...In the 1960s, a time when American views towards crime and punishment were relentless, Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood was a shock to society as it challenged the prevailing attitudes towards criminals. Throughout the era, society often demonized criminals and thought that they were unworthy of a second chance. The belief of the time was that these individuals were inherently evil and deserved only the harshest punishment: death. In the context of these perceptions, Capote began his novel about the brutal murders of the Clutter family in Holcomb, Kansas. While conducting his research, Capote got to know the perpetrators of the crime, Perry Smith and Dick Hickock. Instead of condemning Smith and Hickock as irredeemable monsters, Capote chose to give his readers another perspective on them. By strategically choosing how to...
Words: 1328 - Pages: 6
...Truman Capote’s non-fiction novel, In Cold Blood, was a breakthrough in literacy in that it was accredited as the first non-fiction novel. There was a lot of controversy when the book was first published because of the incredibility of the work. This could be expected in that time, because people where not familiar with the concept of non-fiction novels yet, but this is where the beauty of this style of writing lies, the recreation of the truth. It would have been impossible for Capote to have documented the occurrence fully, because he only read about the murder after it had happen, after all, this was not what he wanted to do. Capote got a lot of criticism for the book, because of him bending the truth, putting in scenes that never happened and his ways of gathering information, but people still saw the talent that went into creating the non-fiction novel. Truman Capote will forever be recognized for this novel and the contribution he made to literacy. In this essay we will be discussing the strengths and weaknesses of In Cold Blood when it delivers facts and the credibility of the work. We will also be discussing the strengths and weaknesses of the novel when Capote bends reality and ad some parts of fiction. Capote never intended for In Cold Blood to be a documentary of the multiple murder that happened in the small town of Holcomb. When Capote published his novel, people where not familiar with non-fiction novels. People knew of the murders that had happened and started...
Words: 1242 - Pages: 5
...perplexing thought within the minds of many humans throughout history. From watching Law and Order or tuning into the famous OJ Simpson Trial, we as people are captivated by why some would commit this atrocious act against their fellow man. Just like in Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood and Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Tell Tale Heart,” where both try to peer into the minds of murderers using symbolism and themes of madness; yet, the narrator's perspective and overall tone differ. Throughout both stories the authors explore themes of madness, be it focused on a main character or the narrator themself. In his book, In Cold Blood, Truman Capote explores sanity through Perry Smith, the man who famously murdered the Clutter family in their home in Holcomb, Kansas; all because him and his accomplice wanted access to the Clutter family’s safe. Perry was a happy child until his father started brutally beating his mother, who then took to drinking and promiscuity. Eventually she dragged her kids to San Francisco, where Perry was getting into trouble constantly. He blamed it on having "no rule or discipline, or anyone to show me right from wrong." (Capote 275) This lead to Perry’s...
Words: 1168 - Pages: 5
...One of the most important aspects of a non-fiction book is that it be truthful. In fact, that is one of the only criteria. Truman Capote's In Cold Blood has raised some serious thoughts on whether or not it can be trusted in the literary world as completely factual, as Capote himself stated. It is extremely important that authors who state the work they have written is true, that it is, for the most part, unbiased and as factual as possible. One of the few pros of spicing up a true story is to make it more interesting. Audiences want to read a story that has a flair. In Cold Blood has recieve rave reviews since its' release in 1965. "Conrad Knickerbocker called the book, 'a remarkable, tensely exciting, moving, superbly written 'true account''" (Source B). However, even with kind literary reviews, Capote is still accused of false information, as examplified by the quotation marks around "true account."...
Words: 456 - Pages: 2
...The murder of the Clutter family in 1959 is one of the most iconic and gruesome homicides in American history. Their story made popular by Truman Capote’s non-fiction masterpiece “In Cold Blood” has become a staple of high school literature. But the story goes far beyond the horrific deaths of the Clutters’ and takes the audience on a wild ride through the American psyche. Along the way we meet most notably the Clutters’ killers, Perry and Dick. While their actions precede them, Capote proves to the audience that there is value and substance with in the men that committed such a horrible atrocity. I believe this reflects Capote’s claim in regard to American violence closely, that you cannot place judgment upon ones actions without first judging...
