Mr Clutter In Cold Blood

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After learning about a brutal murder in the newspaper, fascinated author Truman Capote visited the quiet town of Holcomb, Kansas to conduct his own research on the case. Capote’s In Cold Blood is an effort to convince readers of his crime novel that the middle class is ideal by shedding a positive light on the Clutter family. Capote accomplished this by writing about the favorable traits of the rising middle class. These characteristics included being hard-working, humble, and virtuous.
The American Dream, which was an achievement that middle-class Americans strived for, can be summarized by the expression ‘hard work yields success.’ This motto is greatly exemplified by Herb Clutter. Mr. Clutter, the head of the household, is a Midwestern agriculturist who started his farm from scratch. Mr. Clutter’s wealth was all achieved through his own means, instead of through luck. His diligence is not only shown in his professional life, but in his family life as well. Mr. Clutter did all the chores around the house because “other than a housekeeper who came in on weekdays, the Clutters employed no household help.” (Capote, page 9). In addition to his household tasks, Mr. Clutter also took care of his ill wife. He is portrayed as immensely hard-working and dedicated to his family, which reflects positively on middle-class life. …show more content…

He even goes so far as to say the Clutters are the most widely known people in town which may be due to the modesty and honorability of the family. Mr. Clutter “was known for his equanimity, his charitableness, and the fact that he paid good wages and distributed frequent bonuses…” (Capote, page 10). The fact that Herb Clutter is extremely giving despite not being extremely wealthy shows his humility. This reflects positively on the entire middle class in America as it shows them as generous

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