Ethics of Punishment Assignment
What happens when we decide to punish criminals? In the novel _In Cold Blood_, Truman Capote provides the entire sequence of a violent crime. He describes the victims, their lives and their loss; he describes the killers, their sorrows and their inhumanity; he describes the investigation to catch the criminals; and he describes the eventual capture of the killers and their confession.
He also spends at least one third of the book discussing what to do with the killers after they have been tried and convicted of the crime. Clearly, Capote attempts to force his audience to confront difficult issues relating to crime and punishment, particularly as they relate to the ethics of punishment. He traces the evolution of arguments for and against the capital punishment of Perry and Dick. He allows the voices of Dewey, the public defender, the prosecutor, various psychologists, the victim's family, as well as the killers themselves to advocate various complex positions relating to the punishment phase of this entire sad and tragic process that began with the deaths of the Clutters.
So, should Perry and Dick die? Follow the arguments Capote presents in the voices of his characters. Discuss how ministers, lawyers, townspeople and parents view capital punishment in Kansas in the 1960s. Quote these sources and compare and contrast the arguments. Create a kind of "dialogue" of the various positions, where you analyze one person's argumentative position and contrast it with another person's position. In other words, make sure that you use your sources actively to support your argument.
Based upon your understanding of the case and the complicated opinions of experts and advocates, come to a decision as to the ethics of punishing Perry and Dick. How should they be punished and why?
This essay will be evaluated using the following criteria:
Does the essay use proper grammar and mechanics?
Is every stage of the argument clear and apparent?
Does the essay have a strong claim supported throughout the essay?
Does the essay adequately use the text to summarize and analyze various specific opinions in the novel?
Does the essay anticipate and counter the concerns of its audience?
Finally, does the essay come to a clear and precise decision on this issue?