In the novel In Cold Blood by Truman Capote explains the causes and effects of a certain person's childhood and how it shapes the person he becomes. Perry Smith, Richard (Dick) Hickock and Nancy Clutter grew up with very different childhoods that greatly influenced the path their lives took. Events that happen in an individual's childhood determine how he or she behaves as he or she grows older. Many negative experiences during Perry's childhood influenced the man he became. Perry was the son of two rodeo performers who divorced when he was young. He lived with his mother who was an alcoholic, she died before Perry became an adult. Following his mother's death, Perry was placed in an orphanage where he was abused for wetting the bed. When he was a teenager he moved constantly with his father. Two of his brothers committed suicide and the last sister cut off all contact with Perry. During childhood, Perry faced many traumatic experiences that led to his behavior as an adult. Perry's dad believed he was a "normal guy" and was very "kind-hearted," but only if h...