Words: 950 - Pages: 4
...Fact Vs. Fiction Does one murdered family deserve more sympathy than another? In the two stories we read about two different families that got murdered, I personally do feel more sympathy for one family over the other. The Clutter family was a real living family, while the fictional family O’Connor writes about has an unknown last name and feels fake. Both of the stories gave me vivid pictures of what most family members acted like personality wise. However, I find that I sympathize more for the Clutter family for many reasons. Both families did not deserve to have their lives taken by murderers, but the Clutter family seemed very undeserving compared to the grandmother’s family. The story “A Good Man Is Hard To Find” consists of a family full of different characteristics and personalities. The very obnoxious grandmother talks a lot trying to make a fuss about everything and sounds annoying. She lives with her son Bailey, who seems strict and annoyed most of the time. June Star seems like a brat and her mother has no personality. This family does not seem like the type of family one would invite over for dinner. Their personalities seem too demanding of attention. While reading this short story, I felt like a dumber more obnoxious person than this grandmother does not exist. As I read this story I could not make a connection with any of the characters and wondered if a family like this could actually exist. It seems as if the grandmother and her family had opportunities to...
Words: 1315 - Pages: 6
...attempts to write a strictly fact-based piece of non-fiction, his own opinion on the characters cannot help but make an appearance. In Capote’s In Cold Blood, he reveals bias towards one of the criminals, Perry Smith, through his narration and the excuses he makes to defend the criminal. On the other hand, Capote’s favoring of Smith can be apparent through his dislike of Dick Hickock, Smith’s partner in crime....
Words: 880 - Pages: 4
...In Truman Capote’s novel “ In Cold Blood” we see Capote toying with the idea of true friendship versus infatuation. We see some moments within the text where characters become drawn to another character, in a an unhealthy infatuation, in order to reap the benefits of their union. What Perry seeks from Willie-Jay is validation. He wants a friend that will recognize how rare and artistic he is so that he can continue to feel accomplished and included in world that has labelled him as a criminal and a degenerate. He states “ And only Willie-Jay had ever recognized his worth… had acknowledged that he was not just an undersized, over muscular halfbreed,” (Capote,45). In this passage, we see that Perry doesn’t actually state his “worth” but he does...
Words: 575 - Pages: 3
...In Cold Blood is a novel written by Truman Capote that is cited as the first nonfiction book. The novel was completely factual and recounted the events of a Kansas serial killing, while being presented like a piece of fictional literature. This book paved the way to creating a new genre and caused an influx of nonfiction work. The novel details the murder case of the Clutter family set in a closely knit, religious Kansas community. It recounts all the gruesome details of their murders. In Cold Blood explores the killers, Dick and Perry, pasts and their motivations. The book also presses a question that can still not be answered today; is the death penalty humane? Despite being a nonfiction novel, Capote’s work still contains a multitude of literary devices. One symbol in the novel was Mexico. Dick and Perry escaped to Mexico and had delusions that it would be a cheap place to stay where they could get a lot of women. They soon learned they were incorrect when they quickly became broke and it didn't crack up to the paradise try dreamed it to be. This symbolizes the line between reality and fantasy. Not everything in life turns out how you think and nothing ever comes easy without hard work. Perry himself is also a symbol. He symbolizes the grayness of morality and the fuzzy line between good and evil. Although Perry is a murderer, it’s hard not to feel...
Words: 684 - Pages: 3
...In Cold Blood by Truman Capote is a well written novel-report that describes a mass murder during the late 1950s within in a small town known as Holcomb, Kansas. Capote throughout the novel elaborates on the advances the police make towards finding the suspects and the journey the criminals on the run from the law take by granting numerous accounts of evidence to the reader. The author also takes high focus on the two culprits Dick Hickock and Perry Smith. Leading all the way up to the execution, Capote displays how after six painstaking years, the head of the Clutter investigation Mr. Al Dewey, finally closes the Clutter case. In Cold Blood achieved its renowned success by supplying plenty of factual, supporting evidence and the portrayal...
Words: 649 - Pages: 3
...An Obsession In Cold Blood: a 343 page book that took over a man’s life for six years. Truman Capote and his lifelong friend, Harper Lee, went to Holcomb, Kansas just six short weeks after the Clutter Family murders. Capote was able to make a tense, atmospheric, and grounded book. Along the way he discovered some unlikely friends, bold personalities, and encountered some questionable actions. Truman Capote was the type of writer who could make a mass murder into a six year project; he used his time for research and preparation. The “literary photographer” never used a tape recorder in his time writing the book, he took everything from memory and from the help of his assistant, Harper Lee. He had a way of writing that was described as literary...
