Truman Capote is a very charismatic person, one who would say or do anything to win the hearts and minds of his audience. Capote cleverly manipulates people into revealing personal and poignant facts to him by revealing something personal and poignant about himself. He becomes an omnipotent character in the book he writes, a character that he never writes about in his book. He purposely takes himself out of the story, never mentions his involvement or his relationships. Capote deceives and manipulates everyone, from the police to the residents of Holcomb and Garden City and ultimately Perry Smith the convicted murderer, in order to gather tidbits of information to use as ammunition to write his book.

Capote’s attachment to Perry haunts him as he comes to realize that he shares the same kind of devastating childhood experiences with Perry. This becomes evident when Capote responds when Nelle Harper Lee questions him about his relationship with Perry: “It’s as if Perry and I started life in the same house, One day he stood up and walked out the back door while I walked out the front” (Futterman 69). Capote believes he could have become Perry if he had made the same choices that Perry made, and he sees himself in Perry. The fact of the matter is that Capote chose a different path, which leads me to believe that his obsession with Perry and his choices led to his creative and psychological destruction. Capote begins to manipulate himself into believing that he and Perry are alike and becomes emotionally attached to him.

The attention and affection that Capote desperately needed but that was denied to him by his mother haunted him. He saw the same ghosts in Perry that he felt inside himself. The lack of affection and attention from his mother deformed his personality, which became a powerful force behind his peculiarity. This unmet need for attention and affection forced him to satisfy it any way he could and he did so through his writings and his unusual behavior. It seems it was an addiction for him to receive attention from everyone good, bad or indifferent. I believe he enjoyed the challenge of manipulating people and forcing them to deal with him.

Even though Capote identifies with Perry, he further manipulates him to get the details he requires to finish his book. I think that there were two opposite but equal emotions that were at work inside of him. Capote reveals these emotions to Nelle Harper Lee at the end of her visit in Spain when he says, “Jack says I am using Perry, but he also thinks I fell in love with him when I was in Kansas. How both of those things can be true is beyond me” (Futterman 69). I think that Capote was using Perry but eventually empathized with him and began to see himself in Perry and wanted Perry to live. However, I think the manipulative and peculiar force inside Capote wanted to see Perry hang so he could finish his book and get the praise and attention that he desireed from his mother but received from his audience.

Capote’s decitful and manipulative view of the world dictated the last words spoken to Perry. Moments before Perry was executed with tears streaming down his face Capote squeeks, “I did everything I could…I truly did” (Futterman 104, 105). Capote tried to persuade himself at this moment, that he did everything he could to save Perry but knows that he did not. I think what finally broke Capote was seeing Perry hang. It would be devastating to watch a person hang even if one did not know him. I think what Capote saw when the floor of the Gallows dropped under Perry’s feet was the death of himself. The conflicting emotions raging inside of him corrupted his soul and led him to Alcoholism and eventually to his death.

Works Cited

Futterman, Dan. Capote. New York: NewMarket Press, 2006.

I flew to Las Vegas solo; I sold everything so I could to bet it all in a poker game, my chances of winning was greater at poker then black jack. My last ditch effort to redeem myself to my friends, my family, and the two big Italian guys that wanted to break my legs. I owed them too much money; this was my only chance to pay them off and to reclaim any honor and integrity that I had left. Damn me!

I prayed to the poker gods that they would grant me good cards and enough wisdom and luck to play them. I had been practicing my poker face the moment sin city invaded my thoughts, but it’s difficult, and I am emotional. Damn me!

As I looked out the window over the wing of the plane I could see the lights of the strip, the MGM grand, the Luxor… this was the first time I’ve been to Vegas and I hopefully my last. I don’t know if it was the stale peanuts or the thoughts of the punishment that will be inflicted on me if I lose, that gave me so much heartburn, so I starting popping Tums in my mouth like they were tick tacks. The butterflies in my stomach made me vomit as we landed. Bits of peanuts and strawberry Tums stained the dress of the little old lady that sat next to me “Sorry ma’am” I said as I attempted to wipe off the vomit from her dress, “get your hands off of me, you fuckin asshole!” she yelled. Great, I only have been in Vegas for five minutes and I am already making friends! Damn me!

