Truman Capote's In Cold Blood

1584 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Analytical essay of IN COLD BLOOD

Literature attempts to shape or reflect society, and oftentimes literature reveals truths and provides insight into the condition of that society. The American Dream is a dominant theme in American literature, and in Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood, the idealistic dream is critically evaluated. In this paper, I will explain the context of the work, and then I will compare and contrast Dick any Perry (the murderers) with the Clutter family (the murdered) in relation to the theme of the fragility of the American Dream.

Capote wrote what he considered to be the first nonfiction novel. Simply defined a nonfiction novel is one in which an event is reported using traditional literary and rhetorical conventions to expose broader truths concerning humanity as a whole without going astray from the truth (“Nonfiction Novel”). Capote had long felt that journalism could expose broader truths concerning the human condition that fiction could not, as Capote explains in this excerpt from Inge’s Truman Capote: Conversations:

I’ve always had the theory that reportage is the great unexplored art form. I mean, most good writers, good literary craftsmen, seldom use this métier…I’ve had this theory that a factual piece of work could explore whole new dimensions in writing that would have a double effect fiction does not have—the every fact of its being true, every word of it’s true, would add a double contribution of strength and impact. (40)

With the belief that nonfiction provides more impact than fiction, Capote utilizes the literary technique of montage to create a comparison and contrast between two separate beliefs. Helen Garason (143-44) asserts that Capote made this structural decision for maximum suspense and impact in order to drive h...

... middle of paper ...

.... 2014.

Inge, M. Thomas, ed. Truman Capote: Conversations. Jackson, Mississippi: University Press of Mississippi, 1987. 40. Web. 5 Apr 2014.

< http://books.google.com/books/about/Truman_Capote.html?id=WWZ3XEQy6X0C >

Kim, Lydia. "Critical Essay on 'In Cold Blood'." Nonfiction Classics for Students: Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism on Nonfiction Works. Ed. David M. Galens, Jennifer Smith, and Elizabeth Thomason. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, 2001. Literature Resources from Gale. Web. 5 Apr. 2014.

Knickerbocker, Conrad. "One Night on a Kansas Farm." New York Times . 16 Jan 1966: n. page. Web. 5 Apr. 2014.

.

“Nonfiction Novel.” n.d. Web. 5 Apr. 2014. .

Silverstein, Jake. "Editor's Letter." Texas Monthly. Apr 2014: 16. Print.

Show More
Related

  • Analysis of In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

    1333 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Cold Blood is the true story of a multiple murder that rocked the small town of Holcomb, Kansas and neighboring communities in 1959. It begins by introducing the reader to an ideal, all-American family, the Clutters; Herb (the father), Bonnie (the mother), Nancy (the teenage daughter), and Kenyon (the teenage son). The Clutters were prominent members of their community who gained admiration and respect for their neighborly demeanors.

    Read More

  • Use Of Syntax In Truman Capote's In Cold Blood

    628 Words  | 2 Pages

    Imagine staring at a breathtaking landscape, where it feels like time could go on forever. Now, imagine being late for an important event where it feels like the clock will not stop ticking and the numbers move with every glance. With the sentiments of these two emotions in mind, Capote exemplifies both of the essences of these situations throughout In Cold Blood through his use of syntax. He can take the reader through his long and drawn-out syntax to describe settings or characters extensively, creating a timeless and descriptive scene; however, he also creates a change of pace at the climactic moments of the book by modifying his sentences to become shorter. Therefore, the syntax that Truman Capote uses throughout In Cold Blood is used to change the tone and pace of the story to help elevate the significance of the plot.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Imagery In Truman Capote

    808 Words  | 2 Pages

    Although Perry lives a complicated life and it’s hard to explain the way he thinks, Truman Capote utilizes rhetorical devices such as imagery and metaphors to make clear his past life, thus relaying what drives him to make the choices he makes.

    Read More

  • Irony And Confusion In Truman Capote's In Cold Blood

    65 Words  | 1 Pages

    Truman Capote, and his book In Cold Blood has a tone of tragic and mellow on pages 134-135. These pages we read carefully and analyzed, the two pages have these two sentences that pop out and things make sense. The pages are injected with irony and confusion. Completely contradicting himself, Capote writes about the crime that has happened and the loveable moments in the café.

    Read More

  • In Cold Blood Rhetorical Analysis

    700 Words  | 2 Pages

    Truman Capote showcases his very distinct style of writing in his true crime novel, In Cold Blood. Capote intentionally frames ruthless murderer Perry Smith as a relatable, well-intentioned human throughout the whole novel, and employs various rhetorical devices to show us that Perry is not just a stone cold killer. Specifically, Capote uses diction comprised of complex words, interviews conducted by Capote personally in which he interacted with the suspects and their loved ones, and sentence structure that came off as very to the point, in order to illustrate Perry’s dynamic and unique personality, opposed to the one dimensional heartless murderer many made him out to be.

