Thursday, January 28, 2016
Blog Response #3: Book Critique
Now that you have finished, or are almost finished with the text, I'd like to get your honest reaction about Capote's work. I do not want this to turn into a place for you to simply tell me whether you like or dislike this text; rather, I'd like you to look at this as a book review, a place for you to offer a critique of this work. You may even want to view sample book reviews to use as models. It may be more effective to choose a certain aspect/component of the text on which you would like to comment; writing about the entire text could become overwhelming. As always, you must include textual evidence to support your position on this text. Be sure to analyze the evidence you include. Feel free to respond to another student's response. I welcome and encourage this! I'd love to see disagreement among the responses, as long as any disagreement is respectful. Your blog is due by 8 a.m. on Monday, February 8th.
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In Cold Blood is a book that is written by Truman Capote. The book follows the lives of the Clutter Clan, and the sleepy towns of Holcomb and its neighboring city, Garden City. Capote also writes about two Excon thieves, Perry Smith and Richard Eugene Hickock, and their journey starting when they leave prison on parole till their ultimate death by hanging. Throughout the four parts of the book we can visually see changed in Perry and Dick. For example, “What he (Dick) doesn’t know, is I (Perry) almost did shoot him.” In this quote found on page 233, we can visually see that Dick had become scared of Perry, even though Dick had the dominate personality while Perry had the shy and obedient personality. One critique I have found is the over use of Perry; his background, his life, his thoughts, who he cares about, etc. There is not a good balance between Perry and Dick in the book; we get very little Dick while we get mostly Perry. For Capote to make this ‘nonfiction book’ more intriguing, he should leave out some things about Perry while adding more about Dick. Reading this book, one can easily tell Capote had a thing for Perry Smith, and this ultimately effected the way the book has been written.
ReplyDeleteIn Cold Blood by Truman Capote is a riveting novel that leaves the reader shocked. Capote's portrayal of the events is accurate and engaging. By switching between points of view in the novel, especially in Part I, Capote gives the reader a sense of suspense. When Perry and Dick are planning the murders Capote writes, "There's him. Her. The kid and the girl. And maybe the other two. But it's Saturday. They might have guests. Let's count on eight, or even twelve. The only sure thing is every one of them has got to go"(37). By making the novel not only about the Clutters or the murderers Capote keeps the text interesting for the reader. It also adds suspense for the reader to know the planning of the murders while the Clutters are going on with their normal day. Throughout the novel Capote effectively gives the reader multiple points of view. Which allows him to introduce two different stories at once. Overall In Cold Blood is an engaging book that keeps the reader interested throughout its entirety.
ReplyDeleteIn Truman Capote's In Cold Blood, you can get a sense that Capote favors Perry over Dick. Capote goes very in depth into Perry's background. On pages 128-130, Capote even mentions a letter Perry's father wrote about Perry that has subtopics to help tell the readers of Perry's life. The subtopics include: Youth, Recreation-Interests, and Relatives. These are very detailed passages about Perry's life like when Capote states, "I'm a sober man and as far as I know Perry is also a person that don't like drunks. Perry is like myself a great deal. He likes Company of decent type--outdoors people, he like myself, likes to be by himself also he likes best to work for himself. As I do" (128). Capote references this letter not solely on the fact that Perry's dad wrote it but to show the readers what Perry was like. Capote could have shortened it down into a sizeable paragraph just explaining a few details about Perry, but he did not. He wanted to tell his whole story. He should have titled Psrt 2 "The Life of Perry". It is not mentioned if Dick has some letter explaining his whole life, but if he had one, I bet Capote would not have used it. He wanted to keep Dick out of the spotlight and keep Perry in it. By not learning as much about Dick, I felt a little confused about Dick's past. This made me not want to keep reading because it was all about Perry and not about Dick or even the Clutters which is what the whole book she be about. Let me just mention the fact that the Clutters were barely mentioned in Part 2 and are not even mentioned after that. Capote just focuses on the murderers and not the family that was murdered. This book overall was a decent read. Instead of being a true crime book, it was more like an Encyclopedia of Perry Smith.
ReplyDeleteTruman Capote is constantly acting as a filibuster throughout his novel In Cold Blood; though he makes the nature of his book evident, he withholds surprising details about the murders and murderers of the Clutter family to keep readers reading. Throughout parts one and two of the novel, Capote details the setting and characterizes the Clutter family and the communities' reaction to the murder, without explicitly explaining how the murders occurred. He then writes about each lead the detectives have and explains how each is fruitless. At this point, the feeling of exasperation at what seems to be a wild goose chase heightens, which is when Capote finally reveals the why and how of the murders and who of the murderers. Dick is finally expose as a pedophile when ¨I [Perry] found he´d [Dick] taken the girl [Nancy Clutter] to her bedroom. She was in the bed, and he was sitting on the edge of it talking to her. I [Perry] stopped that¨ (242). Other surprises include Perry´s own background, as well as his unexpected capability for murder. Though Capote´s book is slow-going at first, it was definitely worth the read for the surprising twists and turns at the end.
ReplyDeleteIn In Cold Blood, Truman Capote transforms the murder of an innocent, average family into a gripping novel. The author recounts the tale from viewpoints of everyone from the murderers to the investigating officers, and even the ladies at the diner and post office. The way that this book is set up, the reader is constantly going from one situation to another, and that's what keeps it so interesting. This writing technique allowed Capote to skip ahead or go backwards in time without disrupting the flow of the text. In the section "The Last to See Them Alive", it goes from "Dick doused the headlights, slowed down, and stopped until his eyes were adjusted to the moon-illuminated night. Presently, the car crept forward" (57), to telling what happened when the bodies were discovered. This format allowed Capote to completely skip over the main event of the story and to keep the reader interested and waiting to see what really happened. This is a clever way to make sure the reader stays until the very end. This true story was so interesting that it seemed to be completely fiction, and is one of the best books I've ever read that is based around true events.
ReplyDeleteTruman Capote's novel, In Cold Blood, reads like fiction, though the story itself is entirely true. Capote writes his novel based on an unfathomable number of written notes in which he has taken himself; not every piece of information he collected was used in the text. Sifting through the information to decide what should appear in the book was no easy task, and I admire him for that. However, because Capote gathered his data personally (with help from Harper Lee, of course), it was natural for him to form his own impressions of the story. These biases are necessary because, otherwise, the novel would lack Capote's literary elegance, and the intensity of the piece makes the reader want to turn the page.
ReplyDeleteThe last couple of pages of the novel, following the hanging of Dick and Perry, were beautifully written, but they were also confusing. At this point in the book, Dewey realizes that the hanging of the two killers did not end his haunting case, but that "an incident of almost a year ago, a casual encounter in Valley View Cemetery, which, in retrospect," which "had somehow for him [Dewey] more or less ended the Clutter case," (341).Then Capote goes on to describe the Valley View Cemetery, "a dark island lapped by the undulating wheat fields," (341). The following paragraph goes on to narrate Dewey's encounter with Susan Kidwell, which is the event that Dewey believes truly ended the Clutter case. Though Capote's lead-in to this event is very thoughtful and imagery-filled, by the time he gets to Dewey's encounter with Susan, the reader has completely forgotten what time it is - that is, past or present.
Confusion set aside, the last two and a half pages of Capote's masterpiece provides closure for the reader. Though the Clutters and their murderers are in the grave, the world has settled down, the entire event but a memory branded on the hearts of those yet living. Finally, Capote delivers his last line: "Then, starting home, he [Dewey] walked toward the trees, and under them, leaving behind him the big sky, the whisper of wind voices in the wind-bent wheat," (343). The similarity of the ending line with the first two sentences of the novel also contributes to the idea of moving on, of the earth beginning to reset itself. Page one reads, "The village of Holcomb stands on the high wheat plains of western Kansas, a lonesome area that other Kansans call 'out there.' Some seventy miles east of the Colorado border, the countryside, with its hard blue skies and desert-clear air, has an atmosphere that is rather more Far West than Middle West..."
