A Comparison Of Harper Lee And Truman Capote

“They recognised in each other “an apartness,” as Capote later expressed it,” (Shields). This passage refers to Harper Lee and Truman Capote. Each known as brilliant writers who are well established in the world of literature. The two were childhood neighbors and close friends, growing up together in Monroeville, Alabama (Shields). They kept this friendship even as adults, but they did have thier differences. While Capote welcomed fame, Lee ran from it, which may be part of the reason they drifted apart later in life (Keneally). Even though their friendship was not as strong when Capote passed, Harper Lee has impacted Truman Capote’s work and life, and he has hers. Truman Capote was born on September 30, 1924 and died August 25, 1984. Most

There are multiple speculations about why the two drifted apart. When Harper Lee published To Kill a Mockingbird, there were rumours that Capote had wrote part, or all of it himself (Harper). These rumors were put to rest when a letter written by Capote to his aunt said he had read the draft of the story and enjoyed it, but made no mention of contributing to the writing (Block). It was also theorized that Lee may have been upset with the little credit she got for In Cold Blood, but after they became famous, their friendship was not as strong as before (Block). While Lee rejected her fame, Capote welcomed it, this division could also factor into their dispute. It was possible that Capote became jealous of Harper Lee, or just misunderstood her private lifestyle. Though, despite all the tension in their friendship, Truman Capote still largely impacted Harper Lee. In To Kill a Mockingbird Lee based some of her characters on people she knew, for example, Atticus, the protagonist, has been thought to be similar to her father. One character in the story, Dill, is said to be based on Truman Capote. In the book, Dill is the friend of Scout, the young girl narrator, similar to Capote and Lee as children