Intuition

Perry’s intuition seems to intervene often but obviously he doesn’t follow it. Perry knew that robbing the Clutter’s was going to end up bad he just didn’t know how. He knows that if he follows his intuition it will get him out of a lot of trouble, “ I’ve always trusted my intuitions; they’ve saved my life more than once” (235). When a light turned on and then off in a house on the Clutter’s property, Perry says to Dick, “ I told Dick to count me out. If he was determined to go ahead with it, he’d have to do it alone” (235). Perry is getting a little paranoid and nervous. After this Perry doesn’t follow his intuitions. Perry knew Mr. Clutter was telling the truth to Dick about the safe, “ He says he have any safe. I knew right then it was true” (237). Perry decided for some reason to let Dick threaten Mr. Clutter about the safe. He decided later on to tell Dick that Mr. Clutter was telling the truth, as the two were getting themselves deeper and deeper in trouble, “These people are telling the truth…There isn’t any safe, so let’s get the hall out of here” (239). At this point, Perry should have trusted his intuition, just leave and let Dick do all the work. Later, when Perry went to go put the portable radio and binoculars in the car, Perry’s intuition came back, “And I thought, Why don’t I walk off? Walk to the highway, hitch a ride” (240). Once again Perry should follow his intuitions and save him time and his life. As I was reading I couldn’t help but wonder if Perry knows his intuition gets him out of trouble, why doesn’t he follow it before the murders?