Truman Capote's novel "In Cold Blood," is a piece of "nonfiction" different from others. In this novel, Capote tells the real life story of the murder of a family of four and of their killers. Throughout the book, he uses techniques in order to pique the reader's interest. One of them is using different point- of- views throughout the novel. In doing so, Capote has created a telling tale of how the murders affected not only Holcomb, but the murderers and the K.B.I. as well. In Part One, a tragedy has happened and the neighbors of the Clutters are shocked. On page 73, Capote shows the audience the reactions of Bobby Rupp, Nancy Clutter's high school sweetheart. On page 73, Susan Kidwell notices, "... Bobby began to cry. Larry lingered at the edge of the Teacherage yard, hunched against a tree. He couldn't remember ever seeing Bobby cry, and he didn't want to, so he lowered his eyes," (73). This quote shows the audience that not only was the family liked, they were loved. Including the point- of- view of people close with Nancy allows the readers to form their own opinions on how they see the criminals and the investigation as it heads downhill later on. Readers feel sympathetic for the sweethearts and the love lost. It turns the tables on Perry and Dick. One point- of- view throughout the novel is that of Dewey, a K.B.I. investigator. Dewey's inside knowledge of the case brings a different insight into how the murders were committed. They are left to question the motives of the murders for themselves without Capote getting straight to the point. On page 103, Dewey discusses the crime scene, "The business of the mattress box was one of the things that most tantalized Dewey. Why had the murderers taken the trouble to move the box from the far end of the basement room and lay in on the floor in front of the furnace, unless the intention had been to make Mr. Clutter more comfortable- to provide him, while he contemplated the approaching knife, with a couch less rigid than cold cement?" (103). This idea makes the novel more effective because the audience can see how the murderers were ultimately captured from the point- of- view of someone who did not stop until he found what he was looking for. Readers can become exhilarated with this information because while Dewey is looking for a break in the case, the killers are trying to make it in Mexico. The point- of- view of a detective keeps the story going without actually pausing it. There is no need to go back and re- tell the same story over again. Another first person point- of- view that is insightful is that of Perry, a killer. His is different than Dick's because of the way each of them think. Perry is the one who questions the "whys?" and the "how could we's?" At one point, he even suggests they made a mistake, which angers Dick. When the two are arrested, Perry has a hard time. On page 318, Capote discusses Perry's condition, "Even so, over the next nine weeks his weight fell from 168 to 115 pounds, and the warden was warned... could not keep the patient alive indefinitely," (318). This insight into Perry's well being forces the questions such as "Maybe Perry is regretful about his decision?" Capote allows the after effects of the murders to be shown in a negative light, not just a light in which both killers had certain tendencies. Readers can feel sorry for the man who has become a whole different person. Using Perry's Point- of- view towards the end of the novel allows the novel to come full circle. The Clutters lived and died. Perry and Dick lived and died. Neither of those things were very meaningful until two men stepped inside River Valley Farm. Varying points- of- view allows for a more meaningful story which will keep the readers guessing until the very end. Truman Capote's novel will create a lasting effect about the choices people make and the consequences those choices have on everyone around you.
ReplyDeleteIn Truman Capote's novel In Cold Blood, Perry Smith is characterized in the view of Capote himself. Although Capote thoroughly describes Perry, an outside source like the letters he included from Perry's family reveals a view of the character from the past. The letter from Perry's sister reads, " I personally know, you have lived your life exactly as you pleased without regard to circumstances or persons who loved you- who might be hurt."(140-141). Then later on Barbra mentions, "Your letter implies that the blame of all your problems is that of someone else, but never you." (141). Perry Smith's sister, Barbra, gives incite into Perry's past life before the murder of the Clutter family occurred. Barbra's real life letter gives the reader a deeper sense to what kind of person Perry actually is. Having a real life source like Barbra really benefits the novel greatly as the reader gets the sense of who Perry Smith was through a second pair of eyes that wasn't Capote's.
ReplyDeleteIn Cold Blood is a book written by Truman Capote that vividly describes the murders of four members of the Clutter family, who lived in Holcomb, Kansas. The book includes details of the blasts from a shotgun held a few inches from their faces that ended their lives, the investigation, the trial, execution of the killers, and much more. He displays intriguing suspense throughout his entire piece. One way he emphasizes the murders, and memorably portrays the killers, is with rhetorical devices. His use of rhetorical strategies make this piece extremely interesting. Capote uses excellent imagery and description throughout the text. This is especially evident during his depiction of the scene of the murders. Capote writes, from Perry's perspective while cutting Mr. Clutter's throat, "Disgust. And they'd told me never to come back to Kansas. But I didn't realize what I'd done till I heard the sound. Like somebody drowning. Screaming under water" (244). Perry commits this act out of frustration with himself, and his partner in crime, Dick. Perry is experiencing shame and self-loathing while reflecting on the botched robbery he is now a part of. He is hardly conscious of slitting Herb Clutter's throat; the murder comes as a kind of automatic response to his irritation. Capote also includes great descriptions with the use of similes. To describe Dick's physical appearance, Capote notes, "It was as though his head had been halved like an apple, then put together a fraction off center" (31). This is a result of a car accident that occurred earlier in his life. By giving the reader an opportunity to visualize this character, they are able to get a better understanding of the murderers' experiences that may have lead to them killing such an innocent family. Overall, Capote's novel is a fascinating account of the horrific murders that took place in 1959. His use of rhetorical devices amplify the intensity of the book.
ReplyDeleteIn Cold Blood, by Truman Capote, is the true story of how the Clutter family was murdered in November of 1959. Capote had conducted his own sort of investigation in order to collect the details he used in his book. He interviewed witnesses, the agents in charge of the case, and the murderers themselves. He even visited the Clutter home, so that he could describe it accurately in his book. Capote also used several different writing techniques as well, such as switching from different points of view to show the movements of the murderers and the investigation, and detailed imagery in describing the murders and the murderers. He also includes the confessions of Dick and Perry. Perry's confession starts as, "Smith smokes with closed eyes, and explains, 'I'm thinking. I want to remember this just the way it was.' He pauses for quite a while. 'Well, it all started with a letter I got while I was out in Buhl, Idaho.'" (pg 233). Perry continues on, confessing to what really happened that night, only lying when he said Dick shot the women, as we later find out is false. However, we are not given much of Dick's confession, other than he said Perry killed the entire Clutter family, and this oversight seems to be a theme in the book. Capote often goes into much detail with Perry, from his looks, to his childhood, to why he ended up in prison. He even includes copies of letters Perry kept with him for different reasons, but Capote hardly ever spends much time describing Dick's life. He only includes the bare necessities that the reader needs to get a faint idea of what Dick was like. This seems like a rather massive oversight in Capote's otherwise masterful book.
ReplyDeleteTruman Capote's novel "In Cold Blood" is the most controversial, as well as eye-opening, book I have ever read. Everyone perceives the novel very differently, which is most interesting due to the fact that it is nonfiction. This concludes that the controversy stems not from the topic of choice, but by how it was executed by Capote. Capote was concerned about informing the reader about the murders; however, his main focus in the novel was primarily on the murderers Dick and Perry, favoring the latter over the former. Capote wrote in a fashion that made the reader feel pity for the killers. For example, Capote describes Mrs. Meier (a woman that is housing Perry due to the state not wanting Dick and Perry to speak until a decision has been made in regards to whether they go to prison or are given the death penalty) speaking to a friend, saying "But after everyone had gone, and I'd started to wash some dishes-I heard him crying. I turned on the radio. Not to hear him. But I could. Crying like a child. He'd never broke down before, shown any sign of it. Well, I went to him. The door of his cell. He reached out his had. He wanted me to hold his hand, and I did, I held his hand, and all he said was 'I'm embraced by shame.'...he just held my hand tighter...That squirrel of his, he sure misses Perry. Keeps coming to the cell looking for him. I've tried to feed him, but he won't have anything to do with me. It was just Perry he liked" (308). This excerpt was included in the novel so that the reader felt sympathetic for Perry. Capote chose to use this information, bending it in a way that made the words hit right where he wanted them to on the people reading it. He wanted the reader to see the sadness bearing over this woman who had only know Perry for a short time. Capote wanted to reader to recognize the squirrel Perry had befriended, and he wanted the reader to be saddened by the fact that the squirrel only wanted Perry's company. He missed Perry (in a way, I think the squirrel may have been a displacement of Capote's own upset about the absence of Perry Smith). Capote had many other facts to exploit about Perry, but he mostly chose to highlight the facts that would attract sympathy from the audience. Capote appeals to the reader's sense of pathos when referring to many aspects of Perry. However, when Capote is describing the actual murders, he uses little to no pathos. He does not include many details that one might expect when reading about the murder of an entire family. Capote does not explain the fear or sadness in the eyes of the family members as they were murdered. He does not paint a picture of Perry Smith aiming a gun while looking at another human being, and cold-bloodily stealing the life from that person. Capote, when describing the actual murder, heavily relied on the appeal to logos. He described the facts, nothing more, nothing less. He detailed the methods of tying up the victims, but he omitted the aspects of how the victims must have felt, along with how they reacted. This proves that Capote, while he did write this novel nonfictional, chose certain details over others to portray his bias about the situation. I personally enjoyed the fact that Capote wrote the novel in this way because it made it much more interesting. Along with the fact that it made it interesting, when given the facts about this murder, the reader could not /dream/ of finding any sympathy for the killers. However, Capote's writing left readers feeling at least partial sympathy, if not complete sadness, over the fact that Dick and Perry were both executed. In a way, I felt the same when reading about Dick and Perry's upcoming deaths as I did the Clutter family's deaths. This took the skill and patience that Capote executed in the novel to be able to pull such a heavy feeling from a wide variety of people on such a merciless act done by these two men.
