Death Due to Hatred
“Life is a precious thing, you never know when you are going to lose it” (Anonymous). Everyone has something to lose, their lives being the most consequential. This theme appears throughout various types of novels, whether it be a non-fiction, thriller, or romance. In Cold Blood, incorporates this idea by recounting several deaths in which some call cold blooded murder, as well as an execution committed in hatred. The author, Truman Capote, does this by following the history of Perry Smith, a man wrongly executed by the state of Kansas. This decision is inadequate due to his suffering mental health, the manipulation from Dick, and the cruelty of the death penalty.
Mental illness affects nearly fifty four million americans in a single year. Perry Smith is a part of that statistic. Those who do not have complete control of their actions should not be prosecuted as if they do. Within the novel, a professional physician specializing in the field of psychiatry, Dr. Jones, assists in the diagnosis of …show more content…
Within the novel In Cold Blood Dick Hickock uses Perry for his own motives. Perry is hesitant from the beginning, and on page 37 Dick says “Get the bubbles out of your blood. Nothing can go wrong.” when on the way to Holcomb. Perry does not want to murder, instead he feels the intense pressure and trepidation that if he does not go through with the plan, Dick would not be his friend. Perry is nearly forced into the situation, and when he asks Dick for the knife, he gives it to him and Perry recounts “ ‘All right, Dick. Here goes.’ But I didn’t mean it. I meant to call his bluff, make him argue me out of it, make him admit he was a phony and a coward... The shame. Disgust.” (Capote 244). This quote demonstrates how Perry does not want to kill, and feels remorse and revulsion at his own actions. Perry Smith is used to carry out a malicious plan which he is morally