Quotations part 4

Question 1

1.Perry describing the two cats outside his prison cell

Answer 1

These cats… the two thin gray Toms who appeared with every twilight and prowled the square…hunting for dead birds…it pained Perry to watch them: “Because most of my life I’ve done what they’re are doing. The equivalent”

Question 2

2.The criminal psychologist is giving evidence in the trial

Answer 2

when Smith attacked Mr Clutter he was under a mental eclipse, deep inside a schizophrenic darkness

Question 3

3.Perry talking to Don Cullivan during the trial section

Answer 3

Soldiers don’t lose much sleep. They murder, and get medals for doing it… just remeber: I only knew the Clutters maybe an hour. If I’d really known them, I guess I’d feel different.

Question 4

4.Dick’s dad talking about his son, during the period where he is regularly visiting him in jail

Answer 4

Having your boy hang, knowing he will. Nothing worse can happen to a man

Question 5

5.Perry describing the hypocrisy of church-going people on the jury who play their part in him being sentenced to death

Answer 5

Those Prairiebilly’s, they’ll vote to hang fast as pigs eat slop.Look at their eyes. I’ll be damned if i’m the only killer in the courtroom

Question 6

6.Perry talking just moments before his hanging. Capote is using Perry to comment on the unfairness of capital punishment

Answer 6

I think… It’s a helluva thing to take a life in this manner. I don’t believe in capital punishment, morally or legally. Maybe I had something to contribute, something- it would be meaningless to apologize for what I did. Even inappropriate. But I do. I apologize.

Question 7

Epigraph at the start of the book (This is the epigraph at the start of the book- translated from French)

Answer 7

Brother humans who live on after us/ Don’t let your hearts harden agianst us/ for if you have pity on wretches like us/ more likely God will show mercy to you