ReplyDeleteIn Truman Capote's In Cold Blood, he takes the events of the actual murder case of the four Clutters and weaves them together to skillfully create a suspenseful book. The way Capote slowly reveals key information about the Clutter case keeps the readers engaged and eager to read more. Within the first few pages it is evident that the Clutters are murdered; however, it is not until part III that Perry says, in detail, how the murders happened. Capote writes, "Smith smokes with closed eyes, and explains, 'I'm thinking. I want to remember this just the way it was'" (233). The reader, of course, gets this information from Perry. The only draw back from the book is Capote's constant attention on Perry. It can feel as if the readers do not get the full story because it is primarily from only one perspective. Overall it is a brilliant example of Capote's abilities as a writer.
ReplyDeleteThe book In Cold Blood by Truman Capote is a decent story. Capote does a good job of showing readers what truly happened in the small town of Holcomb, Kansas. The novel follows several characters as it reveals everything readers need to know about the murder of the Clutter family. Capote shows great strength in showing what kind of men Dick and Perry really were. Without this inside look at the two heartless men, people would have never known they truly were. One thing that distracts readers from the story line is all the useless information Capote includes throughout the story. Throughout the entire text, there is so much information that is not needed to progress the story. From pages 143-145, Capote includes an account from Perry that shows what he thought about his sisters letter. This goes on for awhile and really has no value to the reader. Things like this really distract the reader throughout the entirety of the book. If Capote left out small details like this, the story would have been a lot more interesting. Not only that, but readers would have been able to stay much more involved and focused throughout the reading.
ReplyDeleteActually I feel as though Perry's thoughts on his sister's letter are very important.
DeleteThe story In Cold Blood is an exciting book that talks about the four murders of Clutter family that took place in the small town of Holcomb, Kansas. The author of the story, Truman Capote, keeps readers on the edge of their seats, and keeps them wondering, how exactly did the murders go down? Capote develos the characters in part one and what their daily lives were like, then ends part one with the four murders of the Clutter family, leaving the readers at a cliff hanger making them wanting to continue to read the story. In part one Kenyon Clutter's English teacher, Mr. Larry Hendricks, talked about the Clutter children saying, 'But they were such exceptional, unassuming kids you wouldn't have known they were rich or lived in such a big house...' (62). Here Capote uses this quote to keep readers wanting to know, why would someone kill these innocent children and their parents? Later on in the story, readers finally get their answers as to why someone could do this. Capote uses part one to suck readers in and really make them want to know how and why the murderd went down. Overall this story is an exciting book that keeps readers interested to discover the true reason why Dick Hickok and Perry Smith could murder an innocent family of four.
ReplyDeleteTruman Capote's In Cold Blood was a groundbreaking nonfiction novel in the fifties and sixties when the murders had occurred, and now when murders seem to be a upsetting but common occurrence. But after reading the novel, the genre of nonfiction seems to be a bit of a stretch. Although we learned before reading of Capote's feelings for Perry outside of the book; it was not hard distinguish his relations with the murderer in his writing. Throughout the book Capote continuously uses pathos, by bringing up irrelevant information about Perry to invoke pity for him. For example, one of the reporters states his opinion on the court case; not relevant to a book of facts. "'It's unfair.''What's unfair?''The whole trial. These guys don't stand a chance.''Fat chance they gave Nancy Clutter.''Perry Smith. My God. He's had such a rotten life-'" (306) The information clearly dismisses the other murder, Dick Hickok, and instead focuses on Perry Smith. Capote having not only readers feeling poorly for Smith but also adding in that others hearing the case also felt badly for the man. Overall the novel was well written and originally showed both sides of an unsettling murder case that shook the small town of Holcomb, Kansas; but defining the novel as an extraordinary piece of non-fiction would be an untrue statement because of Capote's wavering feelings for the murderers.
ReplyDeleteI feel as if Capote's account of the murders was true and effective. Capote favoring Perry and showing pity for him supports the fact that Perry wasn't as invested in the murders as Dick was and that Perry had some form of sympathy for the family.
DeleteTruman Capote's novel "In Cold Blood" is a thrilling novel telling the foreshadowed murder of the innocent Clutter family. Capote follows both the police in their investigation of the murder and the murderers, Dick and Perry, through their journey to try to escape conviction. Throughout the novel Capote shares information about Dick and Perry's emotional and mental state from their point of view, leaving the reader to decide what the information means. An interesting addition to the story was added during the court case; this addition was the diagnosis of the killers via Dr. Jones, a professional psychiatrist. Dr. Jones was brought in by the defendants to see if they were in any way mentally ill, which could free them of the death penalty. In the court room Dr Jones was confined by the M'Naghten Rule, but after his answer of either "yes or no" Capote added in Dr. Jones saying, "Richard Hickock is above average in intelligence, grasps new ideas easily and has a wide fund of information. He is alert to what is happening around him, and he shows no sign of mental confusion or disorientation..."(294). This is the full diagnosis of Dick and show that even though he is not mentally ill, there are some problems with his brain which could have caused him to change in the way he acts. This addition along with the full diagnosis of Perry gives a deeper level of information to the readers about why they would have even thought to commit such an act in the first place. It also shows the deep layers of internal problems going on in the two killers, making the reader feel more sympathetic to Dick and Perry as Capote probably did.
ReplyDelete"In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote is an enticing tale about the murders of four members of the Clutter family. Capote allows readers insight into not only the Clutters' lives but also the murderers, Richard "Dick" Hickock and Perry Smith. Although Capote goes into detail about the murders, he still upholds respect for the murdered family. Whenever something "unfair" happens to Dick and Perry, and they are given something good in echange for it, Capote reminds readers that they are the ones responsible for the deaths of the Clutter family. When Shultz attempts to prove that some of the jury may have been biased during the trial of these men, he id not persuade the Judge Thiel that they had an unfair trial. However, he did persuade the judge to "set a new date of execution- October 25, 1962," (330). After the readers are informed of this information Capote says, "The Clutter slayers, granted a reprieve by a federal judge, evaded their date," (330). Another way Capote keeps his respect for the Clutter family is by not going into gory and horrific details about their murders. Readers can guess that Perry, who is so into getting exact details right, probably told Capote every single detail of the actual murder of the family. But, Capote chooses to not share these details in the book. Instead he merely summarizes what Perry told him, "...Kenyon's head in a circle of light, the murmur of muffled pleadings...Nancy's room, Nancy listening to boots on hardwood stairs...Bonnie welcomed their swift approach," (245). Capote could have easily made his book more exciting by adding every detail, however he chose not to. Overall, Capote writes a thrilling novel while still maintaining respect for the victims of the crime.
