Perry is a complex and damaged man. Though Capote delves into his disadvantaged upbringing and history of abuse and pain to unearth elements of Perry’s intelligence, sensitivity, and talent, he nevertheless refrains from glorifying Perry as an antihero, as he also makes it clear Perry repeatedly and deliberately chooses to go down a self-destructive path. Possibly because of Capote’s affinity for Perry which developed over the course of him interviewing Perry for his novel, Capote emphasises Perry’s artistic side, but he also has Dewey note that Perry seems like “the true murderer” of the story.
