Throughout the book so far, Capote has created an image of Perry and Dick in which their personalities seem hidden. This was especially true in Dick's case, since Capote has made little mention of the mastermind thus far. He has tried to portray Dick as a more devious character, though strong and resolute. However, it was not until the third section that we find out how overt his personality is. Reading about how people (Mrs. Dewey, The salesman, etc) described Dick by his picture was astounding. It surprised me how accurate they were, despite the fact that they knew very little about the murder.
Dick was described many ways, and nearly all of them were true in some way. When comparing the eyes of the two, Mrs. Dewey said that Perry's eyes were "not as mean, as forbiddingly 'criminal,' as the eyes of Hickock, Richard Eugene" (164). Dick's eyes seem to provide a clear glimpse into his soul, as he is tougher and more manipulative than Perry. It was him who initially wanted to kill the Clutters after robbing him, and this sly attitude was able to drag Perry into the ordeal as well. Mrs. Dewey also stated that Dick reminded her of a bobcat that she had wanted to save, but held back. The bobcat's condition caused her desire to help, but its eyes repulsed her in the end. This is an accurate symbol for Dick. Described by his father as "An outstanding athlete...a pretty good student too," (166) Dick never had the chance to make something of his life. This caused me to sympathize with him briefly, but I remembered what he had done to Perry, to his parents, and to himself. The sympathy evaporated quickly.
The other description of Dick that truly astonished me was that of the salesman: Mr. Bell. He was, out the many people who provided descriptions, the least informed about the murder. To him, Dick and Perry were merely hitchhikers. Therefore, his description proves the obviousness of Dick's character. He described Dick as "a wiry type with dirty-blond, crew-cut hair...an engaging grin and a polite manner" (172). Dick's manipulative personality stems from his polite manner, one that he uses to fool people, such as in how he was able to bill hundreds of dollars worth of goods to his parents without a sweat. Also, the engaging grin part of Dick goes into his perverted side, which is revealed later. It is common knowledge that perverts who have a fetish for underage girls should possess an engaging grin, and Dick fits that description perfectly.
From these descriptions, it is clear that no matter where Dick and Perry go, their appearances expose their personalities so easily that complete strangers are able to figure them out.
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I agree with the statement Eric made regarding that the physical appearance descriptions tell a lot about the two murderers, Dick and Perry. When Mrs Dewey just sees a visual of Dick (before knowing why her husband had it), she relates him to a bobcat she had once seen trapped in a cage: "and how, though she wanted to release it, the cat's eyes, radiant with pain and hatred, had drained her with pity and filled her with terror" (164). Even in photographs, Dick can be seen as someone who has violent tendencies. She continues to say, "Think of him...think of those eyes. Coming toward you" (165). The appearance of Dick relates to who he is; a murderer, and more over, a person people are afraid of. Perry, on the other hand, did not give Mrs. Dewey the same reaction. She saw him as, "...An arrogant face...tough, yet not entirely, for there was about it a peculiar refinement; the lips and nose seemed nicely made, and she thought the eyes, with their moist, dreamy expression, rather pretty...sensitive" (164). Different from Dick, he did not give her the impression he was a heartless, and scary man. Instead, she viewed him more as misunderstood - someone who can be tough but has a sensitive side as well. Perhaps someone who just wants to be understood. Mr. Bell, however, shares a different opinion on Dick. He describes him as, "a wiry type with dirty-blond, crew-cut hair...an engaging grin and a polite manner" (172). I think that this is not a true impression of Dick; since we know he is talented at manipulating others into thinking his intentions are good. Thanks to the descriptions Capote included about each character, we can determine even more about their nature.
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