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Tuesday, October 25, 2011
ICB, "The Corner": Pity for Perry?
Aside from providing details that possibly suggest Dick and Perry's trial was an unfair one, how does Capote build sympathy for Perry? Excerpt a particular part of the text from "The Corner" in your response.
One example of Capote siding with Perry in the text is: “The fast lasted five days before the warden took it seriously. On the sixth day he ordered Smith transferred to the prison hospital, but the move did not lessen Perry’s resolve; when attempts were made to force-feed him he fought back, tossed his head and clenched his jaws until they were rigid as horseshoes, Eventually, he had to be pinioned and fed intravenously or through a tube inserted in a nostril, Even so, over the next nine weeks his weight fell from 168 to 115 pounds, and the warden was warned that force-feeding alone could not keep the patient alive indefinitely.” (Pg. 318).
Capote definately makes you feel sympathy for Perry by bringing up not only his terrible past, but also by saying that he might be insane. When Perry is writing that letter to his father Capote adds a lot of anticipation as Perry is writing this, "Smith's pencil sped almost indecipherably as he hurried towards more recent history" (276). He chooses to bring up the letter not only because it effected Perry's view on the world (and of how we think of Perry) but also to remind us of the sympathy we had for him during the second section.
Capote builds sympathy for Perry by including what his life was like in the Meier's home. He develops a relationship with Mrs. Meier where they talk to each other a lot and she fixes him his favorite food, Spanish Rice. Perry then tries to get squirrels to eat his food and finally lures one of them into his cell. He names it Red and "Red soon settled down, apparently content to share his friend's captivity. Perry taught him several tricks..." This shows a softer side of Perry because he is able to bond with something that is ordinarily afraid of humans. When Perry leaves for the Corner, Mrs. Meier comments, "That squirrel of his, he sure misses Perry...I've tried to feed him, but he won't have anything to do with me. It was just Perry he liked" (pg 308).
Throughout the novel it is evident that Capote’s favorite character/person was Perry. In The Corner, Capote doesn’t ever excuse what Perry did but he does bias the section in order to make us feel sympathy for Perry. In one particular section Capote describes how none of Perry’s family visited. “’Nobody ever visits him except for you,’ Dick said, nodding at the journalist, who was equally well acquainted with Smith as he was with Hickock.” (335). Capote is clearly trying to make us feel sympathy for Perry, as he did by explaining how lonely and different Perry was.
Capote obvisouly has feelings for capote which makes us as readers of Capote's book feel for Perry also. Throughout the whole book Capote adds up all the sympathy towards Perry and especially by the end of the book where his sister and father, the only people left in his family, wont come visit him. Capote here is trying to make you feel for Perry.
One interesting thing that Capote brings up about Perry is his general sympathy towards others, especially Dick's family. Therefore, the reason Perry changed his story about the murder, admitting that he killed all four clutter family members was because he didn't want to hurt Dick's Family. "'He told me that Hickock. . . didn't want to die with his mother thinking he had killed any members of the Clutter family. And he said the Hickocks were good people. So why not have it that way'" (286). This can be seen by the reader as an act of selflessness from Perry towards a family he barely knows. Similar to the way he felt about the Clutters in a way.
Capote definitely tries to make the reader feel for Perry throughout this section. Capote talks about how Perry is stuck in a cell by himself and doesn't have anyone to talk to besides this squirrel he befriends. While Dick is, "...not isolated, there were people to talk to..."(262). So at least Dick has people to talk to and his father came for a visit. The only person Perry talks to is Mr. Cullivan and Mrs. Meier
Capote tries to make us feel sympathetic for Perry by making Perry seem like he regrets the murders. On page 255, Capote writes about how Perry confesses that he killed all of the Clutters. The reason Perry told the truth was because it was "out of consideration of Hickock's parents..." Had Capote not wanted the readers to build sympathy for Perry, he wouldn't have included this detail or any of the other details.
Capote builds sympathy for Perry at the end of the book when Dick talks to the reporter about Perry's father knowing where he is but never coming to see him. "'So jealous of every little thing. Every letter I get, every visit. Nobody ever comes to see him except you,'he said, nodding at the journalist, who was as equally well acquainted with Smith as he was with Hickock. 'Or his lawyer. Remember when he was in the hospital? With that phony starvation routine? And his dad sent the postcard? Well, the warden wrote Perry's dad and said he was welcome to come here any time. But he never has showed up. I don't know. Sometimes you got to feel sorry for Perry. He must be one of the most alone people there ever was.'" Capote makes you feel sorry for Perry that Dick gets visitors but Perry doesn't, how Perry has practically no family left.
Capote builds sympathy for Perry in multiple ways. The first being how alone he is. Isolated from all of the other prisoners, he spends his days with a squirrel and his own thoughts to haunt his mind. He also doesn’t have any family left that cares for him. His overwhelming excitement when his old army friend writes to him makes the reader feel bad for him. When the man visits, Perry says, “just unscrew the bulb and smash it and cut my wrists. That’s what I ought to do. While your’e still here. Somebody who cares about me a little bit” (292). The fact that Perry only has one person who ‘cares about him a little bit’ is enough to make Perry seem sad and lonely.
Capote uses Mrs. Meier’s emotional attachment to Perry to build sympathy for Perry. Since Capote wrote from her view, he was able to show a very gentle side to Perry. Right after the trial, Perry was so distraught and Capote paints a picture that makes the reader feel real sympathy for Perry. “He reached out his hand. He wanted me to hold his hand, and I did, I held his hand and all he said was, I’m embraced by shame.’” (308) Also, right before he was executed, he apologized for the killings and showed true remorse.
