In Cold Blood Questions

Pages 1-37 (13 -50)

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IN COLD BLOOD

13 – 50 (3 – 37)

Describe Holcomb.

What are the results of the gunshots in the earliest hours of that Sunday morning in November?

Describe the members of the Clutter family

What is Mr. Clutter’s objection to Nancy dating Bobby Rupp?

What is the only complaint against Mr. Clutter as an employer?

How does Capote foreshadow that the Clutters are going to die in this section?

How does Capote craft this section to heighten the sense of suspense?

Describe Dick and Perry.

What attracts Perry to Mexico?

What has separated Nancy and Susan?

Where does Dick tell his father that he and Perry are going to explain being gone overnight?

From what illness does Bonnie Clutter suffer?

What is the irony of the message on Mrs. Clutter’s bookmark?

What do Perry and Dick have in common?

What is the Bible Belt and how does it affect peoples’ lives?

What does Mrs. Ashida want to get her husband for Christmas?

What is the irony of what she says about herb?

What sort of names does Dick call Perry in conversations?

How much rope do they buy?

 

50 – 90 (38-74)

What does Kenyon name his truck?

What has caused the rift in Kenyon and Bob’s friendship?

How does Skeeter die?

What is Mr. Helm’s last memory of Kenyon and Nancy?

What is Perry’s secret reason for returning to Kansas?

What work of art did Perry produce in Lansing?

What is Willie Jay’s opinion of Perry?

What prevents Perry from meeting up with Willie Jay and makes him decide to go along with Dick’s "Perfect score"?

Why do they stop at a Catholic hospital?

What does Perry think of nuns?

How does Herb Clutter pay for everything?

What does Herb buy on the last day of his life?

What is Perry’s "stage" name?

What does Perry want to do when they get to Mexico?

What does Bobby Rupp remember about his last night with the Clutters?

What insight does he give us into the family dynamics?

What seems an omen to Perry?

What first attracted Dick to Perry?

Does Dick share Perry’s dream?

What do Nancy’s room, her journal, and her handwriting reveal about Nancy’s character?

Describe the finding of the bodies. Who was involved and what actions did they take?

Why is Larry Hendricks well suited to note details for later testimony?

Who does Mrs. Kidwell first suspect of the crime?

How were each of the Clutter’s killed?

What are the only clues left at the house?

What is ironic about the town being named Holcomb?

Who does Myrtle Clare blame the killings on?

What change in atmosphere is occurring in Holcomb?

What is Bob Johnson’s Dilemma?

Who becomes the police’s chief suspect?

What do both Perry and Dick do after the murders?

93-137 (77 – 117)

 

  1. Where does the title of this section come from?
  2. Who is Alvin Dewey?
  3. Explain the “single killer concept” and the “double killer concept”.
  4. What are the only two clues that Dewey has?
  5. Why does he want to find Nancy’s buried cat?
  6. Who are some suspects in the crime?
  7. What does Perry think is a trap and why does he think this?
  8. What is the only thing that can connect them to the crime?
  9. What is Perry’s dream?
  10. When did his avenger first come to him?
  11. Where do Perry and Dick get the money for their trip to Mexico from?
  12. What does Dewey conclude from the mattress box?
  13. What do Perry and Dick have with them that could link them to the murders?
  14. What does Perry find it hard to believe?
  15. What lie has Perry told Dick?
  16. What action shows Dick’s character?
  17. What is the Jones Theory?
  18. What does Mrs. Ashida think about Herb?

 

 

 

 

138 -179 (117 -155)

  1. Who is Otto and where is he from?
  2. What does Dick suffer from?
  3. Who is Jonathan Daniel Adrian and how does he become a suspect?
  4. Why does Dick decide to return to the States
  5. Why does Perry’s father write a biography of his son?
  6. What was Perry’s parents’ professions?
  7. What is Perry’s memory of his life from when he leaves the orphanage until the fight with his father?
  8. What causes the fight between Perry and his father?
  9. What happened to Jimmy and Fern?
  10. Who does Barbara blame for Perry getting in trouble?
  11. What is Perry’s only regret?
  12. What physical effect is the case having on Dewey?
  13. What are Dewey’s beliefs about the Clutter murders?
  14. How are Dick and Perry traveling once they are back in the USA?

 

Pages 183 – 223 (-160-195)

  1. Who is Floyd Wells?
  2. What do Dick’s eyes remind Marie of?
  3. What is the miracle that saves Mr. Bell?
  4. What does Barbara fear most?
  5. To where do Dick and Perry return?
  6. What is Perry’s cross country credit card?

 

Pages 223 – 262 (195 – 231)

  1. Where do Dick and Perry go from Kansas City?
  2. What does Mrs. Kidwell keep saying?
  3. To what source of money does Bill introduce Dick and Perry?
  4. Why was December 30th memorable to Dewey?
  5. Why was it lucky Dick and Perry weren’t arrested five minutes earlier?
  6. What do the agents tell both Dick and Perry will connect them to the murders?
  7. What does Dick realize it is too late to do?
  8. What is Myrtle Clare’s reaction to news of the arrests?

262 - 280 (232 - 238)

  1. 1.  How does Perry know Dick has betrayed him?

  2. Why does Perry have Mr. Clutter lie on the mattress box?

  3. In what order were the Clutters killed?

  4. What does Dewey say the murders were?

  5. How much money do Dick and Perry get from the Clutters?

283 - 323 (251 -288)

  1. Where is Perry held?

  2. Who is Red?

  3. Why does Perry want to change his confession statement?

  4. Why is Perry asked to take a lie detector test?

  5. Who is Don Collivan?

  6. How does Perry imagine himself escaping from jail?

  7. Why does Mr. Fleming think they are better off holding the trial in Garden City?

  8. What is the M'Naghten Rule?

  9. Why does the defense want to postpone the trial?

  10. What does Mrs. Hickock think people are thinking?

323-355 (288-317)

 

  1. Why does Perry believe he killed the Clutters?

  2. What are Dr. Jones' conclusions about Dick?

  3. What are Dr. Jones' conclusions about Perry?

  4. Which murder does Dr. Satten say matters psychologically?

  5. How long did it take the jury to reach a verdict?

  6. What is prison slang for being hanged?

  7. What is the Durham Rule?

355 - End (317-343)

 

  1. What does Perry do in prison in an attempt to escape hanging?

  2. What is Perry's recurrent dream?

  3. Why did Ronnie York say he killed seen people?

  4. What does Andy give Dick before he dies?

  5. Who is "the journalist" referred to in this section?

  6. Which of the two Clutter killers died first?

  7. Which of the killers does Dewey feel sympathy for?