In Cold Blood: Questions 25-31

Persons Unknown (pages 96-123)

25. One of the main arguments which In Cold Blood interjects is the question over which is more important: nature or nurture. What information do we learn about Perry’s past? How do you think these events have changed him?

We learn about Perry’s past that he had a difficult childhood. His parents got divorced when he was very young, and his mother took him with her. Then he spent some years in an orphanage run by nuns, where he was whipped by the nuns. I think these events made him feel insecure and afraid of building bonds with others.

26. Describe and explain Dick’s episode with the dog in the road. What do we learn about Dick from this episode?

Dick was driving, and when he saw a dog trotting along the side of the road he hit him with the car. It was something he did always he had the chance. From this episode we can see his lack of compassion for living creatures, because he felt satisfied for killing animals.

27. What evidence exists that the killers may have been after Taylor Jones?

The evidence that the killers may have been after Taylor Jones was that he was richer than Herb Clutter and lived near the Clutter farm. The killers, if they weren’t from Holcomb, could have taken the wrong road and ended up at the Clutter’s house instead of Jones’s.

28. Look at the story about Mrs. Archibald William Warren-Brown on pages 110. What is the purpose of this story?

I think the purpose of this story is to show that Holcomb was a very quiet and safe town, that’s the reason why Mrs. Archibald moved there. After the murderers, the place seemed to bother her and she found her house too noisy. The noises in the night, of the wind and animals outside, made her feel nervous and think silly things. She remembered what happened to the Clutters.

29. Name the people who plan to leave Holcomb and explain why each will leave.

The first who decided to leave was a tenant farmer who worked for Lester McCoy. He said his wife couldn’t sleep, because she was too worried after what happened with the Clutters.

The second who decided to leave was Mrs. Hideo Ashida. She said her husband decided it was better for them to leave and go to Nebraska. Mrs. Hideo Ashida thought that after what happened with Herb and his family, anything was the same.

30. What does Hideo remember about the last time she saw Herb Clutter. Explain the irony.

The last time she saw Herb Clutter, she told him she could never imagine him ever being afraid, and that he could talk his way out of any situation. After that, Hideo thought he wasn’t afraid the night he died. The irony was that Hideo thought that nothing bad could ever happen to him because he could solve everything, but finally it happened.

31. Describe Dick and Perry’s visit to Mexico.

After a week in Mexico, Dick and Perry met Otto, a rich middle-aged German. He had a native Acapulcan friend who called himself the Cowboy. Every day Otto hired a boat and the four friends went fishing. After Otto went back to Germany, Perry and Dick had to sell their car because it was the only thing they had left. Three days after Dick sold the car, the money they had had vanished. Dick tried to find a job, but he discovered that the wages in Mexico were very low, and he thought it was better to go back to the United States.