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Violence In Truman Capote's In Cold Blood

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In the novel In Cold Blood, by Truman Capote, many relationships are tested and different perspectives of trust, and determination are seen when a tragedy hits the small town of Holcomb, Kansas. In 1959, Herbert, Bonnie, Nancy, and Kenyon Clutter were all murdered, leaving no trace of the potential killer. Their deaths were gruesome, and unpleasant, leaving the whole community of Holcomb terrified. Within the piece of literature, the main controversial issue present is the topic of violence. Although In Cold Blood displays scenes with very gruesome violence, it should be included in high school Advanced Placement curriculum because it explains the reality of the situation, and displays the different perspectives of trust when the murder of …show more content…

In addition, the book makes a bold statement about the breach of trust that can occur when a violent crime strikes a small community. In the small community of Holcomb, the breach of trust occurs solely when the Clutter family was murdered. The Clutter family was thought of very highly throughout their community, and most everyone was extremely fond of their company, so it was an enormous shock that a family that felt so safe and secure would endure this kind of tragedy. For example, in the text it states,"But afterward the townspeople, therefore sufficiently unfearful of each other to seldom trouble to lock their doors, found fantasy re-creating them over and again-those somber explosions that stimulated fires of mistrust in the glare of which many old neighbors viewed each other strangely, and as strangers."( Capote 5). This quote directly states exactly how the entire community responded after learning of the murder, and how terribly it had affected all of the residents in the town. This contrasts from modern day because back in the 1950s, most everyone felt safe in their community, and could never even imagine such a tragedy occurring. Today, with all of the violence and controversy in the world, many feel frightened just to walk outside to the mailbox in fear of violence and crime within those neighborhoods. Therefore, showing the vast difference between the two time periods, and making a bold statement about the breach of trust in both time

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