How to Parent a Murderer Anonymous 11th Grade

By juxtaposing the childhoods of Perry Smith and Dick Hickock, Truman Capote shows that although a solid family structure is the most important influence on a person’s character, it is ultimately up to each person to decide what his actions will be. Factors like home structure, parental guidance, and socio-economic background are often taken into consideration when trying to understand a murderer’s motive, but criminal behavior can come from anyone.

Many people believe that a stable household is the most important factor in raising a stable child however, the contrast between Dick's secure family, and Perry's broken home shows that both lives are capable of producing a criminal. Dick was raised in a “normal” home, with a mother, father, and brother. Dick and his family, like the Clutters, had family meals and spent their evening watching television together. Dick had everything he wanted as a child, and when he got married, he and his wife continued to live their lives as if they could have anything they wanted. For that reason, they were always in debt. To fix that, Dick began passing blank checks. If Dick had been taught that you don’t always get everything you want, perhaps he wouldn’t have passed blank checks and ended up...