From Brian:
ReplyDeleteOne example of Capote siding with Perry in the text is: “The fast lasted five days before the warden took it seriously. On the sixth day he ordered Smith transferred to the prison hospital, but the move did not lessen Perry’s resolve; when attempts were made to force-feed him he fought back, tossed his head and clenched his jaws until they were rigid as horseshoes, Eventually, he had to be pinioned and fed intravenously or through a tube inserted in a nostril, Even so, over the next nine weeks his weight fell from 168 to 115 pounds, and the warden was warned that force-feeding alone could not keep the patient alive indefinitely.” (Pg. 318).
Capote definately makes you feel sympathy for Perry by bringing up not only his terrible past, but also by saying that he might be insane. When Perry is writing that letter to his father Capote adds a lot of anticipation as Perry is writing this, "Smith's pencil sped almost indecipherably as he hurried towards more recent history" (276). He chooses to bring up the letter not only because it effected Perry's view on the world (and of how we think of Perry) but also to remind us of the sympathy we had for him during the second section.
ReplyDeleteCapote builds sympathy for Perry by including what his life was like in the Meier's home. He develops a relationship with Mrs. Meier where they talk to each other a lot and she fixes him his favorite food, Spanish Rice. Perry then tries to get squirrels to eat his food and finally lures one of them into his cell. He names it Red and "Red soon settled down, apparently content to share his friend's captivity. Perry taught him several tricks..." This shows a softer side of Perry because he is able to bond with something that is ordinarily afraid of humans. When Perry leaves for the Corner, Mrs. Meier comments, "That squirrel of his, he sure misses Perry...I've tried to feed him, but he won't have anything to do with me. It was just Perry he liked" (pg 308).
ReplyDeleteThroughout the novel it is evident that Capote’s favorite character/person was Perry. In The Corner, Capote doesn’t ever excuse what Perry did but he does bias the section in order to make us feel sympathy for Perry. In one particular section Capote describes how none of Perry’s family visited. “’Nobody ever visits him except for you,’ Dick said, nodding at the journalist, who was equally well acquainted with Smith as he was with Hickock.” (335). Capote is clearly trying to make us feel sympathy for Perry, as he did by explaining how lonely and different Perry was.
ReplyDeleteCapote obvisouly has feelings for capote which makes us as readers of Capote's book feel for Perry also. Throughout the whole book Capote adds up all the sympathy towards Perry and especially by the end of the book where his sister and father, the only people left in his family, wont come visit him. Capote here is trying to make you feel for Perry.
ReplyDeleteOne interesting thing that Capote brings up about Perry is his general sympathy towards others, especially Dick's family. Therefore, the reason Perry changed his story about the murder, admitting that he killed all four clutter family members was because he didn't want to hurt Dick's Family. "'He told me that Hickock. . . didn't want to die with his mother thinking he had killed any members of the Clutter family. And he said the Hickocks were good people. So why not have it that way'" (286). This can be seen by the reader as an act of selflessness from Perry towards a family he barely knows. Similar to the way he felt about the Clutters in a way.
ReplyDeleteRyan
ReplyDeleteCapote definitely tries to make the reader feel for Perry throughout this section. Capote talks about how Perry is stuck in a cell by himself and doesn't have anyone to talk to besides this squirrel he befriends. While Dick is, "...not isolated, there were people to talk to..."(262). So at least Dick has people to talk to and his father came for a visit. The only person Perry talks to is Mr. Cullivan and Mrs. Meier
Capote tries to make us feel sympathetic for Perry by making Perry seem like he regrets the murders. On page 255, Capote writes about how Perry confesses that he killed all of the Clutters. The reason Perry told the truth was because it was "out of consideration of Hickock's parents..." Had Capote not wanted the readers to build sympathy for Perry, he wouldn't have included this detail or any of the other details.
ReplyDeleteCapote builds sympathy for Perry at the end of the book when Dick talks to the reporter about Perry's father knowing where he is but never coming to see him. "'So jealous of every little thing. Every letter I get, every visit. Nobody ever comes to see him except you,'he said, nodding at the journalist, who was as equally well acquainted with Smith as he was with Hickock. 'Or his lawyer. Remember when he was in the hospital? With that phony starvation routine? And his dad sent the postcard? Well, the warden wrote Perry's dad and said he was welcome to come here any time. But he never has showed up. I don't know. Sometimes you got to feel sorry for Perry. He must be one of the most alone people there ever was.'" Capote makes you feel sorry for Perry that Dick gets visitors but Perry doesn't, how Perry has practically no family left.
ReplyDeleteFrom Morgan:
ReplyDeleteCapote builds sympathy for Perry in multiple ways. The first being how alone he is. Isolated from all of the other prisoners, he spends his days with a squirrel and his own thoughts to haunt his mind. He also doesn’t have any family left that cares for him. His overwhelming excitement when his old army friend writes to him makes the reader feel bad for him. When the man visits, Perry says, “just unscrew the bulb and smash it and cut my wrists. That’s what I ought to do. While your’e still here. Somebody who cares about me a little bit” (292). The fact that Perry only has one person who ‘cares about him a little bit’ is enough to make Perry seem sad and lonely.
From Rebecca:
ReplyDeleteCapote uses Mrs. Meier’s emotional attachment to Perry to build sympathy for Perry. Since Capote wrote from her view, he was able to show a very gentle side to Perry. Right after the trial, Perry was so distraught and Capote paints a picture that makes the reader feel real sympathy for Perry. “He reached out his hand. He wanted me to hold his hand, and I did, I held his hand and all he said was, I’m embraced by shame.’” (308) Also, right before he was executed, he apologized for the killings and showed true remorse.
Thank you to all of those who contributed!
ReplyDelete