In Cold Blood Analysis - 2480 Words

Connor Rethman Mrs. Franscell English 3 AP/Dual 2 Dec. 2011 Nonfiction on a New Level Crime and glimpses into the heads of criminal masterminds has always been something that fascinates people. Although crime is a terrible thing, the complexity and intricacy of it is something that people love to hear about. One can turn on the news at any given time and almost certainly hear an account of some form of a crime within ten minutes. In the novel In Cold Blood by Truman Capote, an account to a perplexing crime is taken to a whole new level. The Clutter family was a charming family of four that lived in the little town of Holcomb, Kansas. They were brutally murdered with no apparent motive by Dick Hickock and Perry Smith, two men that had†¦show more content†¦Capote develops the novel to a point that the reader feels like they are a part of the novel, primarily through imagery. Throughout In Cold Blood, Truman Capote uses multiple points of view. He starts out as an outside narrator that knows everything that is going on and everyone†™s thoughts. This is seen especially when introducing the Clutter family to the reader. When Capote was simply introducing the Clutters, he says, â€Å"†¦since his wife’s illness and the departure of the elder daughters, Mr. Clutter had of necessity learned to cook; either he or Nancy, but principally Nancy, prepared the family meals† (Capote 9). Outside narration allows the reader to know things about all of the characters that another form of narration could not provide. This gives the reader a clear understanding of the nature and lifestyle of these characters. Later in the story, Capote switches to first person narration. He has whole chapters composed of quotes from people that were important witnesses to the story. For example, Susan Kidwell, one of Nancy’s close friends, is the narrator of one of the chapters. When discussing Nancy, she said â€Å"We were like sisters. At least, that’s how I felt about her – as though she were my sis ter† (Capote 94). Capote provides this quote from SusanShow MoreRelatedIn Cold Blood Literary Analysis1577 Words   |  7 PagesLiterary Analysis of In Cold Blood In Cold Blood, written by Truman Capote, is a book that encloses the true story of a family, the Clutters, whose lives were brutally ended by the barrel of a 12-gauge shotgun. The killers were 2 men, each with 2 different backgrounds and personalities, each with his own reasons to take part in such a harrowing deed. Capote illustrates the events leading up to the murder in sharp detail and describes its aftermath with such a perspective that one feels that he isRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of In Cold Blood1782 Words   |  8 PagesIn Cold Blood Rhetorical Analysis Essay In Truman Capote’s captivating nonfiction, In Cold Blood, Capote ventures through the journey and lives of both the killed and the killers all while analyzing the point in which they crossed paths. From the days before the four Clutters were murdered to the last moments of the two killers’ lives, Capote takes into account each and every aspect that creates the ‘famous’ Clutter Case with an in depth look of just how and why these strange and unforeseeable eventsRead MoreThe Cold Blood : A Critical Analysis1965 Words   |  8 PagesIn Cold Blood: A critical analysis â€Å"There are two kinds of people - those who are changing and those who are setting themselves up to be victims of change.† You can rephrase the above statement in a thousand different ways. One might divide people into two groups, â€Å"good† and â€Å"bad†, the simplest of ways to categorize people. Then again, one could categorize people into two different groups, â€Å"people who like baseball† and â€Å"people who dislike baseball†. Like I said, you can say it in a thousand differentRead MoreIn Cold Blood Character Analysis963 Words   |  4 PagesIn Cold Blood by Truman Capote is a novel that explains the history of a family murder through two characters perspective. Capote unravels each character through the concept of juxtapose, which helps prevail the occurrence of events. Dick, is a very straight forward man that does not care about what others think. Whereas, Perry has a shy, conserved personality that is shown through transitions an d details. Juxtapose effects the readers and characters as explained throughout the novel by comparingRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Cold Blood 1431 Words   |  6 PagesWithin the pages of In Cold Blood, Truman Capote examines the two men involved in the murder of the Clutter family in somewhat different ways. Perry and Dick are compared in their narratives throughout the novel revealing that they have contrasting personalities. Capote provides a lengthy history of Perry’s past and, in contrast, very little than he does with Dick. He may do this in order to show the audience that there are dramatic differences between a vulnerable Perry and the cynical, cruel DickRead MoreIn Cold Blood Literary Analysis765 Words   |  4 PagesIn the nonfiction novel, In Cold Blood, written by Truman Capote a family The Clutter Family’ is brutally murdered by, Perry Edward Smith and Richard Eugene Hickock, two killers in the small farming community of Holcomb, Kansas. Writer Truman Capote was born on September 30, 1924, in New Orleans, Louisiana. Capotes nonfiction novels are seen as literary masterpieces. In Cold Blood is a non-fiction novel it was first published in 1966 and it details the deaths of the Clutter family, in the smallRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Cold Blood 1418 Words   |  6 Pagesrelatable and interesting characters. So much is learned about their feelings and lives that one can not help but almost look past their reckless ways. Both of these men have unique character traits that amalgamate in an intriguing way. Throughout In Cold Blood, Capote includes many instances that show how Dick and Perry, when combined, make the perfect murderer. Perry, the more personable of the two killers, has a traumatic life story that just about diminishes any hatred that would be felt towardsRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of In Cold Blood1590 Words   |  7 PagesThe book In Cold Blood is a nonfiction book about the murder of the Clutter family. Taking place back in the 1959s, Truman Capote writes about the events leading up to the murders, when the murders took place, and the aftermath. He tells the story in such a descriptive manner, that it feels like we were there when it happened. The purpose of writing like that is so we can know everyone’s side of the story, even people you wouldn’t ordinarily think of. He helps us feel like we were there when it happenedRead MoreIn Cold Blood Rhetorical Analysis668 Words   |  3 PagesThroughout In Cold Blood Capote goes through the lives of the killers, Dick and Perry. Both convicts released from jail and at first glance seem to have a lot in common, but as the book continues t he reader can see that the two characters are in fact very different. To characterize the killers Capote frequently uses flashbacks into their pasts, giving the reader a sense of what their lives were like and why they became who they are. Capote also utilizes detailed descriptions of the men’s appearancesRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book The Cold Blood 2963 Words   |  12 Pagesthe other woman. When the stories become associated with one another, the book is separated once again into a different part, telling their stories together, but with chapters separating their points of view on the shared story. In the novel In Cold Blood, the book is separated into four main parts: time before the murder, time leading up to murder, and time after the murder. Inside of the separate parts, the stories of the victims and the stories of the actual killers are separated by sections,