Quotes
Part 1: The Last to See Them Alive
"The land is flat, and the views are awesomely extensive; horses, herds of cattle, a white cluster of grain elevators rising as gracefully as Greek temples are visible long before a traveler reaches them." (3)
The book is introduced with a picture of the landscape there at Holcomb, Kansas. It reflects the peace of the time before the murder took place. Here, Capote alludes to the Greek temples, hinting of a deeper meaning to the story like that of the Greek tragedies.
"At the time not a soul in sleeping Holcomb heard them - four shotgun blasts that, all told, ended six human lives." (5)
This is the first of the many foreshadowing that occurs throughout the book about the Clutters' murder. After several paragraphs of detailed descriptions of the landscape, this ominous event contrasts largely with the seemingly peaceful place.
"Always certain of what he wanted from the world, Mr. Clutter had in large measure obtained it…[H]e wore a plain gold band, which was the symbol…of his marriage to the person he had wished to marry…She had given him four children – a trio of daughters and a son." (6)
In the introduction of Mr. Clutter, one of the victims from the murder, there is an image of perfection behind his figure. It seems that he has achieved what most would call The American Dream. We can tell from this quote that he's a very driven man, holding an upstanding family. It leads us to question why the Clutters were murdered in the first place.
"'And be so easy- convince anybody about whatever. Just nothing scares you,' she said, commenting upon a generally recognized quality of Mr. Clutter's: a fearless self-assurance that set him apart, and while it created respect, also limited the affections of others a little. 'I can't imagine you afraid. No matter what happened, you'd talk your way out of it.'" (36)
In Mrs. Ashida's eyes, Mr. Clutter is powerful fearless. There is nothing that can deter him. However, we see soon that her idea of him will be contradicted. While the town sees the Clutters' as a leading role to be looked up to, they are no more than normal human beings.
"'I’d been dazed, too numb, to feel the full viciousness of it. The suffering. The horror. They were dead. A whole family. Gentle, kindly people, people I knew – murdered. You had to believe it, because it was really true.'" (66)
Alfred Stoecklein, the Clutters' hired man who lived close by, finds the murder shocking. It is the moment when all peace is shattered in Holcomb. They are shown the brutality of the world around them and of the shocking truth that is opened to their eyes.
Part 2: Persons Unknown
"But that life, and what he'd made of it...How was it possible that such effort, such plain virtue, could overnight be reduced to this - smoke, thinning as it rose and was received by the big, annihilating sky?" (79)
Andy Erhart, one of Herb Clutter's closest friends, wonders about the fragility of human life. Herb had built up a fine family and had gained his American Dream. Yet, in a single night, all that had been reduced to ashes, shocking him at how fragile that dream is.
"Of all the people in all the world, the Clutters were the least likely to be murdered." (85)
Here, there's a surprising element to the act of murder since the Clutters', well-liked, were the least possible family to have been attacked. Popular among all, they had very few enemies who would have loathed them to the point of murder. This particular quote adds to the mystery of the case.
"After all, it was 'painful' to imagine that one might be 'not just right' - particularly if whatever was wrong was not your own fault but 'maybe a thing you were born with.'" (110)
Perry, on reflecting upon his act of murder, wonders whether he was fated to live a doomed life since practically his entire family had befallen ill-fated endings. With his unhappy childhood behind him, he wonders as to whether it wasn't his fault but the way things just is.
Part 3: Answer
"They shared a doom against which virtue was no defense." (185)
Barbara, Perry's only surviving sibling, reflects on their childhood. She believes that they are inevitable to the similar doom that had befallen all their other siblings that led to their deaths. Turning away from Perry, she turns a blind away from the reminder of their past.
“The crime was a psychological accident, virtually an impersonal act; the victims might as well have been killed by lightning. Except for one thing: they had experienced prolonged terror, they had suffered. And Dewey could not forget their sufferings. Nonetheless, he found it possible to look at the man beside him without anger - with, rather, a measure of sympathy - for Perry Smith’s life had been no bed of roses but pitiful, an ugly and lonely progress toward one mirage or another.” (245-246)
Agent Dewey can't help but find sympathy for Perry due to his horrifically abusive past. He wonders at this as Perry's unhappy childhood had shaped his future. He finds that he just can't condemn Perry even though he had performed such brutal act of murder. And not just Dewey, but others such as Mrs. Meier seems to hold sympathy for Perry.
"But when the crowd caught sight of the murderers, with their escort of blue-coated highway patrolmen, it fell silent, as though amazed to find them humanly shaped." (248)
There is extreme confusion on part of the crowd as they watch Perry and Dick get escorted off to jail at the Finney County Courthouse. Their idea of a murderer is someone who looks strong and mean. However, because the two murderers look so normal, they can't help but wonder at the brutality that's hidden within the normality.
Part Four: The Corner
"'The walls of the cell flew away, the sky came down, I saw the big yellow bird.'" (265)
Perry once again envisions salvation from the life he holds. He dreams big - of treasures and gold. Although not religious, there is a fair amount of religion that affects his life, both the people around him and his superstitions. The big yellow bird that he refers to is supposedly Jesus of whom he doesn't believe in.
"And it wasn't because of anything the Clutters did. They never hurt me. Like other people. Like people all my life. Maybe it's just that the Clutters were the ones who had to pay for it." (290)
Perry's act of murder came not because he wanted them dead, but because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. His anger came from his past. Due to his abusive past, he took out all his anger from the abuse he had on the Clutters'.
"'Am I sorry? If that's what you mean - I'm not. I don't feel anything about it...Maybe we're not human. I'm human enough to feel sorry for myself. Sorry I can't walk out of here when you walk out. But that's all.'" (291)
Is Perry sorry or not? That is the question we get when reading this book. On one hand, he seems to be sorry about his actions and of the deaths of the Clutters'. However, on the other hand, like this quote, he doesn't. But whether he really is truly sorry, it won't change the fact that he'd killed.
"...a pretty girl in a hurry, her smooth hair swinging, shining - just such a young woman as Nancy might have been. Then, starting home, he walked toward the trees, and under them, leaving behind him the big sky, the whisper of wind voices in the wind-bent wheat." (343)
Susan is being overlaid as to how Nancy might have been if she was still alive. There is closure in this quote as Agent Dewey leaves the cemetery of the dead - including the Clutters. It seems as if he is leaving behind the case and finally moving on toward the future.