserve a punishment equal to or more harsh than the crime they committed. This would be called retribution, which has a much different concept than revenge. These people do not deserve a free place to live and three meals a day, this is not a punishment. Just because Perry had a “troubled upbringing”(Capote, page 185) doesn't mean he deserves a mild punishment, he must face the repercussions for the crime he committed. Although Perry says “I meant to call his bluff”(Capote, page 244) meaning he did not intend for Dick to kill the Clutters, he still deserves to be punished the same as Dick because he participated in committing the crime. The death penalty is a barbarous punishment, therefore it should only be used in appropriate cases such as murder or other serious crimes. Criminals will always be criminals, and will not change, therefore they do not deserve a second chance. I feel that they should suffer just as their victims did. Holding these people in prisons is very costly and if they are not going to ever be released there is no need in keeping them there.It has also been...
Words: 458 - Pages: 2
...In cold Blood Research Paper In the novel In Cold Blood, Truman Capote explores a true story of two criminals Perry Smith and Dick Hickock who are convicted and executed for killing the Clutter family. The book follows the journey of these two criminals who are revealed to us as, not so much criminals but normal people with a different background and upbringing who have made not so good decisions, this draws us in as readers and we do not see them as dangerous criminals on the run, but troubled people with a sensitive past who have gotten caught up in something they could not have imagined themselves. Capote generates this effect from In Cold Blood, by it being a true story and having one on one personal interviews with the men while they were on trial, or as the book revealed; death row. We pick up on Dick’s more strong and masculine personality traits and learn of Perry’s more laid back and not as strong personality as Dick’s. In the midst of the reader’s coming close to them, both Dick and Perry are caught for the crime they committed together and tried for the murder, ultimately they are given the death penalty....
Words: 588 - Pages: 3
...The concrete dictionary definition of a protagonist is the leader of the story. Many people would say Perry Smith, the murder of the Clutter family is our protagonist; however, we would need to include Richard Hickock because without him, this novel and crime wouldn’t have happened. There can only be one true protagonist in a story. This is why Truman Capote the author and controller of In Cold Blood is our protagonist. This novel that very obviously is biased. The reader can only view the story through Capote’s eyes. Capote was especially opinionated on two things, capital punishment and the felons themselves. It is very apparent that Capote is against capital punishment. He places several anti-death penalty statements and uses this book to...
Words: 415 - Pages: 2
...Everyone comes from a different environment. What influences us in becoming the person we are or meant to be? There are several things that influence our life from utero to birth and then form birth to death. Some are the environment around us while some from the natural aspects like our features which we inherit from our parents. Whatever we do, good or bad, it helps form who we are. Family, education, financial status, are some of the factors that come into play when we think about how an individual is molded into who they are. Or is an individual born with these qualities? Are cold blooded killers naturally born as killers? The environment where you grew in may have a great effect on you. It influences the way you behave and respond to situations. What shapes us and how we...
Words: 1190 - Pages: 5
...In Cold Blood is a novel written by Truman Capote that is cited as the first nonfiction book. The novel was completely factual and recounted the events of a Kansas serial killing, while being presented like a piece of fictional literature. This book paved the way to creating a new genre and caused an influx of nonfiction work. The novel details the murder case of the Clutter family set in a closely knit, religious Kansas community. It recounts all the gruesome details of their murders. In Cold Blood explores the killers, Dick and Perry, pasts and their motivations. The book also presses a question that can still not be answered today; is the death penalty humane? Despite being a nonfiction novel, Capote’s work still contains a multitude of literary devices. One symbol in the novel was Mexico. Dick and Perry escaped to Mexico and had delusions that it would be a cheap place to stay where they could get a lot of women. They soon learned they were incorrect when they quickly became broke and it didn't crack up to the paradise try dreamed it to be. This symbolizes the line between reality and fantasy. Not everything in life turns out how you think and nothing ever comes easy without hard work. Perry himself is also a symbol. He symbolizes the grayness of morality and the fuzzy line between good and evil. Although Perry is a murderer, it’s hard not to feel...
