Nature vs. Nurture, and the similarities of Truman Capote and Perry Smith

The murderer, Perry Smith and the writer Truman Capote would not necessarily appear to have similar characteristics. Though they’re similar childhoods and families carved them into being very similar. Both seek to crave attention because it was something they lacked during their adolescence. Their childhoods were so similar that in the film Capote described them as, “its like we came from the same household, but I went out the front door, and he went out the back” (Capote). It is hinted in the film that Capotes father ran away and his mother committed suicide, leaving him independent, with a lot of time on his own.  Smith was much of the same, not many people had ever cared, or took care of him. Capote writes about Perry’s loneliness, “but who had ever given a damn about him?” (45). Both of there childhoods, and lack of attention refer to there nurture as children. Nurture refers to the person’s surroundings, and ultimately how it effects there nature, or personality. Both of their surroundings as children, made a great impact on how they acted or their nature, during the time In Cold Blood was written. Because both of their nurture as children was very similar, this makes they’re nature similar as well. Examples of this include similarities between the two, such as its questioned whether both are homosexual. In my mind, I don’t believe Perry is a homosexual, as described vaguely in the text. I believe he is rather a man who craves attention, and welcomes it from any one of any sex. Another Capote is clearly gay and the book and film both question whether or not Perry is. In the text Dick refers to Perry as, honey and sugar, names generically given to a woman. “Ain’t that what I promised you, honey” (37). “Okay, sugar – whatever you say” (46).