Masculinity In Of Mice And Men

Although Capote gives impression that Dick exploits Perry, his ultimate intention is to reveal how desperately Perry craves attention and acceptance from Dick, furthermore proving the extent to which someone will go to quench their thirst for approval.

The purpose of this passage is to give insight to Perry’s character, which Capote achieves through simile. Capote’s comparison of Dick’s voice to a “potent narcotic” emphasizes that Perry cannot be separated from Dick, similar to how a drug-user must continually consume drugs. The use of such powerful words—“potent,” “invading,” and “colliding”— to describe the drug-like qualities of Dick’s voice further magnifies the extent to which Perry needs Dick’s presence. By demonstrating that Perry is terrified to be away from Dick, Capote, through simile, conveys that Perry is not an independent

Capote manages to effectively create a complete impression of the character of Perry Smith by showing his remorse and how he confides in Dick. By Capote allowing the readers to see Perrys weak and vulnerable side, it gave off the impression that he too, no matter the deed, had feelings. Capote uses sympathy as a tone when Perry confides to Dick. He creates the illusion that Perry's life was difficult. By adding the “murder” story into it, it also gives off the parallel of him being lethal. Capote’s value of character is shown through Perry by enlightening how he feels towards his past actions. He creates a sympathetic tone towards Perry. Capote uses short sentences to emphasis the dramatic and terrible conditions that Perry was put through

Capote employs two oxymorons to demonstrate the duality that exists within Perry and how he was easily coaxed into murdering the family. While in Mexico, Perry and his companions talk in a boat: “While Perry sang, Otto sketched him in a sketchbook. It was a passable likeness, and the artist perceives one not very obvious aspect of the sitter’s countenance--its mischief, an amused, babyish malice that suggested some unkind cupid aiming envenomed arrows” (Capote 119). The use of the two oxymorons, babyish malice and unkind cupid, reveals that Perry is unsure and capricious. Babies are docile and innocent, the anithesis of malice or violence. Cupid is a joyful, winged baby that makes people fall in love, at worst a trickster, but never mean or angry. Perry, being both docile and violent, allows him to shift and adapt his actions based on his environment. This duality within Perry humanizes him, making him seem like a good person because most people, like Perry, are able to adapt to their surroundings. In a contrasting manner, Dick is in stasis, always a violent, inhuman, and independent brute. In this way, Dick moulds Perry to bring out his evil and violent nature, tainting his duality. If it weren’t for Dick, Perry would have

Although Dick and Perry are both responsible for the murder of the Clutter family, Capote’s true intent is to portray the innocence and naivety of Perry, therefore, he alludes that morality can still be found despite horrendous actions. To explain Perry’s innocent role he undertakes in this crime, Capote indicates through juxtaposition the toll the crime as taken on Perry. Following the atrocity, Capote describes a scene between the two men, “One-had polished off several chicken-salad sandwiches and was now eyeing his companion’s meal: an untouched hamburger and a glass of root beer in which three aspirin were dissolving” (Capote 89). The one eyeing his companion’s meal being Dick and the untouched meal belonging to Perry. The sharp contrast

In addition Capote also uses irony to show Perrys blindness to Dicks malipulation. As Perry describes Dick, and his smooth ways, he states “Christ, it was incredible how he could ‘con a guy’”(Capote 97). Perry realizes Dick is a con but he is to captivated by Dick to see that he is being played. Since Dick is such a malicious, manipulative person and Perry is vulnerable it is easy fro Dick to take advantage of Perry. This happens without Perry's knowledge because Perry is to engrossed in the fact that he finally fits in with

These emotions could go one of two ways- the first would be to feel pity for his parents, while seeing Dick in a slightly more pitiful light, rather than not even seeing him as human. Or it go go the second way, you feel pity for his parents, and begin to hate Dick even more for, not only what he did to the Clutter family, but also what he did to his parents. He not only ruined the Clutter family’s lives, he also ruined his life, his parents’ life, and even Perry’s life, even though he willingly participated in the murder. Capote’s use of pathos really humanizes the Clutter family murders, but also makes them more pitiful. They had a chance at a good life, Dick’s father even said that he used to be a good kid, but they threw it all away, robbing and killing an innocent family. Capote does a very good job of depicting Dick and Perry, creating a good balance between despicable and pitiful, while sharing their side of the story in a very accurate, yet interesting, way.

