Character Analysis
Most of what we know about Perry's father comes from a letter he wrote to the Kansas parole board, and Perry's recollections of his childhood. He was a rodeo performer and an outdoorsman who taught Perry to hunt, fish, and prospect for gold. He calls himself a "jack of all trades" (2.156). Later, he and Perry lived for a while in Alaska as trappers. He described himself as a strict father and swears to the parole board that Perry has learned his lesson and will be law-abiding if he's released. He doesn't visit Perry in prison, although he writes to the warden to ask about his son. He seems like a decent, quiet guy.