Truman Capote's Nonfiction Narrative

Capote’s Nonfiction Narrative

Contrasting, examining, and interpreting individual critics evaluation on various types of text is all part of the literary critic’s process. In this process they use evidence to support their opinion. An individual’s personal view can be influenced through both positive and negative bias. Truman Capote was very familiar to his time. The content he published and addressed to his society was something new to them. It took much of Capote’s time to be able to create his novel In Cold Blood. Capote was constantly observing the life revolving Holcomb Kansas to be able to obtain the information he needed for the murder of the Clutter family. The mid 1960’s literary work of Truman Capote was published as a

new genre to society, nonfiction narrative. In Cold Blood is unquestionably not nonfiction narrative but, historically, Literary critics debate the style of Capote’s “new” genre, nonfiction narrative.

Initially, analysts raved and appreciated Capote’s “clever” new genre. Literary critic Davis glorifies Truman Capote’s genre and his work. Capote’s remarkable layout of a murderer, allows nonfiction to compete for the literary excellence award in the field of crime writing(Davis 11). Davis is expressing that In Cold Blood is able to contend with various other literary works for an award(Davis 11). The way Capote was able to include the murder of the Clutter family in a nonfiction and still being able to convey a crime staggered Davis(Davis 11). Although Capote tries something new. He executes it good. Instead of trying to make the usual documentary formatted crime story, Capote tells the bloodshed of the Clutters as a story, with the pieces of it in sequential order.

Anderson is another critic and supporter of Capote’s literary work and his genre nonfiction narrative. Literary critic Anderson states, “Capote’s nonfiction is like his fiction in what it does not say, and this is true not only in In Cold Blood but in all other major nonfiction as well” (Anderson 77). Anderson makes references to Capote’s In Cold Blood not only as nonfiction but as a major work of nonfiction (Anderson 77). Capote supervised himself in an explicit manner, as a nonfiction author. He was able to do this by keeping personal remarks out of the novel (Anderson 77). Anderson explicates in more detail,

By silence I mean that throughout Capote’s narratives he remains silent about important details, avoiding explicit interpretation and commentary. He repeatedly puts himself in the position of an outside observer forced to make inferences and read meanings on the basis of external detail. Silence in this sense is the underlying metaphor throughout Wayne Booth’s The Rhetoric of Fiction. Unlike eighteenth and nineteenth century narrators who comment directly on their stories, the silent author of modern fiction, according to Booth, has “effaced himself, renounced the privilege of direct intervention.” The modern narrator “leaves his characters to out their own destinies and tell their own stories” he gives “the illusion that he is sitting silently behind scenes” of the story itself (Anderson 77-78).

In spite of Capote becoming becoming part of Holcombs everyday life, he holds himself back from establishing opinions and placing them in the novel (Anderson 77-78). Since Capote set up his book in sequential order, he was able to let the characters take their roles and fully develop. (Anderson 77-78). Anderson and Davis admire In Cold Blood because they believe Capote did an inspiring job illustrating the case. Whether this opinion was brought forth from Capote staying away from the documentary format or staying silent and keeping his words out of the book.

On the opposing side, critics are against Capote’s story of a “true” account of murder. The critics on the contrary do not believe Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood can be contemplated as a nonfiction narrative. Literary critic Galloway describes Capote as bold and unashamed with how he wrote In Cold Blood (Galloway 129). As Capote raves about the accurate story he wrote, Galloway answered with, “When that work appeared, many academic critics expressed outrage over the author’s presumptuousness in describing In Cold Blood as a “nonfiction novel” and subtitling it “A True Account of a Multiple Murder”(Galloway 129). This really annoyed critics due to the fact that Capote subtitled his book “A True Account of a Multiple Murder”(Galloway 129). Just like the first sentence of an introduction paragraph, this subtitle acted as an getter to the nation. Pondering people wanted to read Capote’s “true” novel. Galloway theorizes that Capote expresses sympathy towards the killers and while doing this leads us to forget about the innocent family that was killed(Galloway 129). “The formal controversy which stirred tempests in so many fragile academic teacups, is another matter entirely, for it presupposed that fiction and fact were congenitally antagonistic” (Galloway 130). Galloway is convinced that because fiction is found in the novel, In Cold Blood can not be considered nonfiction. Critics develop controversy because of the different perspectives on the reality and fiction of the novel. The disagreement of Capote’s novel arises from the expected, commonly, opposing sides of fact or