ReplyDelete"In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote tells the intriguing and thrilling story of a startling family massacre. On an early November morning in Holcomb, Kansas, the four members of the Clutter family were brutally murdered in their farmhouse. Capote not only tells the audience about the seemingly perfect Clutter family; he also hones in on the stories of the two culprits, Perry Smith and Richard "Dick" Hickock. This novel contains numerous rhetorical strategies, such as imagery, similes, metaphors, and foreshadowing, that add to the greatness of the text. However, these components are not what truly impressed me about this novel. The way Capote transitions from the happenings in Kansas to the new way of life for Dick and Perry is exceptional. Capote is describing the actions in the Clutter house just moments before Dick and Perry arrive by quoting Nancy's journal saying, "'Jolene K. came over and I showed her hoe to make a cherry pie. Practiced with Roxie. Bobby here and we watched TV. Left at eleven'" (57). The very next sentence reads, "'This is it, this is it, this has to be it, there's the school, there's the garage, now we turn south'" (57). This is Dick reassuring himself that that house is the Clutter house. This strategy of writing is effective in more than one way. It gives the reader a breath of fresh air from the brutal happenings that occur on the Clutter farm. This type of sectioning always keeps the novel up to pace. The reader is never reading dozens of pages about the same situation at once. Personally, I prefer to read books written like this because I don't lose focus as quickly. Capote could have chosen to make this novel a tedious, generic chapter book; however, I believe it was a very smart and strategic move not to. Capote's wise choices made for a suspenseful, exciting nonfiction piece that gives insight on both the murdered and the murderers.
ReplyDeleteIn the novel In Cold Blood, the author Truman Capote thoroughly describes the details that surround the chilling case of the Clutter family murder. Capote achieves this by giving the multiple causes of the crime, recounting the reactions of the local townspeople, and most importantly chronicling the progress of the two assumed murderers. All of these aspects are threaded together in a narrative format that works flawlessly. The aspect that stands out the most is how Capote focuses most of the story on the two killers, Dick and Perry, instead of the crime that surrounds it. At first, the descriptions of the two killers are necessary because the readers begin to get a good sense of who Dick and Perry are. He described Perry as "a dictionary buff, a devotee of obscure words" (22) and Dick as "a capable mechanic" (23). As the novel progresses, Capote digs deep into the minds of these murderers, including Perry's personal biography written by his father. Capote writes, "It was a document that Perry had read at least a hundred times, never with indifference" (125). Also included is a letter written by his sister, Barbara, in which he "was not moved by affection. Far from it" (142-143). Including this letter is important in learning Perry's motives. In the letter, Barbara bashes Perry for previous crimes and criticizes him spending time in jail as she nags, "'Your confinement is nothing to be proud of and you will have to live with it & try & live it down & it can be done but not with your attitude of feeling everyone is stupid & uneducated & un-understanding [sic]'" (142). Not only does the reader began to feel sympathy for Perry, but it reveals another side to Perry, as well. Perry could have been motivated to commit the murders due to his sister's disdain of him; therefore, he might have portrayed that anger through murder. Capote kept a journal of testimonies, accounts, etc. when writing In Cold Blood. Capote intelligently and carefully places some of those details, like Perry's letter, throughout the novel to reasonably link them to the developments of the murder. In this way, he wants the reader to feel like he/she is solving the crime him/herself. Overall, Capote was careful and logical when determining to use his collected information. Capote's brilliant approach in writing this novel was to get readers to take a closer look at Dick and Perry, discovering their possible motives on a personal level.
ReplyDeleteCapote wrote In Cold Blood as a literary experiment. He wanted to write a "nonfiction novel." But many people question whether the novel actually meets the status of a nonfiction book. There are many instances where Capote seems to have had to make-up certain details and conversations. For instance, in part one Capote portrays dialogue between the Clutter family members. Capote writes, "'GOOD GRIEF KENYON! I HEAR you.' As usual, the devil was in Kenyon. His shouts kept coming up the stairs: 'Nancy! Telephone!'"(17). This is one of the many examples of dialogue Capote used between the deceased family members to make the story feel more real. When in reality, this technique of writing only made the novel feel more fictional, seeing that there were no living witnesses to such conversations. There are several times in the story where Capote seems to have made up specific conversations that even living witnesses would not have remembered. So, In Cold Blood does seem to be classified in the nonfiction genre but has some questionable components to it. Besides the fiction and nonfiction controversy, this novel is one of my favorites. It is the most intriguing stories I have ever read. In Cold Blood was beautifully written and kept me involved throughout the entire read.
ReplyDeleteCapote wrote this book in a unique and exciting way. Not many authors would have approached the case in the way he did, nor would they have been able to put facts into such an interesting story. Capote uses a variety of characters to bring in a variety of view points and to pace the novel. This was one of the reasons I enjoyed it, I was excited to get to the next section to learn another story. Capote uses the townspeople, such as Bess Hartman, Myrtle Clare, and Sadie Truitt to show outside reactions and feelings that would not be given in the average novel. He shows that when the murders are committed, all are affected. Mrs. Clare remarks , "The man in the airplane. The one Herb sued for crashing into his fruit trees. If it wasn't him, maybe it was you. Or somebody across the street. All the neighbors are rattlesnakes. Varmints looking for a chance to slam the door in your face. It's the same the whole world over. You know that" (69). In this conversation Clare captures the whole town's fear and unrest from the murders. She serves as spokesperson to how everyone is feeling. Without insights like these, many would not think about how the townspeople felt during the case and how it changed them. Usually a murder story leaves only the reader scared, and does not pay attention to the scared victims that were indirectly hurt. Capote also uses Al Dewey's family as a thermometer to show how the case is progressing. Mrs. Dewey says, "Alvin, answer me. Do you think we'll ever have a normal life again?" (105). His family creates a sense of hopelessness and gives readers another family to feel sorry for. They also keep readers turning pages to see when Dewey will catch a break and catch the killers. Capote uses Dewey to show readers how slow the case started off, and how much of a struggle it was to find the true killers. Including Dewey's personal life brought another new and unique insight to the book. Most authors just want hard facts from the investigators. Capote uses these characters and many other strategies to accurately show the effects of murder in a unique style. He also establishes credibility with the variety of his characters. Overall, the novel was interesting and effective.
ReplyDeleteIn Truman Capote's In Cold Blood, the Clutter family is brutally murdered by Perry Smith and Richard Eugene Hickock. Unlike typical murder stories, this novel is unique because Capote closely follows the timeline of the murderers, giving readers the personal perspectives of the murderers and recounting everything through their eyes. Capote states, "He looked out the window at the silent small-town street, a street he had never seen until yesterday. Still no sign of Dick. But he was sure to show up; after all, the purpose of their meeting was Dick's idea, his 'score'"(14). At the beginning of the novel, the readers get a sense of foreshadowing about a murder that would take place based on the wording of a "score". Continually in part one, Capote switches perspectives from the Clutter family to their killers. The readers know who killed the Clutter family and their precise planning, but Capote finds a way to keep readers engaged even while priorly knowing how the Clutters will meet their brutal demise. This is done by Capote rapidly switching points of view between all people connected to the murder of the Clutters, suspensefully leading up to the final climax of the murder. The readers know what will happen, but they do not know when and how the killers will strike their prey. This carefully planned switching of perspectives recreates the setting of the murders before they happened and holds the readers interest like no crime novel has before.
ReplyDelete“In Cold Blood” by Truman Capote is a nonfiction novel about the murder the Clutter family in 1959. The Clutter’s lived in and were murdered in the small town of Holcombe, Kansas. Despite already knowing the outcome, Capote managed to still create an element of suspense throughout the story. Even more impressive, Capote was able to make the readers feel sympathy towards the murderers despite knowing of their horrible crime they committed. On pages 125-130 Capote includes a letter about Perry’s childhood written by Perry’s father. Capote includes this letter to explain all the challenges Perry dealt with while growing up and why he is the way he is. Some say Capote shows bias towards the killers, especially Perry; but, whatever his motives were, Capote was very successful in engaging the reader and making them feel sympathy towards the murderers.
