Michael Decker
Mrs. Robinson
AP English
I will attempt to present my humble reflection of In Cold Bloood as it relates to theme. I rather think that the theme of the novel is that one cannot outrun the past and that all that she or he has done will manifest itself and make him or her take his or her just desserts. It is a kind of Karma, if you will. This is very evident to me in the fact that Smith could not outrun what happened to him as a child. It caught up to him, and, in my humble opinion, was the cause for his crime. Though not his fault (his mother and father), he did pay for it. …..”The sins of the father….” His childhood of causing problems for others and his parents did ultimately affect his character and is the reason why he committed that vile act. The same is true for Dick. His childhood struggle with his father came back on him. With these two accounts stated, I have found another theme. Fate is inescapable. Perry’s entire family, with exception to his sister, lived and ended life is tragedy and shambles. The same should be true of him. Dick, who was the cause for the deaths in the first place, after calling upon Perry to make the “sure cinch”, was the cause of death for the Clutters. It is only due that he should die. Once again – Karma. Let us look at a more positive side. That of Dewey and his team- They worked long and hard. Dealing with phone calls up until 2 at night from drunks only deserved a reward. It was destiny that his help should catch the vagrants. As with Floyd — what purpose was there of him and him alone knowing of the upcoming murders — for him and him alone to break the murderers. And one last note — The Clutters. They were destined to die that night. Perry and Dick both came to kill and for what, to not kill? Wrong! To kill.
The Biology Guru (I beat you Nick) 
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