Michael J. Fox, a famous American actor, once said: “Family is not an important thing. That's all. This quote perfectly connects to the nonfiction novel In Cold Blood by Truman Capote because family plays a major role in this novel. Capote's novel is a true story about the murderers, Dick Hickock and Perry Smith. They murdered the Clutters, a family of four from Kansas. The novel takes the reader on a detailed account, from the murderers on the run to the detectives who catch them, then ends with the executions of Hickock and Smith. In the novel In Cold Blood, the reader can automatically tell that family matters in each character's life, that it shapes them into the kind of person they are and how that character handles certain situations. To begin talking about how family shapes a person, it is important to focus on Perry Smith. Smith is the only person who is negatively shaped by his family. Smith's mother, Flo, is the first family member to negatively impact Smith's childhood by abandoning him. In the novel, Smith states, “Soon afterward, my mother placed me in a Catholic orphanage” (93). He said this after expressing to his mother that he wanted to live with his father, Tex. At this orphanage, Smith was mistreated by the nuns, which only worsened the relationship between Smith and his mother. Smith is angry and resentful of his mother, and the relationship with his father isn't much healthier. His father forces Smith to drop out of school and gets angry at the thought of dropping out because Smith wants to learn, but is not entitled to that privilege (277). Smith is a very intelligent man, but he is not allowed to reach his full potential; therefore not able to receive a well-paying job and the respect he feels he deserves. Smit...... middle of paper ......d. The opposite of the Clutter house would be the Smith house. Nancy had strong parental guidance unlike Smith; he did not have strong parental supervision. Smith's parents were neglectful and generally only thought of themselves; that is why destruction came into his life. The integrity of families symbolizes good and evil. If the family has integrity, like the Clutters, then they are the good, all-American family. However, if the family does not have integrity, like Smith's family, they turn into bad people who could potentially hurt others. Growing up with her family shapes and defines her. The lessons they learn from childhood continue throughout their lives and determine whether one is prone to violence or not. Similar to the novel In Cold Blood, the healthier the relationship with family, the more likely the attempt to have a better life..