In Cold Blood
What are the similarities and differences between Dick and Perry?
How does this information tie in to Capote's second authorial intent (to show what makes a killer a killer)
How does this information tie in to Capote's second authorial intent (to show what makes a killer a killer)
Dick uses Perry as a foil for his own self-image, often belittling or impugning him for his more eccentric, “childish,” or effeminate qualities, in comparison with which Dick convinces himself that he is “normal.” Perry, on the other hand, prides himself on being “exceptional,” sensitive, even “artistic” in comparison to Dick. However, each man looks to the other for affirmation of his own masculinity, Dick latching onto Perry for his “killer instincts,” and Perry yearning for Dick to think him “hard, as much the ‘masculine type’ as he considered Dick to be” (111).