By juxtaposing the childhoods of Perry Smith and Dick Hickock, Truman Capote shows that although a strong family structure is the most important influence on character of a person, it is ultimately up to each person to decide what their actions will be. Factors such as household structure, parental orientation, and socioeconomic background are often considered when trying to understand a murderer's motivations, but criminal behavior can come from anyone. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Many people believe that a stable household is the most important factor in raising a stable child. However, the contrast between Dick's secure family and Perry's broken home shows that both lives are capable of producing a criminal. Dick grew up in a “normal” home, with a mother, father and brother. Dick and his family, like the Clutters, had family meals and spent their evenings watching television together. Dick had everything he wanted as a child, and when he got married, he and his wife continued to live their lives as if they could have everything they wanted. This is why they were always in debt. To solve this problem, Dick began issuing blank checks. If Dick had learned that you don't always get everything you want, maybe he wouldn't have written blank checks and ended up in prison where he met Floyd Wells and planned Clutter's murder. Perry's parents were rodeo stars, so he and his three older siblings were constantly traveling. His mother became an alcoholic and his parents separated, with his mother taking the children with her to San Francisco while his father remained in Alaska. Perry longed to be with his father, but when he went to live with his father in Alaska, it wasn't as good as he imagined. He hated him for not allowing him to receive an education and for treating him like his slave. Perry turned to crime, perhaps as an act of rebellion, which landed him in prison where he met Dick Hickock. The way Dick's family never held him accountable for his actions, as well as the way Perry's family always gave him a hard time about his mistakes are two extremes that could lead to Dick's personalities and Perry when they committed the crime. Dick's family has always supported Dick. The way Dick's family never held him accountable for his actions, as well as the way Perry's family always gave him a hard time about his mistakes are two extremes that could lead to Dick's personalities and Perry when they committed the crime. Dick's family always supported him, but never blamed him for his faults. He was never held accountable for his actions. When Mr. and Mrs. Hickock talk to Mr. Nye about Dick's childhood, they tell the story of how he divorced his first wife, Carol, for a woman named Margaret Edna. Of the divorce, Mrs. Hickock says: “Dick couldn't do anything about it. You remember how attracted Margaret Edna was to him. (p.166) This shows that despite the fact that they thought his first wife Carol was a lovely girl, they do not believe he is responsible for his divorce and instead blame his second wife. Later, they notice that Dick has "a lot of good in him" and his father says he doesn't know what happened to Dick to turn him into a criminal. Dick's mother said, "His friend." This is what happened. (p.167) Dick's mother blames Perry for changing Dick from the maid.