Post by evan richardson on Dec 8, 2014 21:31:22 GMT
I believe that throughout the final section of the book, the reader becomes well acquainted with the fact that Capote was not in favor of the death penalty. The reader sees this through the fact that Capote chooses to include only quotations from people in the courtroom that express how the jury is biased. As biased as they may have been, I believe that in this specific case, almost any jury in America at the time would've sentenced both Perry and Dick to the death penalty. The reader also sees how capote feels that especially in Perry's case, the death penalty was not justified because Capote chooses to include how the doctor didn't find Perry mentally sane. Capote then chooses to include what the doctor "would have said" if Kansas state law had allowed more than a yes or no answer. This shows how Perry's unfortunate childhood is what Capote feels is to blame for Perry's inability to see right from wrong - not his moral compass. At this point in the book, I found myself asking if Capote knew what the doctor would have said had the judge allowed him. This part could have been true. However it could have been made up by Capote to add details to the statement that Perry was not mentally stable. As a result the reader does feel a slight nudge from Capote to feel sorry for the killers and therefore oppose the death penalty.
