Towards the end of the novel, Dick and Perry are sentenced to death by hanging. They are placed on death row and are forced to wait several years before their date of execution is determined. Over the years, the men become accustomed to their isolated life as they wait for the validity of their trial to be assessed. When the Kansas Supreme Court declared that both murderers’ lives must end on Wednesday, April 14, 1965, Dick disagreed with the final verdict and stated, “’I believe in hanging. Just so long as I am not the one being hanged’” (336).
A text-to-world connection can be made because of the relationship this novel has to the idea of the death penalty. The death penalty can be administered through lethal injection, electrocution, and other techniques developed by various countries. This topic has been very controversial in the United States for some time because some states have outlawed the death penalty while others plan to keep it as the ultimate punishment.
On the one hand, people argue that someone who has committed a capital crime should be punished. These people believe that if someone is guilty of a heinous crime, especially when it involves the murder of other people, they no longer deserve to live and should receive the worst possible punishment – death. However, on the other hand, some say that it is inhuman to kill someone no matter what the crime. They argue that it is just as bad to take the life of the killer who took the life (or lives) of others.
A text-to-movie connection can be made to the movie The Green Mile as well. The Green Mile tells the story of a wrongly accused man who is found guilty of murdering two little girls. However, even though he is innocent of the crime, just like Perry and Dick, he is sentenced to death and spends the next several months of his life on death row. He experiences the same anxiety that both of the Clutter Killers feel as they wait for their execution day. While on death row he also meets several other convicted murderers just like Perry and Dick. All three meet people with whom they connect with and others that they do not like.
Overall, one can see that the death penalty poses both pros and cons regarding the life of a guilty criminal. However, is one choice better than the other?
I have often asked myself that same question- whether the death penalty is humane or not. My personal opinion on the matter is that the death penalty should be the ultimate punishment because it keeps our country safer than it would be if there was no capital punishment at all. The Clutter murderers execution may provide an example for future murderers, and may force them to think twice before they act. Also, I was confused when you said, "even though he is innocent of the crime, just like Perry and Dick..." because Perry and Dick actually did commit the crime.
ReplyDeleteI love your analysis on the death penalty and I believe that the death penalty is not at all harsh enough as it should be. If a murderer was to kill a dozen innocent people, I believe that that murderer should die in the most painful way possible. If the death penalties start to get more harsh and painful, then there would probably be less murders in the world because not many people like pain. If the death penalty continues to be painless and quick then the murderers will think that they could just kill as many people possible and then just die easily. However, if the death penalty was excruciatingly painful, then the murderers would probably not want to commit as many crimes or even not commit any at all. This is my take on the death penalty.
ReplyDeleteI think that the death penalty is a very controversial subject that is discussed in countless cases. Depending on the certain case, it is not always the case to have the death penalty or to not have it because each case is unique. I do not believe that every single killer out there should get the death penalty because, just like your other text connection, they might be innocent but accused of being guilty. Unless there is true evidence that they committed the crime, then by having people see them rot in prison then other people might be afraid of doing the same thing because they do not want to go through the pain that they are going through. This could not necessarily be achieved through death but is sometimes necessary. I am also fond of the second text connection that you made to the movie, The Green Mile, because it relates to the story well and portrays the Dick and Perry's side of the story, although the man in the movie was innocent.
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