Context

Question 1

The clutters murders occured on:

Answer 1

15th November 1959

Question 2

Dick and Perry were captured in:

Answer 2

January 1960

Question 3

Dick and Perry were executed in:

Answer 3

1965

Question 4

who was president in America, in the late 1950’s?

Answer 4

Eisenhower

Dwight Eisenhower- president of America from 1953-1961

Question 5

The American economy

Answer 5

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.

Question 6

The American dream 1.

Answer 6

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.

Question 7

The American dream 2.

Answer 7

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.

Question 8

Mr Clutter- the embodiment of the American dream

Answer 8

“Always certain of what he wanted from the world, Mr.Clutter had in large measure obtained it”

Question 9

The family:

Answer 9

People were expected to aspire to a very conventional, traditional kind of nuclear family.
Patriarchal

Question 10

Perry’s sister Barbara:

Answer 10

“Middle class, middle income”
“White picket fence”
Managed to escape her upbringing

Question 11

Two words to describe the attitudes to mental health:

Answer 11

Unenlightened

Ignorant

Question 12

Legal definition of insanity

Answer 12

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.

Question 13

Introduction to psychology: Under the M’naghten rule

Answer 13

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.

Question 14

Problems with the M’naghten rule:

Answer 14

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.

Question 15

“She suffered little spells”-

Answer 15

Bonnie Clutter

Bouts of depression, euphamism., embarrasment people wouldn’t confront the truth.

Question 16

“When Smith attacked Mr.Clutter he was under a mental eclipse, deep inside a schizophrenic darkness”-

Answer 16

The criminal psychologist giving evidence in the trial.

No sympathy or attention is given to the idea of mental health

Question 17

Masculinity and Homophobia- Perry Q1.

Answer 17

“…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.”

Question 18

Masculinity and Homophobia- Perry Q2.

Answer 18

“Baby”/”Honey”

Question 19

Masculinity and Homophobia- Perry Q3.

Answer 19

“Soft voice”

Question 20

Masculinity and Homophobia- Perry Q4.

Answer 20

“Dwarfish legs”

Question 21

Masculinity and Homophobia- Perry Q5.

Answer 21

“Like a wife that must be got rid of”

Question 22

America was deeply religious at this time- Capote points out contradictions…

Answer 22

Of being christian and believing in capital punishment

Question 23

The death penalty -

Answer 23

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.

Question 24

Nature vs. nurture:

Answer 24

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.

Question 25

Juries were often Biased

Answer 25

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.