Context Flashcards
The clutters murders occured on:
15th November 1959
Dick and Perry were captured in:
January 1960
Dick and Perry were executed in:
1965
who was president in America, in the late 1950’s?
Eisenhower
Dwight Eisenhower- president of America from 1953-1961
The American economy
The economy was booming, but there were large levels of inequality with some people being left behind.
The likes of Dick and Perry were excluded from the lifestyle that many other people were having at this time.
The American dream 1.
We see how fragile the American dream is- the Clutters have achieved “The American Dream” but this is suddenly and unexpectedly destroyed by Dick and Perry.
The American dream 2.
We see how for some people the American Dream is unobtainable - the likes of Dick and Perry work hard to achieve a better life for themselves but achieve nothing.
“There are the haves and the have nots” and thats what often leads to criminal behaviour: resentment and jealousy of successful people. Capote is suggesting that the American dream is what causes a lot of people to feel jealous and turn towards crime to get what they can’t have.
Mr Clutter- the embodiment of the American dream
“Always certain of what he wanted from the world, Mr.Clutter had in large measure obtained it”
The family:
People were expected to aspire to a very conventional, traditional kind of nuclear family.
Patriarchal
Perry’s sister Barbara:
“Middle class, middle income”
“White picket fence”
Managed to escape her upbringing
Two words to describe the attitudes to mental health:
Unenlightened
Ignorant
Legal definition of insanity
A mental state in which a person cannot tell right from wrong, cannot comprehend that he or she is committing a crime, or can not control his behaviour because of a mental disorder.
Introduction to psychology: Under the M’naghten rule
A criminal defendant is not guilty by reason of insanity if, at the time of the alleged criminal act, the defendant was so deranged that he did not know the nature or quality of his actions or, if he knew the nature and quality of his actions, he was so deranged that he did not know that what he wasdoing was wrong.
Problems with the M’naghten rule:
Many people with metal illnesses know right from wrong if asked, but are unable to control their actions during a crime. Or for some reason, their illness compelled them to commit a crime, or it kept normal faculties from intervening when commiting such acts.
The defendant must have been unable to know right from wrong to receive a not guilty by reason of insanity verdict.
“She suffered little spells”-
Bonnie Clutter
Bouts of depression, euphamism., embarrasment people wouldn’t confront the truth.
“When Smith attacked Mr.Clutter he was under a mental eclipse, deep inside a schizophrenic darkness”-
The criminal psychologist giving evidence in the trial.
No sympathy or attention is given to the idea of mental health
Masculinity and Homophobia- Perry Q1.
“…It was because he’d wanted Dicks friendship, wanted Dick to respect him, think him “Hard”, as much “The masculine type” as he had considered Dick to be.”
Masculinity and Homophobia- Perry Q2.
“Baby”/”Honey”
Masculinity and Homophobia- Perry Q3.
“Soft voice”
Masculinity and Homophobia- Perry Q4.
“Dwarfish legs”
Masculinity and Homophobia- Perry Q5.
“Like a wife that must be got rid of”
America was deeply religious at this time- Capote points out contradictions…
Of being christian and believing in capital punishment
The death penalty -
The death penalty was still fairly widely spread in America at the time of this books publication, though some states had outlawed it and a general move against it was taking place. Capote questions the death penalty in this book.
Nature vs. nurture:
In the years leading up the publication of this book, psychology had advanced greatly. People debated whether nature or nurture were the most significant determiners of a person’s character.
Juries were often Biased
At this time, juries were often biased- as we see here with the jury made up partly of people who knew the Clutters and the court case being held the day after the Clutters house/ possessions were auctioned off.