fiction (Galloway 130). Galloway is able to prove Capote uses inaccurate information, “The assertion that he consciously tampered with truth to add color and suspense to the story has already been verified, through the discrepancies might be described as peripheral rather than substantive” (Galloway 130). To add more context to the novel, Capote uses fictional information and many descriptions to the characters (Galloway 130). From this information know, Capote is not able to be considered nonfiction narrative (Garrett 467). The pictures of people that appeared to the public made it clear that his descriptions and judgements were personal and opinionated (Garrett 467). Capote uses erroneous quotes, which turned out were actually never used and also people that don’t match the descriptions of the people he described (Garrett 467).

Besides critics feeling infatuated with or being against Capote’s genre.

There are also critics that have strong opinions on whether or not it should be categorized as a journal or crime documentary. Algeo has confidence that Capote’s novel should be identified as a journal “In Cold Blood” is not a novel, it is only a book, a work of journalism of an exceptionally compelling kind. By his willingness to be implicated in his story… Mr. Capote is employing objectivity as a shield for evasion” (Algeo 77). Capote took journalism that reflects thought and research to an advanced degree. (Algeo 77). Algeo is saying that because Capote shows fair mindedness he wards off any argument or question (Algeo 77). The flip side of the novel being argued a journal is it being a crime documentary, which is supported by critic Phillips. “Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood is a cross between a detective story and a crime documentary. It cannot be considered in any meaningful sense a novel, though it invites criticism as a novel by pretending somehow to be one and by using machinery of fiction” (Phillips 102). As a result of Capote airing his new genre, individuals were aroused and credulous (Phillips 102). The readers fell for his false citation and now had the wrong impression of his novel (Phillips 102). Although, Capote’s In Cold Blood can be considered a documentary because it possesses no fictual elements and is based on real life(Phillips 102). Galloway is confident that Capote did

great a new genre but is not when it comes to what he thinks he did. Possibly the first question which the critics ask with good reason would be to the degree to which this ‘True Account of a Multiple Murder’ is not only ‘nonfiction’ but also a novel, as Capote maintains (Galloway 155). Such labeling in some respects is impertinent, but it is worth understanding that while In Cold Blood is certainly not a fiction novel it is also not a documentary in the common understanding of that word. (Galloway 155).

Capote conducted himself as a contemporary writer and was very distinctive when writing this novel based on his time period.

Likewise, the four person, horrific murder of the Clutter’s was also something unique to his society. When Truman Capote arrived in Holcomb, Kansas to scour for information on the murder of the beloved family. There is no proof to prove Capote intended to write a bias novel. Although when In Cold Blood was published, it was clear he inaccurately labeled his novel as a nonfiction narrative. The awful murder and heartache of the commemorative novel of the Clutter family, was taken away from them by Capote for a opportunity to include sympathy towards the killers. Capote did a horrendous job at keeping opinions and judgements out of the novel. Being labeled a ‘nonfiction’ was clearly imprecise due to these judgements and opinions appearing in the novel. These bias parts of the book directed correlated with the sympathy that was revealed for the murderers. Ultimately, Truman Capote’s incapability of writing the novel without adding his personal opinions and fictional information, added too much hue to the novel. As a result of this, the subtitle of In Cold Blood, ‘A True Account of a Murder’ is extremely

deceptive.

In conclusion, In Cold Blood should not be contemplated as nonfiction narrative. The bias included in the novel makes this fictional, which critics have historically debated on.
It is unmistakable that with in the novel, Capote allowed his opinions to appear within his text and lea mislead all readers. Capote also did an appalling job trying to add character that he tried to play off but ultimately failed.