Essential Question #3

[Ellie Farley]

    When determining the extent to which we are a product of our environment, differentiating between what behaviors and attitudes are influenced by our genes or our environment gets complicated. Truman Capote demonstrates this idea rom both polar ends of the subject. One of the murderers, Perry Smith, was very much a product of his environment. He grew up in a disorganized, unhealthy family and eventually was put through an orphanage. In the mix of all the moving around, two of Perry's siblings committed suicide. As well, Perry got into a bad motorcycle accident and severely hurt his legs. His troublesome and lonely youth shaped him to be the felon that he was. Perry truly was a product of his chaotic environment. The loneliness and roughness that characterized his youth hardened him into a cold-hearted felon and eventual murderer. Completely opposite to Perry was Dick Hickock. Dick grew up in a nice, middle-class home. He had a normal family and a nice upbringing, but his "nature" proved more potent than his environment. Although he had this well-to-do childhood, Dick still became this troubled convict that strayed from his traditional values and beliefs that he grew up with. Dick seems to be more of an innate killer, wheres Perry could have been some wonderful contributor to society if his home life could have been more conducive to a child's healthy development. Capote's depiction of these juxtaposing characters further emphasizes the controversy of how much our environment really does affect us. The leading psychological theory is that nurture works on what nature endows. Therefore, Perry's innate character allowed his environment to mold him into this unethical, corrupt member of society. Dick, on the other hand, was born innately criminal, and so even though he grew up in a healthy environment, his genes overcame the influence of his environment. Essentially what is learned from this depiction is that the extent to which we are products of our environment varies depending on how much our innate personalities and behaviors can be swayed by the environment.

[ajguth]

I agree with Ellie. Because some people, such as Perry Smith, are brought up in rough environments, the temptation to fail to meet the expectation of a decent member of society is more prominent due to the fact that they were exposed to such behavior as children. However, it is possible for people in these situations to overcome the adversity, as Truman Capote did, but to do so proves to be very difficult. Likewise, those who grow up in "better" environments, in which the expectation stands firm, can just as easily become swept into a completely alternate lifestyle, like Dick Hickock. Ultimately, a person's environment does not define who they can or cannot be, their decisions do.