In 1959, author Truman Capote traveled to Holcomb, Kansas to write about the chilling, real-life murderers of the Clutter family. After over five years of research, interviews, and writing, Capote published his seminal work: In Cold Blood. According to Capote, his 1965 publication was a turning point in American writing; the creation of “New Journalism” in the form of creative nonfiction. While the book was widely received and critically acclaimed, scholars have spent the last 50 years debating the validity of Capote’s work. After the analysis of several sources and becoming familiar with the book itself, it appears that Capote did not achieve his goal of writing the nonfiction novel. In order for a story to be considered nonfiction, it …show more content…
Capote believed that nonfiction could be “both as artful and as compelling as fiction” (Parker). The only reason that it was not is because nonfiction works were often written by journalists who were not able to “elevate it to the status of art” (Parker). Using a wide variety of literary techniques, Capote demonstrated the ability to take the story about the murder of the Clutter family, and turn it into an eloquent, intriguing work. In Cold Blood can be considered the work of a journalist because Capote reported on actual people and real events. However, his novel became a creative writing when he began inserting his own opinions into the story, and employing techniques such as imagery, symbolism, and metaphor into his work. For In Cold Blood to be classified as a nonfiction novel, it is crucial that it be a combination of both journalism and creative writing, yet Capote was not just focused on displaying the facts. While Capote did not create the nonfiction novel, he did manage to write a book many found impossible to stop reading. Not only did he write a captivating novel, but Capote also showed journalists the possibility of creating a journalistic style novel while incorporating creative writing
Sympathy for all Truman Capote was a well known author for Breakfast at Tiffany's, House of Flowers and his most famous In Cold Blood. The one he is most famous for, In Cold Blood, is about the spontaneous murder of the Clutter family; it sparked a new genre of writing - the nonfiction novel. The book describes how the detectives are solving the murders and also includes the perspective of the ones who committed the crime. Capote additionally encompasses the towns people’s outlook on the situation. He was able to create sympathy for all characters in this book, including the murderers and also show that there are always two sides to every story by using the rhetorical devices of pathos, foreshadowing and conceit to create the effect of giving
Digging into such dark territory had taken a toll on him psychologically and physically. Known to drink, Capote began drinking more and started taking tranquilizers to soothe his frayed nerves. His substance abuse problems escalated over the coming years." (A&E Network "In Cold Blood" para. 5). Capote left a large impression on western writing, and while his literary works received mixed critical reviews throughout his life, his controversial writing and his unique approach to nonfiction has left a legacy for those who follow in his
Charles Waddell Chesnutt." Critical Survey of Short Fiction: American Writers, edited by Charles E. May, Salem Press, 2012. Salem Online, online.salempress.com/articleDetails.do?bookId=239&ar ticleName=CSSFA M _10810120000104&searchText=the%20passing%20of%20grandison&searchOperators= exact&category= Literature.
In the book, “In Cold Blood,” Truman Capote takes us through the lives of the murderers and the murdered in the 1959 Clutter family homicide, which transpires in the small town of Holcomb, Kansas. The first chapter, “The Last to See Them Alive,” vividly illustrates the daily activities of the Clutter family—Herbert, Bonnie, Nancy, and Kenyon—and the scheming plot of Dick Hickock and Perry Smith up to point where the family is found tied up, and brutally murdered. In doing so, he depicts the picture-perfect town of Holcomb with “blue skies and desert clear air”(3) whose safety is threatened when “four shotgun blasts that, all told, ended six human lives”(5). Through the eyes of a picture perfect family and criminals with social aspirations, Capote describes the American Dream and introduces his audience to the idea that this ideal was no more than an illusion. Herbert Clutter: the character Capote describes as the epitome of the American Dream.
In Cold Blood, written by Truman Capote in 1966 tells the story of the murder of a prominent family in 60’s Kansas. Capote traveled to the small town of Holcomb, and befriended many of the townsfolk and the detectives involved in the trial to tell the story of a violent event that shaped this community for the decade until the eventual conviction and execution of the killers. Because of information being told, Capote makes the choice of writing his novel as if it were a news report. This journalistic structure and word choice helps to establish the serious and dark tone of the novel.
Fact and Fiction often share similar traits. Truman Capote captures the fictional genre by crafting his novel with real evidence and imagination. In Cold Blood contains comparisons that are obviously biased, including the perfect Clutter family and troubled Dick and Perry. Capote cannot rightly describe his book as a non-fiction novel because he ultimately uses his own imagination, and timetable too frequently. The intentional use of bias portrayed by Capote weakens the overall credibility of his novel.
In Cold Blood Rhetorical Analysis Typically upon hearing about a murder, especially a brutal and unwarranted one, we find ourselves feeling a great sense of disgust for the murderer or murderers who committed these crimes; however, in Truman Capote’s novel In Cold Blood, the lives and experiences of the murderers, particularly Perry Smith, are displayed in a way the makes you feel pity for him as well as the victims. When comparing Capote’s Novel to a typical news article on a similar topic it is easy to see the that Capote's style varies from typical journalism. An article written by Frances Robles and Nikita Stewart titled “Dylan Roof’s Past Reveals Trouble at Home and School,” discusses the childhood and background of Dylann Roof, a twenty-one
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
Truman Capote’s novel, In Cold Blood epitomizes the shifting sentiments related to the murder of the Clutter family which range from terror, to sorrow, to pride, and all mixed emotions in between. Yet through Capote’s particular descriptions about each character, the connection between their feelings and their actions become further clarified. In effect, the readers experience feelings of sympathy for the victims, their friends and family, the investigators, and even the brutal murders of the innocent family. In order to craft this association, Capote employs a pathos appeal to amplify the audience’s ability to sympathize with each and every character.
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
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
Growing up a Sociopath; Born a Psychopath In Cold Blood by Truman Capote is a true story of a quadruple homicide in the small town of Holcomb, Kansas that greatly impacted the community in 1959. Capote begins his novel by introducing a prominent, well respected family in the community, the Clutters. The Clutters lived average everyday lives until they were abruptly ended at the mercy of a 12 gauge shotgun. The killers were two men unknown to the Clutters, who had two completely different backgrounds and personalities. By choosing to include details about each of the killers, Capote delineates the differences between psychopaths and sociopaths and suggests that the combination of the two personality disorders creates the environment for horrific
Facts and Fiction: A Manipulation of Language in Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood English is a fascinating and riveting language. Subtle nuances and adjustments can easily change the understanding of a literary work—a technique many authors employ in order to evoke a desired response from their readers. This method is used especially in In Cold Blood by Truman Capote, a literary work which details a true event about the murders of four members of the Clutter family in the small community of Holcomb, Kansas, in 1959. Although Capote’s 1966 book was a bestseller nonfiction and had successfully garnered acclaim for its author, there is still a great deal of confusion about the distinction between the factual and fictional aspects in the book.
Often times, it is seen that certain themes in literature throughout the years is influenced by the society and current events of the era that would make the author inspired to write about such events. In the 1950’s during McCarthyism, also known as “The Second Red Scare,” hundreds of Americans, especially those that practiced the arts such as acting, singing and writing would be in danger of being accused without any evidence to be able to restrict any political complaints or any way of speaking out towards the government. These times were hard for authors such as Arthur Miller, in which they would have to face the risk of creating mediocre literature in exchange for peace or face the consequences of being blacklisted and being banned from
Capote demonstrates his purpose through the use of extraordinary syntax. During the introduction of the novel, the sentences are lengthy and structurally complex, in the same manner