    Read More

  • In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

    1501 Words  | 4 Pages

    Truman Capote establishes respect and trust in what he writes from with audience, ethos, through the use of an extensive variety of facts and statistics, logos. Capote uses so many dates, times, and other facts about the crime committed in the book and the subsequent investigation that the reader has to believe what the author is writing. The use of all these facts shows that Capote did his research and he interviewed, questioned, and obtained the opinions of every person that even slightly important to crime itself and the investigation/trial. The author is obviously very meticulous when it comes to dates and times; every important event in the book has a date and sometimes even a time of day to go with it. Some examples of dates included were the day of the murders (November 15th, 1959), dates of when Perry and Dick were here or there (December 31th, 1959- a small restaurant in Texas or noon on December 25th, 1959- beach in Miami Florida), date when the two criminals were apprehended (January 1st, 1960), dates when they were brought from this prison to that one and finally when they were brought to death’s row (April, 1960). Other small facts are also used by the author, like facts about the criminal’s early lives or experiences that they had, which could only have been obtained through extensive interviews with Perry and Dick. The use of all these logos by Capote establishes strong ethos, showing the reader that the author did more than enough research to show that he has the knowledge to write a whole book on the subject.

    Read More

  • In Cold Blood Book Analysis

    1053 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Cold Blood, a novel written by Truman Capote and published in 1966, is, though written like fiction, a true account of the murder of the Clutter family of Holcomb, Kansas in 1959. This evocative story illuminates new insights into the minds of criminals, and how society tends to act as a whole, and achieves its purpose by utilizing many of the techniques presented in Thomas C. Foster’s How to Read Literature Like a Professor. In In Cold Blood, Capote uses symbols of escape and American values, and recurring themes of egotism and family to provide a new perspective on crime and illustrate an in-depth look at why people do the things they do.

    Read More

  • In Cold Blood: Nature vs Nurture

    877 Words  | 2 Pages

    Capote uses different voices to tell the story, creating an intimacy between the readers and the murders, the readers and the victims, and all the other players in this event—townspeople, investigators, friends of the family. This intimacy lead...

    Read More

  • Passage Analysis In Cold Blood

    804 Words  | 2 Pages

    The main purpose of In Cold Blood by Truman Capote is to offer insight into the minds of the murderers of the Clutter family, Dick and Perry. However, asking an audience to be open-minded about men who have committed such heinous crimes is no easy task. Capote instead methodically and rather artfully combines imagery, parallel structure, and perspective in two separate passages found between pages 107-113 to contribute to his characterization of Perry and Dick where the former is deserving of sympathy and the latter, disgust.

    Read More

  • Ethical Behavior in the Film Capote

    639 Words  | 2 Pages

    The film Capote, based on the how the writer of “In Cold Blood” did his research to write his book, a masterpiece of literature, has portrayed Capote’s behavior during his research vividly. Capote’s behavior during the years Perry waits on death row in order to get personal testimony of the night of killings is a controversial topic. Some argue that what Capote did was absolutely necessary for an ambitious writer to create such a master piece while other argue that human ethics is more important than the creation of an ideal “non-fiction noble” and the paths he took to get there are morally ambiguous. Even though he gave the world a milestone in literature, his behaviors seem unethical because he lied, pretended to be a friend of an accused murderer who was in a death row, and did not have any empathy to him.

    Read More

  • Cold Blood

    1000 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Truman Capote’s non-fiction novel In Cold Blood, the Clutter family’s murderers, Perry Smith and Dick Hickock, are exposed like never before. The novel allows the reader to experience an intimate understanding of the murderer’s pasts, thoughts, and feelings. It goes into great detail of Smith and Hickock’s pasts which helps to explain the path of life they were walking leading up to the murder’s, as well as the thought’s that were running through their minds after the killings.

    Read More

  • The Role Of The American Dream In In Cold Blood

    1177 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the nonfiction novel, “In Cold Blood” by Truman Capote, the author tells a story of the murderers and victims of a slaughter case in Holcomb, Kansas. Instead of writing a book on the murder case as a crime report, the author decides to write about the people. The people we learn about are the killers, Dick and Perry, and the murdered family, the Clutters. The author describes how each family was and makes the portrayals of Dick and Perry’s family different from the Clutters.The portrayal of the Clutters and of Dick and Perry’s families, was used to describe what the American Dream was for each character. In the beginning we learn about what type of family the Clutters were and how they represented the American Dream for the people of Holcomb.

    Read More

  • Narrative Style of Truman Capote's In Cold Blood

    662 Words  | 2 Pages

    Capote's structure in In Cold Blood is a subject that deserves discussion. The book is told from two alternating perspectives, that of the Clutter family who are the victims, and that of the two murderers, Dick Hickock and Perry Smith. The different perspectives allow the reader to relive both sides of the story; Capote presents them without bias. Capote masterfully utilizes the third person omniscient point of view to express the two perspectives. The non-chronological sequencing of some events emphasizes key scenes.

    Read More

  • Emily Dickinson's "Tell All the Truth but Tell It Slant" Explication

    934 Words  | 2 Pages

    Gerald Clarke, ed. Too Brief a Treat: The Letters of Truman Capote. New York: Random House,

    Read More

  • How Does Truman Capote Use Gothic Literature?

    963 Words  | 2 Pages

    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

    Read More

More about Truman Capote's In Cold Blood

Open Document