¶ … Cold Blood by Truman Capote
Truman Capote termed In Cold Blood a non-fiction novel, which he wrote to prove that a writer could bring the art of a novel to factual reporting. By adopting such a technique, Capote succeeded in blurring the lines between works of fiction and non-fiction. More important, he succeeded in "...taking the reader deeper and deeper into characters and events," (Shaw, p. 85) and thereby managed to bring to vivid life the horrific nature of the Clutter murders in Holcomb, Kansas. Indeed, perhaps Capote's non-fictional work is a disturbing one precisely because of the fact that it is an exhaustively researched, in depth report of not just the events but also the characters of the victims and their killers. In particular, Capote's portrayal of the two killers, Perry Edward Smith and Richard Eugene Hickock, as socially dysfunctional personalities capable of cold blooded killing ends up shaking the reader's equanimity by the very notion that such socially detached individuals could, in fact, be part of American society.
America has always been portrayed as an idyllic land of opportunity, founded as it is on principles of democracy and equality. Capote seems to deliberately play on this fact by setting out to sketch the Clutter family as the epitome of that idyllic vision of America. Further, by choosing to begin his narrative on such a note, and then cross-cutting to Smith and Hickock, Capote effectively establishes the contrast between wholesome...
He has to object to it to keep from confronting it in himself. The Oklahoman is not so cynical, however, for he immediately grasps hold of Parr's contradiction and cries out, "Yeah, and how about hanging the bastard? That's pretty goddam cold-blooded too" (Capote 306). The Oklahoman objects to the murder, which he views as a product of that coldness which he hears in Parr's words. The Oklahoman may
There is also ample evidence in the book that Smith is indeed severely unbalanced, if not an outright paranoid schizophrenic. During the trial, he notes of Herb Clutter, the patriarch of the family that Smith slaughtered on the same night he first met them, and whom he vaguely attempted to reassure as he tried to rob the man's house, "I wasn't kidding him. I didn't want to harm the man.
But Perry, there was, in Dick's opinion, something wrong with little Perry (p. 108). Clue: Dick feels Perry is mentally unbalance, but fails to see his own behavior as anything but "normal," when it is far from it Precognition that Perry is tainted They shared a doom against which virtual was no defense (p. 185). Clue: Perry's sister Barbara sees Perry also as damaged goods. Rivalry and one-upmanship going out of hand. [Dick] was holding
Using Bobby Rupp's testimony to interrupt the story of the killers creates an abrupt and deeply personal shift of focus. His description of Nancy, his on-again/off-again girlfriend, shows how much the Clutter's were cared for and respected in the community: "Nancy was wearing socks and soft slippers, blue jeans, I think a green sweater" -- Rupp's memory of details helps the reader to clearly picture this victim (51). The abruptness
8. How does Capote develop and reveal his attitude in the description of the prison on pages 309 and 310? First, Capote sets the idea of the Leavenworth Prison as more of an economic (therefore tactical) boon to the local economy. His prose tells the reader that the Penitentiary for men is almost medieval in nature (turreted black and white palace), but built in the Civil War (therefore outdated and
�In Cold Blood� by Truman CapoteThe novel �In Cold Blood� is authored by Truman Capote, who is highly known for his non-fiction writing style. The selected novel is based on the story of a small-town family who was murdered brutally from gunshots, including the two parents and their four children (Goodreads, n.a.). The novel is about the investigation where there were no clues and no clear motive behind the murder
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