Words: 975 - Pages: 4
...Use integrated linguistic and literary approaches to discuss how Capote presents Mrs Hickock in this extract. Go on to compare how the presentation of mothers elsewhere in “In Cold Blood” and in “True History of the Kelly Gang”. In this extract Capote presents Mrs Hickock in a 3rd person narrative description of her reaction at the trial of her son, and also how she expresses herself and her feelings toward the matter. This extract is during the trial wherein they describe Dick’s crimes. Capote describes Mrs Hickock’s grief using verb phrases such as “simulated a smile” which is effective in emphasising how hard the smile truly was. The way in which Capote depicts Mrs Hickock and how she “expressed a need to confide” using the noun “need” in a way that exemplifies her how much of a necessity the talk was to her, which further represents her outlet of grief. Using several adjectives such as “rumpled” and adverbs such as “flimsily” suggest how weak she is feeling at this moment in time. Despite her grief Capote still uses the somewhat cheery adjectives “pudgy” and “agreeable” to describe Mrs Hickock which contrasts her inner turmoil which I feel somewhat represents Capote’s journalistic style at this time in contrast to his fiction style because throughout the extract he generally recounts it as a journalistic point, facts and his own memory of Mrs Hickock and then using those adjectives gives the impression he liked the woman, and was inputting a somewhat opinionated description...
Words: 651 - Pages: 3
...In Cold Blood is a non-fiction novel written by Truman Capote. Truman Capote was born in New Orleans in 1934. His birth last name is ‘Persons’, but his stepfather adopted him and took his last name. Growing up, he was largely neglected by his parents and bullied by schoolmates. Truman was a very good student in subjects that interested him but failed in all other academics. Although, many of his teachers had recognized his excellent writing skills. During his teen years, Truman got a job at The New Yorker. He attempted to get his own works published, but they would not publish them and he quit. After many years and some hit novels later, Truman read an article of four mysterious deaths in Kansas in 1959. Truman and his friend, Harper Lee, went...
Words: 1351 - Pages: 6
...Through Capote’s ‘In Cold Blood’ we observe 1950’s America where society was predominantly patriarchal with women expected to fulfil domesticated roles; this entailed staying at home to look after the family and women who did work were expected to do maternal jobs such as nursing and teaching. Capote presents some females as conformists to such a society which is seen through the lives of Nancy and Bonnie; conforming to 1950s America proves to be detrimental to their lives. Nancy Clutter is intellectual and driven yet is shown to be confined by cultural ideals of gender roles at the time. Bonnie Clutter is presented as a fragile, damaged individual who was once happy and prospective. During her domestic role she is deeply depressed; this shows how such a life can affect oneself. Capote presents Flo Buckskin as a woman who conformed to some female ideals in 1950s Modern America but similarly negatively affected by the culture in which she existed. Through her, Capote presents how heritage can cause a lack of opportunity , especially for a woman during this time. Nancy Clutter is presented as a girl with many prospects. He uses an asyndetic list of concrete noun phrase to show the reader her accomplishments ‘a straight A student, the president of her class’ and the honorifics such as ‘president’ and ‘leader’ imply that even at such a young age she was successful. Capote also presents how Nancy fulfilled her gender role of the time by servicing others; this is seen in the way...
Words: 928 - Pages: 4
...Truman Capote’s use of form in his novel In Cold Blood really grabs the reader’s attention. His manipulation of form makes the reader feel as if they are part of the investigation that occurred after the unforgettable night at the Clutter house. He places the information that he gathered from the research in the book in a very interesting sequence that leaves the reader in a state of confusion. The way he jumps from the investigation to the killers within the book adds a sense of dramatic irony but never gives away why or how these cruel men murdered the family. What confuses the reader even more is that Capote leaves us feeling sorry for one of these vicious men, Perry. How Capote utilizes form makes the reader build an emotional attachment towards the killers. The reader begins to develop sympathy for Perry because, as you see in the movie Capote, Capote favors Perry and does not want the world to see him as some malicious monster, yet as a human being. The way Capote opens this novel is by introducing the family and the killers. This gives the reader a feel of each character, but only to a certain extent. This allows you to know what kind of family the Clutters were and strive to figure out why someone would kill them, or possibly rob them and it somehow turn into a mass murder. But as you read this fascinating story, you are left with no type of possible reasoning behind the killings. Why would someone kill a family that appears faultless? This is what the whole grieving...
Words: 1386 - Pages: 6