Words: 684 - Pages: 3
...Analysis of Truman Capote’s Purpose and Language in “In Cold Blood” Truman Capote, author of “In Cold Blood” wrote this book, like most authors, for the entertainment of others, but he has created a new genre, true crime. This wasn’t his intended purpose but it was the start to crime drama. If Capote didn’t write this crime entertainment wouldn’t be the same. This novel was different than anything ever done before, making this genre more appealing to consumers creating a feedback loop expanding the industry. His actions are clearly effective through the strong evidence of crime drama in today’s society. This new genre let readers ‘get into the mind’ of the criminals which is appealing to the average person. A backstory doesn’t justify...
Words: 683 - Pages: 3
...Both Thom Brooks and Cesare Beccaria interpret the idea of justice through the process of punishment and its outcome. One in particular text that is targeted with these ideas is In Cold Blood written by Truman Capote in the year 1966. In Cold Blood, takes place during the time of a quadruple murder case in Kansas, following two major suspects who were later convicted Perry Smith and Richard (Dick) Hickock. In the end, Perry and Dick do go through all four parts of punishment, and go through exactly with what Thom Brooks describes. Both Perry and Dick receive the most severe punishment, because of their crime committed, which is capital punishment (Sentence to Death). According to Beccaria’s explanation of the purpose of punishment, Capote's...
Words: 650 - Pages: 3
...In Truman Capote’s novel, In Cold Blood, the story of Dick Hickock and Perry Smith’s brutal murder of the Clutter family is shared with the reader. Capote writes to show the reader Perry and Dick in a new light. Using syntax, tone, and diction, Capote wraps the reader into getting to know Dick and Perry. Capote begins introducing the reader to Dick and Perry in a clearer sense starting with their arrival to Garden City. One technique that Capote uses in his syntax to connect with the reader is hyphens; they are used to expose the reader to the situation as well as the mood that Dick and Perry’s arrival holds. Capote makes the reader experience the atmosphere of their arrival as he writes: “It was the return of Hickock and Smith these professional...
Words: 716 - Pages: 3
...The Guilt of a Man: Reason of Insanity or Plain Criminal? Truman Capote’s 1965 historical nonfiction, In Cold Blood, perfectly illustrates the lives of two men who committed an unforgiving crime. Set in Holcomb, Kansas, the mid-twentieth century, Capote spends a part of his life analyzing the depths and strategies behind these men’s true nature of their lives in exchange for his determined ambition to find out whether the men were wrongfully dealt with or rightfully executed. In order for Capote to expose the truth behind the men’s actions, he must go and find out the background of their lives’, and whether they were competent when committing this crime, more specifically one man. The wrongdoings of men, Perry Edward Smith and Richard (Dick)...
Words: 1608 - Pages: 7
...Truman Capote’s use of form in his novel In Cold Blood really grabs the reader’s attention. His manipulation of form makes the reader feel as if they are part of the investigation that occurred after the unforgettable night at the Clutter house. He places the information that he gathered from the research in the book in a very interesting sequence that leaves the reader in a state of confusion. The way he jumps from the investigation to the killers within the book adds a sense of dramatic irony but never gives away why or how these cruel men murdered the family. What confuses the reader even more is that Capote leaves us feeling sorry for one of these vicious men, Perry. How Capote utilizes form makes the reader build an emotional attachment towards the killers. The reader begins to develop sympathy for Perry because, as you see in the movie Capote, Capote favors Perry and does not want the world to see him as some malicious monster, yet as a human being. The way Capote opens this novel is by introducing the family and the killers. This gives the reader a feel of each character, but only to a certain extent. This allows you to know what kind of family the Clutters were and strive to figure out why someone would kill them, or possibly rob them and it somehow turn into a mass murder. But as you read this fascinating story, you are left with no type of possible reasoning behind the killings. Why would someone kill a family that appears faultless? This is what the whole grieving...
