How Does Truman Capote Use Gothic Literature?

The 20th century literature was mainly influenced by Postmodern and Modernist literature, but then there was a group of people like Truman Capote he liked to use gothic literature. Truman Capote , a very criticized, American writer mainly for his style of writing and view of life. Some of his famous work include The Grass Harp, Breakfast at Tiffany’s. However, one of Truman Capote’s most well known, criticized novel In Cold Blood has been criticized and even banned from many countries.

Born Truman Streckfus Persons, later changed to Truman Capote, was an American writer, playwright and actor, many of whose short stories, novels, plays, and nonfiction are recognized literary classics. Born on September 30, 1984 to Archulus Persons, a nonprinting

lawyer, and Lillie Mae Persons; was later adopted by Joseph G.

Capote which resulted in the name change. Truman Capote attended Trinity School and St. John’s Academy in New York. At the age of ten , Capote, won first literary prize in Mobile Press Register contest for his short story “Old Mr. BusyBody.” (CA 62: 72 “Personal Info”).

During his career, Capote remained one of America’s most questionable and eyebrow rising writers, while merging literary genius with an understanding of high society. Capote’s lifestyle formed a shadow over his work throughout his life,however that shadow has vanished after his death. Although, Capote did not write many novels his knowledge of human desire was unreal in ways some can’t explain. As a result , Capote is regarded as one of the most significant writers of all time. He uses romance and irony that confuses the reader while encouraging them to read more and more of his novels that are just gut wrenching. This is due to the fact that Capote, as a writer, sets himself and his life experiences in the center of the story , which influences his writings deeply (CLC 19: 85-87). Capote uses wit, and irony, underscored by his inimitable lyric language, to fashion this chic and enigmatic novella in most of his novels like Breakfast at Tiffany’s.Truman Capote as a

writer was and still is criticized till this day for novels like: The Grass Harp, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, In Cold Blood, and many others (CA 62: 72-73 “Writings”). Capote’s work has been continuously compared to, American author, Edgar Allan Poe because they both have a dark and sinister approach to the literary world. To understand Capote’s work the reader has to have knowledge or relate to his main inspiration of his work, his childhood. Capote’s early fiction is dominated by fear, Then it descends into a “world of blurred realities whose inhabitants are trapped in unendurable isolation” type of writing (CLC 13: 133-139). Capote wrote a couple of scary stories but most his novels contained traits of gothic literature. Scary stories sometimes kill the curiosity of the secrets of nature, human actions, and unexplained events, from the dawn of time people have investigated the mysterious and unknown (Snodgrass Online). However, from being very criticized Truman Capote has a literary criticism award named after him which is called the Truman Capote Award for Literary Criticism. This award is awarded for literary criticism by the Truman Capote Literary Trust, the reward is $30,000 which makes the largest English language annual cash prize for literary criticism.
One of Capote’s most famous books is In Cold Blood was published on September 25, 1965.

In Cold Blood established Capote's reputation American literature, this novel has been banned from countries for the constant use of profanity. The nonfiction novel illustrates the cold-blooded murder of a Kansas family by two drifters. In this novel Capote used irony which he uses effectively throughout the novel (Werlock “Truman Capote” Online). In November 1959 Capote saw a newspaper article about a murder of a farm family consisting of a mother, father, son and daughter in Holcomb, Kansas. After reading about the murder he and his good friend, Harper Lee, and arrived just in time for the family's funeral.Truman was able to get information by law officials and even murderers, Richard Hickock and Perry Smith. This murder interested Capote a lot so he decided to write about it and accumulated 6,000 pages after interviewing people around the area. Capote managed to fit all 6,000 pages of notes into a novel 400 pages, divided into four sections which are “The Last to The Alive,” “Persons Unknown,” “Answer,” and “The Corner.” In the the book “In Cold Blood” Capote withholds very important details of murder until Section III, in the courtroom, where Capote exposes the details of the murder of the Clutter family. One of the most weird things about this novel is that Capote developed a close friendship with both Hickock and Perry. He saw some of his own traits of alienation, homosexuality,

and otherness in Perry.
When the novel was made into a movie , Capote had only two restriction, which were that the film should be filmed in black and white and that the actors shouldn’t be well known. Both Capote and Brooks also felt strongly about filming on location, and they used the Clutter house and hotel rooms, gas stations, jails, and courthouses in Kansas. Even after 40 years that In Cold Blood remains the king of all nonfiction novel, and the new genre that Capote created (Werlock “In Cold Blood” Online).
In conclusion, Truman Capote is considered one of the best gothic writers in the 20th century. This was in a time in history that the literary world was influenced by Postmodern and Modernist literature. However, Capote took a different approach to the literary world and was influenced by his childhood, life experiences and even by the things that happened in different places of the world. Capote , as a criticized writer, he used it at his advantage