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Symbolism In Truman Capote's In Cold Blood

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Capote’s purpose in writing In Cold Blood changes as the story progresses. It starts with how someone’s carelessness can ruin an entire family and the whole village can be influenced by it. Earlier in the book, the Clutter family is, except two older sisters, killed by two murderers, Dick and Perry. Later, the motive of the murder is found as it is carelessness from Floyd who was Dick’s cellmate years ago. Floyd used to work at the Clutter’s farm and as he was telling Dick what kind of jobs he had, he told Dick how wealthy the Clutters are. Dick had told Floyd about that plan of robbery and killing all the witnesses in the Clutter’s house but Floyd thought that was just a lie. Yet, it actually happened. That small talk from Floyd eventually caused 4 people’s death. The death ended all the future dreams that were planned with Nancy and her friend, Susan. “Nancy and I planned to go to college together…” (342). Also, due to the death of the safest and the most well respected …show more content…

Floyd, who confessed how played a role in the Clutter family’s death and reported Dick and Perry, was called as a witness in court. Despite the honest confess, the lawyer was fearing him and telling the jurors about his history, being in and out of the jail several times. The lawyer questions Floyd’s credibility and his motivation, wondering if he has underlying reasons to testify. Just like the past and present, the perspective of society viewing criminals is not good.
The final purpose of writing In Cold Blood is hypocrisy of conventionalism. Death penalty is for murderers. The remaining question is ‘It is not fine for someone to murder someone else while the government can kill a person as a punishment?’ Before Perry was executed, he said, “I do not believe in capital punishment, morally or legally” (340). Capote truly wanted to tell the readers how hypocritical the government is on punishing people who are legally

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