Words: 1386 - Pages: 6
...into teams • Articulate the tangible benefits (both quantitative and qualitative) of • high-performing teams • Finish with an interest in learning more about these concepts and • techniques to apply what you learn Background: For this assignment, you will plan and play a game with your family or friends, or at work based on the idea of the classic prisoner's dilemma. If you have had a class on game theory, you will be well aware of this concept. It forms the basis of many TV game shows. The prisoner's dilemma was illustrated in Truman Capote's book, "In Cold Blood" concerning the 1959 robbery of a Kansas farmhouse by Perry Smith and Dick Hickock, who murdered their victims in order to eliminate the witnesses. After the men were captured, the police interrogated them separately. To get a confession, the police offered the men a reduced sentence for cooperating. Failure to cooperate would result in a death penalty charge for both. In the prisoner's dilemma, if both parties cooperate they are mildly punished; if one betrays another, one is severely punished while the other goes free; and if both betray one-another, both are moderately punished. Can you think of settings where you work in which the organizational structure has created a prisoner's dilemma? Competition can (but does not necessarily) bring out conflict. In game theory, there are non-cooperative and cooperative games. A non-cooperative zero-sum game has a definite winner and loser. For one to win...
Words: 931 - Pages: 4
...transform • groups into teams • Articulate the tangible benefits (both quantitative and qualitative) of • high-performing teams • Finish with an interest in learning more about these concepts and • techniques to apply what you learn Background: For this assignment, you will plan and play a game with your family or friends, or at work based on the idea of the classic prisoner’s dilemma. If you have had a class on game theory, you will be well aware of this concept. It forms the basis of many TV game shows. The prisoner’s dilemma was illustrated in Truman Capote’s book, “In Cold Blood” concerning the 1959 robbery of a Kansas farmhouse by Perry Smith and Dick Hickock, who murdered their victims in order to eliminate the witnesses. After the men were captured, the police interrogated them separately. To get a confession, the police offered the men a reduced sentence for cooperating. Failure to cooperate would result in a death penalty charge for both. In the prisoner’s dilemma, if both parties cooperate they are mildly punished; if one betrays another, one is severely punished while the other goes free; and if both betray one-another, both are moderately punished. Can you think of settings where you work in which the organizational structure has created a prisoner’s dilemma? Competition can (but does not necessarily) bring out conflict. In game theory, there are non-cooperative and cooperative games. A non-cooperative zero-sum game has a definite winner and loser. For one to win...
Words: 940 - Pages: 4
...Jump to: navigation, search "The Innocent Man" redirects here. For a South Korean television series, see The Innocent Man (TV series). The Innocent Man | | Author(s) | John Grisham | Country | United States | Publisher | Doubleday | Publication date | October 10, 2006 | Pages | 368 | ISBN | 978-0-385-51723-2 | OCLC Number | 70251230 | The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town (2006) is a nonfiction book written by John Grisham, and his first outside the legal fiction genre. The book tells the story of Ronald 'Ron' Keith Williamson of Ada, Oklahoma, a former minor league baseball player who was wrongly convicted in 1988 for the rape and murder of Debra Sue Carter in Ada and was sentenced to death. After serving 11 years on death row, he was exonerated by DNA evidence and other material introduced by the Innocence Project and was released in 1999. Contents * 1 Synopsis * 2 Book edition * 3 References * 4 External links | Synopsis Ron Williamson has returned to his hometown of Ada, Oklahoma after multiple failed attempts to play for various minor league baseball teams, including the Fort Lauderdale Yankees and two farm teams owned by the Oakland A's. An elbow injury inhibited his chances to progress. His big dreams were not enough to overcome the odds (less than 10 percent) of making it to a big league game. His failures lead to, or aggravate, his depression and problem drinking.[1] Early in the morning of December 8, 1982, the body of...
Words: 18140 - Pages: 73
...Copyright © 2013 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the United States Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher. ISBN: 978-0-07-180360-1 MHID: 0-07-180360-2 The material in this eBook also appears in the print version of this title: ISBN: 978-0-07-180359-5, MHID: 0-07180359-9. E-book conversion by Codemantra Version 1.0 All trademarks are trademarks of their respective owners. Rather than put a trademark symbol after every occurrence of a trademarked name, we use names in an editorial fashion only, and to the benefit of the trademark owner, with no intention of infringement of the trademark. Where such designations appear in this book, they have been printed with initial caps. McGraw-Hill Education eBooks are available at special quantity discounts to use as premiums and sales promotions or for use in corporate training programs. To contact a representative please visit the Contact Us page at www.mhprofessional.com. Trademarks: McGraw-Hill Education, the McGraw-Hill Education logo, 5 Steps to a 5 and related trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of McGraw-Hill Education and/or its affiliates in the United States and other countries and may not be used without written permission. All other trademarks are the property...
Words: 76988 - Pages: 308