ReplyDeleteTruman Capote's "In Cold Blood" is a nonfiction piece unlike any other. It was very interesting and unique in the way that it displayed true information in such a fascinating and seemingly fictional way. He told a good story with true aspects. However, there were many things about this novel that I was not particularly fond of. It could be argued that the novel is not completely nonfiction because there is just so much detail that can't be proven factual, especially in regards to the emotions of the people in the novel. However, Truman did do an exceptional job of describing the Clutters without using their point of view. He always uses a witness's account of the Clutters, because anything else is unknown; he couldn't ask them. On pages 38-41, he does a good job of describing Kenyon without ever telling us how Kenyon thinks or feels. Anything more than what Capote did would make it slightly fictional. Nonetheless, he is not a perfect writer. It is obvious in his writing that he sympathizes with certain people more than others. His writing about Perry is very detailed and it makes him seem almost like a good person, just confused. However, when he writes about Dick, the detail is not as plentiful and the character of Dick seems more sinister. This might be true and accurate representation of these men. But it makes one wonder if Capote really took the time to get to know and accurately describe both criminals. In the last part, however, he does a little better at giving us a feel for both characters. It just seems disproportionate throughout the book.
ReplyDeleteIn Cold Blood is a true account of the brutal murder of an innocent family of four. Truman Capote not only takes the reader through the life of the family before and after the murders, but also shows the perspectives of the killers and the investigators. The way Capote writes about this tragic event in a novel format, as opposed to just telling facts, keeps the reader engaged from cover to cover. There is even some information and quotes in the novel that Capote couldn't have possibly known, things he came up with himself in order to thicken and enhance the plot. For example, Capote describes the killers' emotions and feelings in ways that no person could possibly recall in order to tell him. At one point in the novel, the killers are sitting in a diner and Capote states, "The quietness in (Perry's) tone italicized the malice of his reply. But Dick took it, even smiled--and his smile was a skillful proposition. Here, it said, wearing a kid grin, was a personable character, clean-cut, affable, a fellow any man might trust to shave him" (Capote 91). Capote's decision to embellish the true events of this situation was not a bad one. Had he left these details out of the story, it perhaps would not have been a story at all, but simply an account of the murders and the killers. The reader would not have kept an interest in the story. Although Capote elaborates on the truth and adds a bit of flare to the novel, In Cold Blood is still a true and intense description of the heartless murders of the four members of the Clutter family.
ReplyDeleteThe words “Clutter Family Slayings Shock, Mystify Area” were printed boldly across the front cover of the Garden City Telegram on the morning of November 16th, 1959. The article was meant to inform the public of the brutal murders that took place in the sleepy town of Holcomb, Kansas the night before. All in all, the article gave a brief and direct summary of what was known about the killings of the Clutter family (Herb, Bonnie, Nancy, and Kenyon Clutter). The same story that disturbed the small towns that surrounded Holcomb, captivated the nation when a funny little man by the name of Truman Capote payed a visit to the humble town. After doing extensive research (collecting over 8,000 pages of notes), countless interviews, and forging a relationship with the men responsible for the seemingly inhumane crime, Capote gave the world his version of the story: In Cold Blood. While dubbed as nonfiction, Capote uses several different techniques (including rhetorical devices, switching view points, and dialogue) to relay a story that leaves readers questioning whether it’s truly accurate or simply just an embellished figment of the author’s imagination. Conveying the same exact message that the newspaper shared the morning after the murders, Capote writes, “in the earliest hours of that November, a Sunday morning, certain foreign sounds impinged on the normal nightly Holcomb noises...those somber explosions that stimulated fires of mistrust in the glare of which many old neighbors viewed each other strangely, and as strangers” (5). Within the first five pages of his novel, Capote uses descriptive and emblematic details to mesmerize his audience into reading further. Capote’s ability to take a nonfiction story and turn it into a work of literature is the reason In Cold Blood will remain a timeless work of art for years and years to come.
ReplyDeleteTruman Capote allows readers to truly experience the dreadful murders of the Clutter family in his novel "In Cold Blood". Throughout his novel, Capote introduces the characters and events with such detail the reader feels as though they were residents of Holcomb Kansas in 1959. He is able to do this through his use of aside throughout the entire novel. These asides allow Capote to add details or quotes in a quick manor without creating dragging sentences. While these asides are used in abundance throughout the entire novel, each one has a specific effect on the reader and on the text, such as the aside Capote uses when describing the health of Mr. Helm, a Clutter family employee: "...poorer than he knew; he had less than four months to live"(120). This particular aside foreshadows Mr. Helms death and in turn, life in Holcomb, which gives readers a better understanding of Holcomb and those that reside there in the aftermath of the murders. Overall Capote's us of details in his novel through parenthetical asides and general word choice creates a vivid an interesting account of the terrible murders that took place in Holcomb Kansas at the hands of Perry Smith and Dick Hickock.
ReplyDeleteIn the novel,"In Cold Blood", the author Truman Capote uses many strategies to entice the reader while reading. One of the most effective strategies used was the transitioning of settings each chapter. The reader first starts off learning about the Clutter`s, a peaceful, friendly family who lives in the quite town of Holcomb, Kansas (1-13). The next chapter then switches gears to a diner where we as readers first meet Dick and Perry (14-17). The transitioning of chapters to the clutters, then to their murderers adds suspense to Capote`s work. This clever trick makes the reader want to keep reading and discover what will happen next, especially when the two, the family and the murderers, will come together.
ReplyDeleteTruman Capote’s “In Cold Blood” is renowned as one of the best true-crime novels to land in the hands of many. Capote followed the Clutter family, who were viciously murdered by Dick Hitchcock and Perry Smith. He followed the case from 1959 to around 1962 and published “In Cold Blood” in 1965. Capote has claimed that “In Cold Blood” is a work of nonfiction; however, many people believe that Capote is downright wrong and/or has stretched the ‘truth’ about the killings. I do agree with Zach that Capote is bias in his accounts. In the final part of “In Cold Blood,” Capote favors Perry’s witness more than Dick’s. Perry’s perspective is witnessed on pages 254-66, with little account of Dick. As a letter from Perry's father is inserted into the text, so is another letter written to Perry from a friend. Did Dick ever receive any letters that Capote could have used to create balance between the murderers? Can Capote claim his book nonfiction with evidence of bias? Even with the bias, “In Cold Blood” receives 4.5/5 stars from me. I recommend this book to anyone who loves true-crime and criminal justice.
ReplyDeleteTruman Capote's "In Cold Blood" is a factual account of the murder case of a Kansas family, but is told vividly and with much suspense. The reader is continually engaged in the story as Capote uses captivating descriptions with each character. Kenyon was describes as,"resembling neither of his parents physically; his crew-cut hair cut was hemp-colored; and he was six feet tall and lanky, though hefty enough to have once rescued a pair of full-grown sheep by carrying them two miles through a blizzard-sturdy, strong, but cursed with a lanky boy's lack of muscular coordination" (Capote 38). He represents the inhabitants of Holcomb with depth. Whether or not Capote exaggerates aspects of the characters and the events is brought into question. As readers we are aware that Truman Capote devoted several years researching and interviewing witnesses to compile this book; however, he shows favoritism towards the killers in some instances. More emphasis is placed on their upbringing, their motives, and their reasoning than is sometimes necessary. He detailed precisely how they became the people they were, but it shows that his perspective as a writer was somewhat biased. Overall, the book was written beautifully and deserves the respect and credibility given. "In Cold Blood" will forever be a piece of writing that teaches us about people: how and why they do the things they do, however terrible and criminal those actions may be.
ReplyDeleteTruman Capote's novel, "In Cold Blood" at first tells the tale of the murder of the Clutter family but smoothly transitions to showing the reader what is left of the murderers. Though one of Capote's main strengths is his ability to use vivid detail to keep readers interested and invested in the Novel, it also leads readers to question how accurate the novel is as a non-fiction text. For example, when Capote writes of Dick and Perry's conversations in private, he uses details that seem to be integrated into the text. Though, without actually being their, there isn't a way he could have known the exact dialogue between the two of them. Near the beginning of the book, Dick and Perry are talking about their families when Perry remarks, "'He [Dick's dad] hates me,' said Perry, whose voice was both gentle and prim--a voice that, though soft, manufactured each work exactly, ejected it like a smoke ring issuing from a parson's mouth" (23). How could Capote know these very small details--these embellishments? How could Capote know what tone of voice Perry used? How could he trust what murderers told him to be true? (After all Capote had to ask the murderers for these pieces of conversation.) The details do make the novel a lovely read, but could also disqualify it in terms of a non-fiction text.