Although Capote seemingly portrays Dick as a self-confident criminal, his true purpose is to expose the obsession Dick has with being a “normal”, therefore asserting that envy and shame can plague even the most self-assured people.

Capote manages to impress Perry Smith by making us feel sympathy for him in his writing. The perry we know he has most likely killed someone before and later goes on and kills the Clutters. When we hear this breathtaking information we start to feel like Perry isn’t necessarily the good guy in this novel he might just be as worse as Dick is. Later in the text on pages 110 to 113 we learn about Perry’s past and his true family. We digest that he had two sisters and two brothers and one of his sisters as quoted in the text “Fern, the other daughter, jumped out of a window of a San Francisco hotel” (Capote 110).

Throughout Dick’s life, he has not shown compassion towards anyone besides himself, taking everything and everyone for granted. With the use of amplification Capote is able to represent how Dick just viewed Perry as an easily-manipulable piece in his little game never showing true fondness towards him as Perry believed he reciprocated towards him, thinking they were together in the long run: “Goodbye, Perry. Dick was sick of him--his harmonica, his aches and ills, his superstitions, the weepy womanly eyes, the nagging, whispering voice” (Capote 214). This use of amplification is exceptionally valuable in proving that Dick cares about no one besides himself and will do anything for his own benefit. Dick shapes Perry into a killing machine in

These details give the reader an inside look to the mind of Perry. It allows readers to connect to him as Capote did while learning and listening his story. Dick on the other hand is completely ignored compared to Perry. His backstory is documented during the book, but in segments. Every once in a while details about his past spring up, but only to explain certain actions or events. The reader is never given enough information about him to fully allow themselves to become immersed in his though process or state of

John Steinbeck’s novella, Of Mice and Men, takes place during the Great Depression in the 1930’s, in the Salinas Valley, California. It establishes the prospect of the American Dream, discrimination,loneliness, and disenfranchisement through its characters. George and Lennie provided the value of the American Dream, to which the leading female role, Curley’s wife, represents how women are exempt from the American Dream, and appeared as less than equal to men. She developed a form of loneliness throughout the course of the novel. The novella seeks to demonstrate the way of which life was like for the characters of all different statuses and backgrounds. Through Curley’s wife’s character, we are able to see how life was like for a women during

What the readers know of Dick’s past is very little, as Capote works to characterize him through flashbacks the readers know it was his plan to kill the Clutters and he does have some family “there were those Dick claimed to love: three sons, a mother, a father, a brother—persons he hadn’t dare confide his plan to(Capote 106).” But Capote characterizes Dick more so through descriptions of his habits than through his memories. “Inez was a prostitute…she was eighteen and Dick had promised to marry her. But he had also promised to marry Maria, a women of fifty who was a widow of a very rich banker(Capote 118-119)” Dick is shown throughout the book as someone who uses people to get what he wants, he calls on Perry to help him with his plan, he uses women for sex and money while making promises he never intends to keep. “If he knew Dick, and he did—now he did—would spend the money right away on vodka and women(Capote 119). Capote does not draw any sympathy from the readers, Dick is perceived as an emotionless man who pretends to believe in people and want the same

In order to paint an image of Dick as a controlling and condescending killer, Capote uses a simile to describe his stature. On page thirty-one capote describes Dick’s physique:“as though his head had been halved like an apple, then put together a fraction off center.” (Capote 31). Because Dick is described as abnormal it helps Capote achieve his purpose of demonstrating that Dick was a true monster who changed and molded Perry from a man into a killer. Capote describes Dick in this way to set Dick apart from a normal human being. A normal person could not have changed someone but because Dick was not normal he was able to change Perry. Because Dick is not normal he will be seen as the true

John Ernst Steinbeck Jr. was an American author wrote many novels including one of his most famous, Of Mice and Men. Of Mice and Men teaches many lessons about the nature of human existence. Each relationship grows throughout this short story and end with a dramatic experience. All of the characters, including Lennie, George, Crooks, and Curley’s wife, admit, at one time or another, to having a profound sense of isolation, seclusion and loneliness.