section 4 thoughts. "and the punishment is death"

section 4 "and the punishment is death" (pg 307)

what did everyone think about this section?

for me, it was the ending I needed. it provided the rest of the answers, and gave justice for the clutter family. It was interesting to see the battle of thoughts and nice to know that not everyone thought the murderers should be sent to hang. I thought it gave some interesting perspectives, and was beneficial to include the actual court trial and the process it took.

read back on page 304-307 to see the debate and statement from Greene along with other opinions. pg 304 : " four of your fellow citizens were slaughtered like hogs in a pen. And for what reason? not out of vengeance or hatred. But for money" And how cheaply those lives were bought! for 10 dollars a life!" I like how Capote included Greene's words, because it really makes you feel as though you were in the court room, and makes any ounce of sympathy you feel towards the murderers disappear. You see the conflicting arguments of if the men should be placed on death row or not and a quote on page 306 reflects that. You can tell some feel sympathetic towards perry's hard life while others seem to ridicule it. "Maybe i drink too much but i sure as hell never killed 4 people in cold blood" (also reasoning for title) and "Yeah and how about hanging the bastard? thats pretty dam cold blooded too" (pg 306)

I was very interested when Capote told the story of other murders in the same prison as Perry and Dick because although seeming irrelevant at first, I took away the message that the other criminals awaiting death shared 2 common factors with Dick and Perry. 1.) They committed horrendous crimes with little reasoning at all, and 2.) they felt no TRUE remorse for their crimes.

I also thought the section about auctioning off the Clutter estate a year later, had a great impact and Capote including it sent the message, time may have passed but the town will never forget.

so what are your thoughts?

Blog Wars: Section 3: Answers

Hoping this works. Alright it does. So the start of the Blog wars begins :)

[Section 3: Answers] Was not only greatly written, but also fantastically set up. The way he decided to section and explain what had happened in the Clutters and how Perry and Dick killed them.

Starting off explaining how Flyod Wells heard about the murder and how he was trying to figure out when and if he should tell authorities. Then continuing on with the explanation of what Dick and Perry were doing at the time, and how they continued on to run more checks back in Kansas (And I still can't believe Perry decided to continue on with all this even after Dick told him they were going back Kansas.) Then slipping by the authorities and heading off to Las Vegas, where, while getting Perry's Personals from the Post office, get caught leaving and heading to the hotel to get the other box of Perry's personals. Then the questioning begins, Dick explains how he picked up Perry and were going to Fort Scott to see Perry's sister who was holding money for them, then he changes the story to go out on a drinking spree. Then the K.B.I. get straight forward and tell them they know they did it. Dick explains his story, Perry tells his. They wanted money and when they didn't find any they tied them up. Then afterword they explained how they killed them. Perry wanted to prove he was tough and get him to stop wanting to kill them. But instead "accidentally" slitting his throat. so to keep him from Dying a slow and painful death. Shot him in the face. Then considered having to shoot the others too. Which in turn did. (Said by Dick) Whereas Perry explains how Dick killed the two women after Perry couldn't do anymore because of his legs. Then Perry Pondered on the idea of just shooting Dick, Because of everything that happened, he just couldn't go along anymore. But in turn didn't shoot him, and continued with him all the way to mexico and beyond.

So yeah. I wanna know what people thought about this chapter, and would love to join into some huge heated debate about this chapter. I hear not many people liked the way it was set up, But I did.

In Cold Blood: Section 2: Persons Unknown

So I'm hoping this will work.

Tanisha

'm not sure how to post on here, is this right? :)

Section I: The Last to See Them Alive

Wednesday, January 5:
Some very rich discussion about section I. Many of you were struck by Capote's ability to weave such intricate detail into his narrative. True, it's clearly a testament not only to his meticulous research, but also to his adept use of "creative license." As his audience, these details capture us and pull us into the lives of the Clutters and Dick and Perry. Some of you mentioned how Capote wields his power as a writer by appealing to ethos--he masterfully uses details, witness testimony, and other rhetorical strategies to make his audience trust his technique. Others of you pointed out that Capote appeals to pathos by making you "fall in love with the Clutters" (Staci). While he depicts them as an idyllic family, Capote is also mindful of revealing the dysfunction that is so much a part of "normal" family life. In effect, we identify with them (Shane) and think, "If this can happen to a family like that, then it can happen to any one of us." Certainly, a creepy and unsettling thought.  Surprisingly, however, we also "feel" for the killers--though we clearly don't condone murder, Capote allows us to feel for Dick and Perry. As Ryan pointed out, in his descriptions of Perry, Capote draws a parallel between Perry and Herb Clutter: they never drank coffee. He introduces Perry as having similar values as the venerable Mr. Clutter--and in effect, he invokes our sympathy for Perry by reminding us of his humanity. And this is what Capote does: he forces us to question our own ideas of good and evil. "Good" and "evil" are not so clearly defined. Yet, not all of you were ready to lend your sympathies. Tanisha and Tessa both articulated that it felt "weird" to feel sympathy for cold-blooded killers. So be it. But Capote would challenge you to consider his true purpose in writing the book: what is the nature of a crime? Do we write off "crime" as something "evil" people do while the rest of us are crimeless and innocent? In other words, can good people do bad things? And vice versa? Can people ever redeem themselves for an unconscionable act?

Another point of interest came from Kendra who was struck by Capote's depiction of Dick and Perry's tattoos as they revealed two distinct characters. We spent some time re-reading pgs. 30-32 where Capote describes each of the murderers. I hadn't noticed the importance of the tattoos before. Perry's elaborate and ornate tattoos reflect who he is: thoughtful, artistic, sensitive, always has a plan. Dick's tattoos seem haphazard, more crudely drawn--just like Dick himself. I would look to see how these depictions play out throughout the rest of the book and how their distinct personalities affect their relationship with each other and their eventual downfall.

As you continue to read, consider:
1. the continued effect of the "montage," or the back-and-forth structure that Capote established in the beginning. What's the effect on his audience?
2. how Capote attempts to intellectualize AND sympathize a crime. Effect?
3. all the cool techniques of rhetoric that Capote uses. Brilliant!

Happy Reading:-)