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The American Dream In Truman Capote's In Cold Blood

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Perry’s dreams and Dick’s resentment throughout the novel, In Cold Blood by Truman Capote, showed how Marxist ideas played a heavy role in their thinking. The American Dream is a promise and Perry, especially, struggles to come to terms with the fact the he will never be able to achieve this “perfect” lifestyle. The lack of a sustainable lifestyle in Dick and Perry’s homes as well as always struggling to barely get by, caused them to commit unjustifiable, heinous, savage crimes.
Unlike anyone else in the book, Perry is a strong representative of the American dream. He has many recurring, but extravagant dreams. Perry would have a dream of “drifting downward through strange waters, of plunging toward a green sea-dusk, sliding past the scaly, savage-eyed protectors of a ship’s hulk that loomed ahead, a Spanish galleon – a drowned cargo of diamonds and pearls, heaping caskets of gold” (17) This dream signifies that Perry would constantly imagine the wealth he would gain after treasure hunting in Mexico. He is on a mission to find stability and be able to secure a high status financially. When he dreams about Mexico, he believes he will live a great life, rather than the indigent life he has right now. His values differ greatly than those of …show more content…
He still dreams about his supposed life in Mexico. He says to Dick, “Peruvian bullion, jewelry. Sixty million dollars – that’s what they say it’s worth. Even if we didn’t find all of it, even if we only found some of it…” (100) Perry is trying to persuade Dick of his plans to make money in Mexico. His plans are very elaborate and well thought out and the American dream comes into play here. This dream makes it possible for Perry to commit such violent and heinous crimes. Perry wants to live a nice life, but he has to first destruct everything that is blocking his way, the Clutters being one such

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