ReplyDeleteTruman Capote's "In Cold Blood" is a nonfiction book describing the brutal murder of the Clutter family. Capote effectively uses jumps from the town of Holcomb to Dick and Perry to keep the reader interested. On page 57, Capote finishes describing Nancy's last day. He then jumps to Dick and Perry as they navigate their way to the Clutter house. This draws the reader's attention as they know what is going to happen, but must wait. It creates a suspense that draws the reader in. Capote uses these jumps throughout the rest of the book as well. It also helps the reader better understand what is going on in real time. They can tell what two things are happening at the same time. Capote successfully uses the jumps between characters and settings to keep the attention of the reader, even though they know what is coming.
ReplyDeleteTruman Capote was, and always had been, a storyteller. He had a will to embellish words, both fact and fiction. This is very obvious in his non-fiction account of the mid-century Kansan-family murders, In Cold Blood. In his book, descriptors are the key tools in relaying the crime. Many times, Capote could have simply written to the point. Instead, he circled around and around the idea, like water circling a drain, until he built up enough suspense to where he finally provided the information. For example, where Capote could have easily described Holcomb, Kansas as a common small town, he chose to write as follows, "The village of Holcomb stands on the high wheat plains of western Kansas, a lonesome area. The countryside, with its hard blue skies and desert-clear air has an atmosphere that is rather more Far West than Middle West" (1). His continual overstating becomes tiring to the reader and makes them question how much is fact and how much is fiction. Overall, In Cold Blood is really just a drawn-out news article. Reading the Wikipedia page would give one the information much faster than trudging through the book.
ReplyDeleteTruman Capote's "In Cold Blood" is a crime story like none other. Capote's novel separates itself from other crime novels by focusing more on the murderers rather than the murdered. Throughout the entire novel, it seems that Capote's main focus is on the murderer, Perry. Actually, Perry is the only truly developed character in the novel. In Perry's autobiographical statement, he says, " I was severly beaten by the cottage mistress, who had called me names and made fun of me in front of all the boys"(275). Capote adds brief tid-bits of information on Perry's childhood all throughout the novel. Could Capote have done this as to gain more sympathy from the reader for Perry? And if so, then why just Perry? Why not the Clutters, or Dick? This is the downfall of Capote's novel; he shows obvious biased for Perry, and in turn does not tell enough about the other characters in his novel.
ReplyDeleteIn Truman Capote's, "In Cold Blood" he vividly describes the brutal murders of all four members of the Clutter family. Capote's also allows readers to get to know the murders of the Clutters, Dick and Perry. Readers get to see how sick minded and evil Dick and Perry really were. For example, "Dick wanted to get the hell out of there. But I wouldn't let him go. The man would of died anyway, I know that , but I couldn't leave him like he was.i told dick to hold the flashlight and focus it. Then I aimed the gun. The room just exploded."(244). Capote shows the readers the actual confession that Perry makes to the police. Without Capote, the world may have never known the brutality of the murders of those four innocent people. "In Cold Blood" is a riveting book that keeps readers interested the whole time. Readers got to experience true-crime in a whole new way because of Truman Capote.
ReplyDeleteIn Cold Blood was, overall, a well written book. However, in my opinion, there was a lot of unnecessary details that could have been omitted. These details did very little in developing the plot and made the book hard to follow at times. For example, on page 298, Capote pulls quotes from a scientific study about murders similar to Perry and Dick, "the article, printed in The American Journal of Phychiatry (1960), and written in collaboration with three colleagues...states its aim at the outset:..." (298). Capote then inserts a page and a half long quotation on the foundings of this study. While mentioning this study gave the reader further insight on Perry's mental state, using a quote that long was hard to follow and therefore became ineffective. If Capote used simpler words and omitted unnecessary information, the text would have been more interesting and easier comprehend.
ReplyDeleteTruman Capote's "In Cold Blood" was a unique work of art. Capote, describing the heartless murder of the Clutters, uses strong imagery to develop a relationship with each of the characters described. Also Capote bounces from point of views throughout the novel which makes his novel unique. By doing this he shows the action and reaction of the conflicting characters in the novel. On page 215 both these strategies used by Capote come together saying, "Neither Perry nor Dick was aware of the police vehicle trailing them as they pulled away from the post office, and with Dick driving and Perry directing, they traveled five blocks north, turned left, then right, drove a quarter mile more, and stopped in front of a dying palm tree and a weather-wrecked sign from which all calligraphy had faded except the word "OOM." "This is?" Dick asked. Perry, as the patrol car drew alongside, nodded" (215). With the use of imagery, Capote shows how the murderers had no care in the world for the situation and basically just drove around. Also, while Capote bounces between point of views of each of his characters, he brings them together into the point where they catch Dick and Perry. This is when the novel meshes from two stories into one and it really draws the reader into the story more. Capote uses exceptional strategies throughout his novel and these two are ones that stood out to me the most.
ReplyDelete“In Cold Blood” by Truman Capote tells of how two men captivatingly murdered a family of four. His novel, while gruesome at times, is timeless--a true work of art. Part I ends discussing the amount Dick drove over the past day, (“eight hundred miles in the past twenty-four hours” (Capote 74).) after he and Perry just murdered the Clutter family. Reasonably, the reader goes into part II expecting to find out more about the family: the where and why it happened. However, Capote spends all of part II talking about Dick and Perry. The reader does not find out until the end of part III why and how the family was murdered when Perry is confessing to Dewey. Is this a pure genius plan? Most would surely say so. By doing this, Capote engaged his readers by forcing them to read on for answers. Even if part II was a struggle to get through, they keep going to get answers. Truman Capote, a classy man and an ingenious writer, spent five years gathering information for this novel. Capote’s extensive effort shows in this classic piece of literature.
ReplyDeleteIn part three of Capote's "In Cold Blood" Capote introduces the proposed notion of Perry Smith being schizophrenic. This view is described and supported in the novel to seem somewhat plausible. Capote addressing this side of Perry's actions could be viewed as bias in a way of defending Perry or just putting the reader in a position to question what really happened to Perry. The court sequences of writing are brought to a deeper level when this certain view is discussed. Capote going in depth on ideas such as this are enriching to the text and add a layer of psychological thinking. Capote does just this in part three, "But it is Dr. Satten's contention that only the first murder matters psychologically, and that when Smith attacked Mr. Clutter he was under a mental eclipse; deep inside a schizophrenic darkness, for it was not entirely a flesh-and-blood man he "suddenly discovered" himself destroying, but "a key figure in some past traumatic configuration"(302). This portion of the text includes great word choice and stops the reader in their tracks to question the motives of Perry. Hints of bias come through in the quote by basically proposing Perry wasn't right in the head and didn't have full control over himself during the time of the slaughtering. But still this portion of writing stands out and stays with the reader, adding to this ambiguous feeling the reader receives.
ReplyDeleteTruman Capote's novel, "In Cold Blood" is a riveting story of the Clutter family murder in 1959. Capote suggests that this novel is one hundred percent nonfiction; however, his bias towards Perry and exaggerated parts of the text can lead readers to believe otherwise. Capote is very biased towards the murderers. He includes a lot about their lives, before and after the murders. He is especially drawn towards Perry. Readers can tell this because Capote includes a lot of history about Perry and is also focused on him a good portion of the time. Capote includes a note from Perry's family (138-142) which suggests that his relationship with Perry might have been better. Capote does mention Dick's family but only for a brief moment (165-172): he does not include much personal information about Dick. Capote also uses details only the murderers should know leading readers to believe that possible embellishments could have occurred. All of these reasons could lead readers to question the nonfiction quality of the novel.
