In Cold Blood is a non-fiction book written by Truman Capote describing the 1959 gruesome murders of the Clutter family in Holcomb, Kansas. Capote writes in the form of two stories following both the killers and the family. The reader is treated almost as a detective, forming theories and opinions of the murders without actually knowing the complete truth. What makes this story particularly unique are the killers, Dick and Perry, whom are described as recently released motiveless criminals. The phrase "In cold blood" means to kill intentionally without emotion, exactly how Dick and Perry conducted the crime. There are many plausible theories of the motive that have risen as a result of this novel. Without giving away the story completely, I'll give a brief over-view of the story, including some suspected motives.
In the rural town of Holcomb Kansas, seclusion from the outside world is a normality. The citizens of the town sort of live in their own little world. The Clutter family are a highly recognized name for their positive work in the community. Mr. Herbert Clutter is a strict Methodist that is the leader of the majority of the organizations in Holcomb. His wife, Bonnie Clutter, struggles to keep up with his image and as a result shuts herself out. Bonnie is implied to have some form of depression or mental illness that has put her in and out of mental hospitals. Nancy Clutter, on the other hand, takes after her father and is extremely involved in the Holcomb community. She is known as the town sweet heart, always found helping people and being a leader for the younger generation. Nancy's younger brother, Kenyan Clutter, takes more after his mother and isn't described as more than an awkward child with an interest in inventing machinery. The Clutters main source of income is their River Valley Farm, which has brought them a good amount of wealth. Still with a good reputation in the town, the Clutter family is found murdered in their home. Distrust and panic set in amongst citizens, everyone thinking the murder is a member of the town. As the reader, we know this to be wrong.
Dick and Perry were careful about their work, picking up gun shells as they went off in the Clutter home. Dick is perceived to be more the mastermind behind the murders, while Perry plays the role of the accomplice. Dick first heard of Perry when they were in prison together. Perry was bragging to a cellmate of his violent murder of an innocent black man, which we learn later this crime is made up. When Perry and Dick are finally captured, the theory of insanity arises with Perry when a psychiatrist cannot give a clear answer of his mental state. Although not admitted to the court, the psychiatrist speculates that Perry was a paranoid schizophrenic. I am aware of the signs of a paranoid schizophrenic and it seemed to me that Capote was supporting this theory. Symptoms include delusions, hallucinations, difficulty with speech, inappropriate emotional responses or a lack of emotional response. If you remember back to the definition of "in cold blood", an emotionless killing, this aligns perfectly with the signs of paranoid schizophrenia. Also, there is mention that Perry sees a "yellow parrot" and has had trouble with education and speech. Dick seems to be emotionally sound compared to his comrade, but that cannot be proved. Perhaps Dick knew of Perry's condition and realized how easy it would be for Perry to kill, leaving Perry to the dirty work. Some skeptics believe that Dick and Perry were homosexual lovers in prison and that internal frustration caused the killings, but Capote left that out of the novel to emphasize other possible motives.
The story of the Clutter murders leaves many unanswered questions. Capote does a wonderful job explaining the surface of the murders, but leaves the depth of it up to the reader. I would advise the reader to do a little background on Capote before reading the book because there are similarities between Capote and some of the characters that . I have to admit this book was slow at first, but once the murders happened, I couldn't put the book down. This book earns it's place as a classic and I highly advise to indulge in this controversial mystery.
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