The Theme Of Murder In Truman Capote's In Cold Blood

Murder. Murder usually catches the attention of most common people. In Cold Blood, written by Truman Capote, is a book with just that. Capote shares the thoughts and feeling of the characters throughout their journey, all awhile subtly, but wisely, providing the hard fact about what happened in the case of the Clutter Family Murders.  

He started by laying out the atmosphere of the victims, allowing the reader to see that they were exceptionally great people; that no one would ever expect them to go through such a horrific experience. Then, he continues to further develop the murderers and other characters by switching view points almost every chapter. This truly allowed the audience to see not only what the characters did factually, but also their thought process while doing it.  

Not everything is always what it seems, looks to be the central idea throughout the novel. Capote constantly repeats people saying, such as the teacher of one of the victims, "Feeling wouldn't run half so high if this had happened to anyone except the Clutters." (pg. 197) Even the trial for prosecuting the murders wasn’t what it seemed- with the phycological evaluations of the murderers left out. Though this was at times frustrating to witness, it deepened my interest for wanting to know more, and

that’s just what Capote gave me. 

The rarity of simple people committing horrific murders, intrigues and makes this book relatable to most any average person.

Especially when the killers are outwardly ordinary people. The relatability to the killers and the randomness to their victims deepens the connection between the reader and the story. Capote elaborates with an abundance of information of the murders. On page 296, Capote provides exclusive information that wasn’t even mentioned in the trial. When the mental health doctor was asked whether or not one of the murderers knew right from wrong at the time of the crime, the doctor answered no, "But had Dr. Jones been permitted to discourse on the cause of his indecision,

he 

would have testified: 'Perry Smith shows definite signs of severe mental illness'". This knowledge was unknown to anyone who was apart of the jury. Capote relinquishing things facts is reason enough for anyone in the general public to be a sufficient audience. Capote contributes information that everyone should know in order to make a undeniable stance on the issue.  

Capote's endless knowledge of the topic makes his writing unsurpassed. It's quite obvious that he did countless amounts of research on this case. The read is interest catching and informational, nonetheless. Even people who aren't all that fond of reading about such heinous events could find interest in this novel, purely because of how insightful and wise Capote writes. He has the power to make you care for something you had no connection to before.