ReplyDeleteTruman Capote's In Cold Blood is a very good and interesting account of the Clutter family murders and murderers. Capote uses suspense to keep the reader captivated throughout the story. While the story does get dull in some places, the reader is compelled to continue reading because they want to know what eventually happens to Dick and Perry, as well as the citizens of Holcomb. This strategy is seen early in the book in the way Capote meticulously details the events leading up to the murders. He continues holding the murders just out of the reader's reach. He partially accomplishes this using cliffhangers whenever the story shifts perspective. On page 46, Capote details Perry's superstitions about their failed attempt to buy black stockings from nuns, "Maybe it's just as well. Nuns are a bad-luck bunch" (46). The reader is then left to think about Perry's thoughts and how his superstitious beliefs of bad luck foreshadow their eventual capture and hanging. In the meantime, Capote switches perspective to the Clutter family to keep the reader wondering how a peaceful family like the Clutters could become the target of Dick and Perry. This switch of perspective not only forces the reader to realize how unsuspecting and simple the Clutters' lives are, but it serves as a tool for suspense, causing the reader to wait even longer before the murders. Different techniques like this one are used throughout the novel for all of the important aspects of the murders and subsequent investigation. Overall this leads to a more interesting and engaging story. This type of suspense coupled with extensive foreshadowing causes the reader to continue reading, if only for the sake of finding out how Dick, Perry, and the Clutters' lives all eventually come to an end.
ReplyDeleteTruman Capote’s groundbreaking true crime novel “In Cold Blood” masterfully details the case of the murdered Clutter family. The majority of the novel is focused on the two murderers, Dick and Perry. The reader learns more about two criminals and their maturation from adolescence. While these personal accounts seem to be, at times, dull points in the story that distract the reader from the main subject matter of the story, they prove to be essential. When talking to a psychiatrist Perry states, “Would like to speak to you again. There’s much I haven’t said that may interest you,” (276). The two murderers were open about their lives and it gave Capote the opportunity to understand the true story. It gives the reader an idea of why Dick and Perry are the way that they are and it establishes credibility for what Capote claimed to be a non-fiction novel.
ReplyDeleteTruman Capote's In Cold Blood is unique in almost every way. Every thing from Capote's style of writing, to why an author from New York showed interest in the murder to begin with, makes one captivating masterpiece. The way capote switches between perspectives of all characters makes the reader understand the entire situation better than almost anybody at the time did. From describing the Clutters individually, to the in depth background of the criminals that almost makes you sympathize with them (or with perry anyways) until you find out all the details about the murder. He even gives the thought process of the detectives to let you know how the case was coming along, and describes their feeling of disgust that people could do such a thing. Capote ends his book with Dewey reflecting on meeting Susan Kidwell, afterwards he finally has closure about the whole case. Capote writes "Then, starting home, he walked toward the trees, and under them, leaving behind him the big sky, the whisper of wind voices in the wind-bent wheat." (343) This closing statement, focusing on Dewey, gives the whole book closure. It relates back to the beginning of the book when Capote was describing the serene atmosphere of Kansas, before the murders. It settles everything back down and makes everything seem like it's going back to normal. Dewey thinking about what Nancy would have looked like, and finally having closure ends the entire book in a rather strangely peaceful manner. I believe this is why this book is so strong and impactful. Capote found a way to use every person's emotions and thoughts to play a part in this masterpiece.
ReplyDeleteTruman Capote's "In Cold Blood" is a nonfiction novel that tells a story that most wish was fiction. This novel depicts the gruesome murder of the Clutter family, followed by accounts of where the murderers are at certain times after and during the investigation. This novel does a great job of putting the reader into the mind of the murderers. The reader sees how Dick and Perry compare and contrast during the novel because of Capote's writing style. Both Dick and Perry were in prison, which is where they met, but had quite different personality traits. Floyd Wells was in prison with Dick and had worked on the Clutter farm. He said that "not only had he known the murdered family, he knew very well who had murdered them" (160). This is because he told Dick about the money the Clutters had from working there. This detail helps to further characterize the murderers because it shows that Dick was more in charge and willing to do whatever necessary to get the money, while Perry followed his lead more and was the more paranoid one of the pair. As a whole, Capote characterizes all of the characters well, which makes for a novel that draws the reader in and makes them feel a range of emotions.
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ReplyDelete“In Cold Blood” is a nonfiction murder mystery novel written by Truman Capote. The novel follows the events before and after the violent murders of the Clutter family. The two murderers Dick Hickock and Perry Smith are mentioned early on in the novel and are the main members of the plot. The novel focuses on both the community of Holcomb and the murderers’ cross-country trip to Mexico and back. Capote shows the murderers’ humanity through exhaustive background information and extreme detail regarding their childhoods. From this information, Dick is seen as brawny and impulsive, while Perry is seen as sensitive and quiet. In Part One, Capote describes the Clutter family and their presence in Holcomb. This allows for an interesting exposition and a sense of loss from the reader’s perspective. He also describes the character regarding the Clutters with extreme detail. Capote describes, “But it was her eyes, wide apart, darkly translucent, like ale to the light, that made her immediately likable, that at once announced her lack of suspicion, her considered and yet so easily triggered kindness” (Capote 19). Capote describes Nancy Clutter in this manner to show her kindness and overall innocence. He wants the readers to really know the Clutter family and have a sense of sadness when they are disposed of by Dick and Perry. In Part Two, Capote describes the murderers’ trip to Mexico and the ongoing investigation back in Holcomb. The scene starts with people cleaning the murder scene within the Clutter home. Capote writes, “Gradually, as the cleaning party progressed from the basement to the second-floor bedrooms where Nancy and her mother had been murdered in their beds, they acquired additional fuel for the impending fire—blood-soiled bedclothes, mattresses, a bedside rug, a Teddy-bear doll” (Capote 78). Capote uses these “blood-soiled” images to give an accurate description of the murder scene and the horridness regarding the situation. Also within the chapter, Dick and Perry are off on their trip to Mexico with no real concern of being caught. In Part Three, Capote further explains the motive of the Clutter murders and ends with the capture of Dick and Perry. After their capture in Las Vegas, Perry tells the detectives what happened in the Clutter home that fateful November night. Perry explains, “Just before I taped him, Mr. Clutter asked me—and these were his last words—wanted to know how his wife was, if she was all right, and I said she was fine, she was ready to go to sleep…I thought he was a nice gentleman. Soft-spoken. I thought so right up to the moment I cut his throat” (Capote 244). This excerpt shows Perry’s lack of value for human life and his sickening ways of ending one. To make matters worse, the pair only gained around fifty dollars from the whole robbery. In Part Four, Capote describes the murder trial and eventual hangings of Dick and Perry. Capote also describes the conditions and time Dick and Perry spent on Death Row. After his years on death row, Perry walks towards The Corner. Capote states, “But after the warden asked if he had anything to say, his expression was sober. His sensitive eyes grazed gravely at the surrounding faces, swerved up to the shadowy hangman, then downward to his own manacled hands” (Capote 340). Perry had a very unsatisfactory life before and after the Clutter murders took place. He had a terrible childhood and frequently had outbursts of anger. Throughout his life he had no real notion of affection from other people. His final day on Earth revealed that, as he only attributed value to his own life. “In Cold Blood” is a fantastic novel with interesting twists and turns. The drama is basically dripping off from every page. The Clutter murders are even more dramatic, so much so that it is hard to read. Truman Capote did a fantastic job writing this nonfiction novel and deserved every bit of fame that came from its mass production. In short, the story regarding the Clutter murders is captivating and truly the definition of a page-turner.
ReplyDeleteTruman Capote’s crime novel “In Cold Blood” is considered a classic piece, masterfully composed and written. Truman Capote used countless hours and thousands of factual notes creating his nonfiction novel about the brutal murder of the Clutter family. However, perhaps the reason this work has captured the attention of so many fascinated readers is because Capote did not write this novel like the average nonfiction book. Capote uses unique techniques for the nonfiction genre, writing as if narrating a story. Instead of just countless facts on facts, Capote interrupts the flow of overwhelming information with interesting bits of fact-based stories, written similarly to a fictional text. Capote narrates, “She (Susan Kidwell) went out on the porch to meet him. She said, ‘I wanted so much to tell you.’ Bobby began to cry. Larry lingered at the edge of the Teacherage yard, hunched against a tree. He couldn’t remember ever seeing Bobby cry, and he didn’t want to, so he lowered his eyes” (73). Capote uses many character narrations before and after the murder of the Clutters. He writes his novel showing the inside minds of Perry and Dick, the murderers, the sweet girl that Nancy was, and the heartbreaking sadness that those friendly with the Clutters had to face. Capote tells the complete crime story using these methods to keep audiences completely captivated. He creates suspense and strong emotions within readers that stem from an attachment to the characters. Ones like Bobby Rupp, who cried in pain when finding out the fate of his high school sweetheart and her family. This strong narrative personality does not usually occur within a nonfiction piece of work, yet Capote achieves it whilst incorporating factual information. This is why “In Cold Blood” stands out from so many other nonfiction pieces and crime novels. It is, in every unique way, written to truly be a classic.
