Post by michaeldaly on Oct 23, 2014 23:34:41 GMT
Nature versus nurture had been a huge debate for many years as to which is more important to a person's development. When applying these ideas to the book nurture (or lack thereof) seems to play a more integral part in the development of the people. Take Perry Smith, his whole childhood he grew up alone with a lack of parental guidance. Due to his poor nurture growing up as a kid he has learned to take his anger out by committing crimes. Also he was in a motorcycle accident which badly injured his legs. As a result of his bad childhood and accident, Smith blames the world for his problems and despises people, like the Clutters, that he considers to have been given a good life. Throughout the early chapters the book hints at the fact that Smith is artistic and how he wants to become educated which supports the fact that nurture is playing a more important part because had Smith been given a loving and caring childhood he probably would be a more respectable man like Mr. Clutter. Another example is Mr. Clutter's family. Everyone is well liked and respected throughout the community. Nancy and Kenyon have both taken to Mr. Clutter's personality and character which is an obvious result of the nurture they were given and are still receiving from their parents. Their father holds them to a strict set of rules causing them to grow up with good morals.
