Additionally, Capote expressed the idea of there being two sides to every story for both the protagonist and antagonist. By doing so, he used a unique writing style to help develop the story. In Cold
The last section was my least favorite. It seemed as if Capote kind of ran out of ways to write so he began to throw things together. It involved him comparing the other stories related to murder instead of him writing more about Dick and Perry 's murders. You could sense Dick kept trying to get out of the death penalty while Perry sort of gave up. I think the underlying themes of this book involve wealth, family, self-image, and mental issues.
Capotes creates sympathy for Detective Dewey by allowing the reader to think about what it would be like to have family member who is extremely involved in work about the
Contrastingly, the opposite opinion is revealed through the character Alvin Dewey in the book. Capote writes about Dewey’s beliefs on the case: “[The Clutter family] had experienced prolonged terror, they had suffered. And Dewey
Truman Capote uses variety of language devices such as diction, similes and symbolism to vividly develop Perry Smith in his novel In Cold Blood and reveal aspects of the murder. Perry Smith is a sensitive, somewhat frightening and psychologically unstable character, but then again
With use of antithesis Capote demonstrates the array of characters Perry has followed, undeterred by their personality or motives. Dick, a serpent slithering venomous thoughts into the brain of a naive Perry, and Willie-Jay, a spiritual leader provoking hope and confidence from a vulnerable man. While describing a dream in which a snake is preventing Perry from reaching an aspiration, Dick retorts, ¨So? The snake swallows you? Or what?¨ (Capote 92.)
While Dick’s attempt to profit from Perry originates from a lie that Perry creates in order to gain Dick’s respect, the language that Capote uses to illustrate Dick’s exploitation does not leave room for excuses or sympathy. The tone indicates Dick has malicious intention in befriending Perry, which gives the readers a cynical impression of him. Furthermore, Dick is seen to be disregarding of the gravity of his crimes, especially as he replies to Perry’s comment, “I think there must be something wrong with us" (Capote 114) to commit the murder like they did, in which Dick replies, “Deal me out, baby, I'm a normal,” and continues to entertain the thought, “ But Perry—there
He had arrived home at noon, kissed his mother, readily replied to questions that his father put concerning his supposed overnight trip to Fort Scott, and sat down to eat…” (Capote 73). Through the structure of the text, Capote reveals Dick’s true self, by first showing Perry being ashamed of what he did to the family, then transitioning into Dick being unaware of the effects of his actions. Dick is a psychopath, that he can go about his day, unphased by his actions. Capote goes on about Dick’s day, which seems to be a laundry list, and enhances the fact that Dick is more blameworthy for the situation.
Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood is a retelling of the true account of two men slaughtering four members of a prosperous Kansas family on the night of November 15th, 1959. Capote’s factual story of the murders of the Clutter family, the arrest of two convicts, the trial and the convictions garnered widespread media attention and fame for Capote. However, In Cold Blood has been critically analyzed by both worlds of fiction writers as well as journalists on claims that the book is “immaculately factual” (Plimpton). In In Cold Blood, Truman Capote delivers a single cohesive narrative of a true account which is worthy of being considered an influential work in a new literary genre: “The Non-Fiction Novel” (Plimpton).
Through myriad sources, Capote gathers his intelligence. He talks to Alvin Dewey, Dick, and Perry. He intertwines what he learns to make it appear as if he is with the townspeople, the murderers, and the Clutters at every moment in the story. The level of detail can be intriguing to the reader. Unfortunately, details are where the book verges away from reporting to storytelling.
Capote uses other methods, such as quoting a Mrs. Meier talking to her friends about how she feels bad for Perry, he is able to create more sympathy. (308). Using short and simple sentences, Capote gives her a hopeless and heartbroken tone. This social encounter portrays to the readers that even a citizen of the city in which this crime occurred could recognize a redeeming quality in Perry upon hearing his backstory . Earlier in the novel the reader sees Perry as sympathetic and forgiving towards Dick’s parents.
Capote throughout the book really analyzes the killers of the Clutter family, even sympathizing them. Capote's masterpiece has left a lasting impression on me with the way he evaluates and humanizes the killers. The book reads like a suspenseful horror novel, but every word
In 1966, Truman Capote published the novel In Cold Blood that pierced the boundaries of literary genres, as he narrated the events of the 1959 Clutter family massacre in the small town of Holcomb, Kansas and the quest that took place afterwards through the perspectives both the murderers and those looking for them. As Capote bends these genre normalities, he ventures with the killers and the detectives and describes the murderers’ lives in-depth to further characterize Dick Hickock and Perry Smith--their psychological states and the possible contributing factors to their undeniable personality disorders. A mental health professional ultimately diagnoses the killers with mental illnesses rather than chronic personality disorders, an injustice still commonly made today in the psychology field, and determines them to have known right from wrong in terms of their crime. Throughout this novelistic journey, Capote explores the distinction between psychopathy and sociopathy, specifically the textbook lack of remorse and guilt, the mask antisocial individuals tend to display as their public persona via falsified charm and manipulation, and overall moral compass, or lack thereof, between the two.
My entire life has changed due to my kindness. Therefore, should I no longer be kind? Why offer my assistance to others if the outcome is penalization? These questions torment my mind; do I acknowledge what's happening around me, or should I just drive by? All I wanted to do was help people, and now, all I do is suffer.
In a “Jug of Silver”, Capote uses visual description to provide the picture of what the reader sees the characters as. The details Capote used