ReplyDelete"In Cold Blood", by Truman Capote is considered to be the first nonfiction novel. Capote writes about the murder of a family in a small town in Kansas. He begins he novel putting the readers in the Clutters lives. Telling us how they spent their time and getting us to connect with them. Shortly after he goes into the murder and why the killers targeted them. Truman Capote starts out the novel with a calm scenery image on page 3. He gives us a feel of the surroundings and just what the town was like. It gets the readers to see that nothing bad happens in this town. This book was a great way to start nonfiction books. It is definitely suspenseful and it captures the readers attentions. I know I couldn't put this book down.
ReplyDeleteOver all "In Cold Blood" is a very well written novel, however it is hard to say it is defiantly all factual. There are many aspects in the book that Truman Capote simply could not know for sure. For example in part one when Truman Capote is talking about the Clutter family he cannot know exactly what Kenyon and Nancy say to each other. Also Capote cannot know how the family was always dressed. Such as on page 17 when Nancy is coming down to answer the phone “Barefoot, Pajama-clad, Nancy scampered down the stairs.” (Capote 17). Even though these are small details that are added to make the story more appealing to readers it is wrong for Truman Capote to say that his book is strictly fact. There are many parts that are factual such as the police statements given by various people, and firsthand accounts from Dick and Perry. However without Capote being able to directly talk to the Clutter family he cannot say his book is fact.
ReplyDeleteTruman Capote's In Cold Blood is an enticing rendition of a horrific mass murder. His creativity allowed him to open up a whole new realm of writing, true crime. He used different points of views and a quick pace plot to keep the audience interested throughout the journey of the Clutter Murder Case. There were many times where Capote switches from the Clutters to Dick and Perry. This allows for the reader to keep a realistic timeline of the murders. Nancy notes, "Bobby here and we watched TV. Left at eleven" (57). Sentences later Capote comments, " Dick doused the headlights, slowed down, and stopped until his eyes were adjusted to the moon-illuminated night. Presently, the car crept forward" (57). Capote manages this sort of transition very well. He notes the time that Nancy was last seen without straight out commenting it. This use of narration adds flavor to his piece. Next he adds that Dick and Perry are just arriving at the Clutter house. This is an example of the timeline. The reader knows that all the Clutter's are home and that the killers are at the Clutter residence. This adds mystery in an understandable way. The reader's know what will happen, but the Clutter's do not. Once again the constant change from points of view allows the reader to experience the murder step by step in the victims and attackers eyes. Although, the piece is overall fantastic there seemed to be some subjectiveness to Capote's writing. He was known to have a liking for Perry, and it is seen throughout his writing. It does not take away from the overall plot, but it causes authenticity issues. Should the reader feel empathy for Perry and not Dick? Capote describes Perry, "...for Perry possessed a quality, the aura of an exiled animal, a creature walking around wounded..." (341). This simile resembling Perry to a wounded animal is very opinionated in nature. Many people would also think he is like a beast of nature, a killer. This allows the reader to feel empathy for Perry, and possibly change how the case and murders are viewed. It makes the reader feel sorry that Perry got hung, or that he should not have been put to death. The quote is overall depressing and sympathetic in nature. This same style was not used for Dick, and he did not even kill anyone. Instead of just facts Capote adds his feelings into the story. This does not make the piece bad at all, but it does make the reader question how nonfiction is this nonfiction piece. Overall this was an amazing read. Following the murders step by step and in all views was very interesting and insightful.
ReplyDeleteTruman Capote's "In Cold Blood" is an enticing, non-fiction novel focusing on the murders of the beloved Clutter family in Holcomb, Kansas. I find this novel to be too subjective in nature. Capote uses certain descriptions and adds certain things into the text to more humanize Perry Smith. In one instance he states, "A month passed, and another, and it snowed some part of almost every day. Snow whitened the wheat-tawny countryside, heaped the streets of the town, hushed them. The topmost branches of the snow-laden elm brushed against the window of the ladies' cell. Squirrels lived the tree, and after weeks of tempting them with leftover breakfast scraps, Perry lured one off the a branch onto the window sill and through the bars. It was a male squirrel with auburn fur. He named it Red..." This information doesn't necessarily need to be included, and this one excerpt is one of many examples of how Capote uses word choice among other things to get the reader's to feel bad for Perry Smith. Capote should have remained objective throughout the entire text if he wants to claim this piece as a true biography.
ReplyDeleteI do not believe Truman Capote's "In Cold Blood" was a good read, but it is an amazing piece of literature. The book is entirely too dragged out with needless commentary about people that are not relevant to the story in any way, shape, or form. That being said, the work is very well composed with telling us about the true account of the Clutter family murder. He gives us details that I personally loved to hear about, such as how he incorporates different citizen's viewpoints to bring the novel together. For example, he allows us to hear an account from Nancy's best friend, Susan Kidwell. Being a close friend of Nancy's, she does not take her death well, staying out of school until their funeral. She states "We were like sisters. At least, that's how I felt about her - as though she were my sister - ..." (Capote 94). Susan showed great pride in being Nancy's best friend, and Truman brings that to life by giving her full story. He allows the reader to be submersed in stories from all of the townsfolk of Holcomb, Kansas. Although his piece is not very fast paced, he shows great literary art throughout it.
ReplyDeleteWhile I personally enjoyed Truman Capote's "In Cold Blood" I found that calling it a non-fiction novel makes the reader very skeptical of the novel. We know because direct sources have told us that certain parts of the novel are completely inaccurate. One example of this is at the end of the book when Susan Kidwell says,"Nancy and I planned to go to college together"(342. Susan and Mr. Dewee have stated that this conversation never happened and it really makes you wonder how much of this text is actually "non-fiction". Since Capote has lied to our faces as the readers on multiple occasions how do we know that much of his conversations with Dick and Perry are not completely made up? So while it is entertaining, it does lose some of its value to be an this idea that it may not be very accurate.
ReplyDeleteTruman Capote's "In Cold Blood" was great in the fact that it deals really well with what went on inside the murderers' heads, when they were killing the Clutter family. The only turn off to this book that I have, is that it is a very slow read. It goes into so much unneeded detail that some of the pages are not even relevant to the story. An example of this is, "The family cat attacked the cocker spaniel that lived across the street, and now it seemed as if one of the spaniel's eyes might be seriously damaged" (163). I think that this book would have been better if there would have not been as many unneeded details dealing with characters that are not needed to be included in the story. Truman Capote obviously knew a lot about this story, and its murders and family. This book is very moving and sad because these two men took the lives of a whole innocent family, and did not feel any remorse at all. I am glad that in the end they got the punishment they deserved.
ReplyDelete“In Cold Blood” is a non-fiction murder mystery novel written by Truman Capote. The novel explains the events that occurred before and after the gruesome murders of the Clutter family. The two murderers were Dick Hickock and Perry Smith. Although I enjoyed this novel, I wish there wasn't as many unnecessary details. I feel like it made the story drag on and become boring. There is a lot of commentary that is said and done, but is never touched or brought up again. Furthermore, I believe the reason this novel captured readers attention so well is because it is not like many other non-fiction novels that most people read. This novel changes its point of view often, which kept me interested. The most interesting thing about this piece of literature is the emphasis and focus on the murderers throughout the entire story. The readers can see how Dick and Perry compare and contrast during the novel because of Capote's writing style. This is shown throughout the entire story, but an example is Dr. Jones stating, "Richard Hickock is above average in intelligence, grasps new ideas easily and has a wide fund of information. He is alert to what is happening around him, and he shows no sign of mental confusion or disorientation..."(Capote 294). This quote is just one of many where you learn more and more about the murderers, which as I stated, was my favorite part of the book. In the end, I feel like unnecessary details in the beginning of the book could have been deleted. I did not feel like knowing about Nancy's animals really fit into the story, but it may connect better with another reader.
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