Frustration races through my veins like fire,
It corrupts my thoughts, overpowers all rational thinking,
I regress, act out, and behave like a child who doesn’t get his way,
Frustration turns into Anger,

An anger that can not and will not be directed outward,
So inward it seeks me, it belittles me, and demeans my soul,
It festers into self-destruction and tricks me into hopelessness and despair,
Into self loathing and hate

It is drowning me,
Pushing my head under the water,
I resurface and thrash about for a few gulps of air,
Back down I plunge: isolated, rejected, and damned;

I attempt to grab a moment to bring in a positive thought or two,
To pull myself out of the abyss,
I dig my nails into the wall of this mental hole and claw my way up
Up from the chasm of dejection that has consumed my childhood… my identity,

I am fighting it, but afraid…
Punching with all of my might… but shivering in fear,
I am yanking the hair from its scowling head,
I am stunned that it’s laughing at me,
And shocked to see that it is I, whom I fight,

I begin to realize that it I who sabotages my progress,
I keep myself Hostage to the anger directed inward.
I begin to comprehend, that I have a choice,
A choice NOT to let Frustration turn to anger pointed inward…

In the search for my childhood, I selfishly missed my daughters. Her first steps, her first words, her first day of school all of the events of a child that a father should never miss. I was to selfish chasing after my lost childhood. I could not hold on to the memory of it, the very moment I had a firm grip around it, the mental aguish would pry my fingers loose one by one until I slipped back into the abyss. Only the lingering feelings of isolation and loneliness were left and haunted me throughout my adulthood. Haunted me, as I chased after my identity. Searching for my father, I denied my daughter hers, how could I be a father if I was never taught? Time for me to grow up! I fight those feelings today, it is a full out war going on inside me. Its time for me to stop being so selfish start being the father that my daughter deserves, the father that I was ment to be.

Truman Capote is a very charismatic person; one who would say or do anything to win the hearts and minds of his audience. Capote cleverly manipulates people into revealing personal and poignant facts to him by revealing something personal and poignant about himself. He becomes an omnipotent character in the book he writes, a character that he never writes about in his book. He purposely takes himself out of the story never mentions his involvement or his relationships. Capote deceives and manipulates everyone from the police to the residents of Holcomb and Garden City and ultimately Perry Smith the convicted murderer in order to gather tidbits of information to use as ammunition to write his book.

Capote’s attachment to Perry haunts him as he comes to realizes that he shares the same kind of devastating childhood experiences with Perry. This becomes evident when Capote responds when Nelle Harper Lee questions him about his relationship with Perry, “It’s as if Perry and I started life in the same house, One day he stood up and walked out the back door while I walked out the front” (Futterman 69). Capote believes he could have become Perry if he had made the same choices that Perry made and see himself in him. The fact of the matter is that Capote chose a different path, which leads me to believe that his obsession with Perry and his choices led to his creative and psychological destruction. Capote begins to manipulate himself into believing that he and Perry are alike and becomes emotionally attached to him.

The attention and affection that Capote desperately needed but denied to him by his mother haunted him. He saw the same ghosts in Perry that he felt inside himself. The lack of affection and attention from his mother deformed his personality which became a powerful force behind his peculiarity. This unmet need for attention and affection forced him to get it any way he could and he did so through his writings and his unusual behavior. It seems it was an addiction for him to receive attention from everyone good, bad or indifferent. I believe he enjoyed the challenge of manipulating people and forcing them to deal with him.

Even though Capote identifies with Perry, he further manipulates him to get the details he requires to finish his book. I think that there were two opposite but equal emotions that were at work inside of him. Capote reveals these emotions to Nelle Harper Lee at the end of her visit in Spain when he speaks, “Jack says I am using Perry, but he also thinks I fell in love with him when I was in Kansas. How both of those things can be true is beyond me” (Futterman 69). I think that Capote was using Perry but eventually empathized with him and began to see himself in Perry and wanted Perry to live. However, I think the manipulative and peculiar force inside Capote wanted to see Perry hang so he could finish his book and get the praise and attention that he desireed from his mother but received from audience.

Capote’s decitful and manipulitive view of the world dictated the last words spoken to Perry. Moments before Perry was executed with tears streaming down his face Capote squeeks, “I did everything I could…I truly did” (Futterman 104, 105). Capote persuades himself at this moment actually convinced that he did everything he could to save Perry but knowing that he did not. I think what finally broke Capote was seeing Perry hang. It would be devastating for anyone to see a person hang if they knew them or not. I think what Capote saw when the floor of the Gallows dropped under Perrys feet was the death of himself. The conflicting emotions raging inside of him corrupted his soul and led him to Alcholoism and eventually to his death.

Works Cited

Futterman, Dan. Capote. New York: NewMarket Press, 2006.