Personal Review

As a person who is in love with crime novels and shows, this book came as a surprise for me. Used to the gradual progression of a novel and various red herrings, as a crime novel enthusiast, I was frustrated. Since the novel is based on a true story, I understand that Capote had restrictions when planning out his delivery of the plot. When finally accepting the fact that In Cold Blood would not be a regular crime novel, I slowly started to appreciate Capote’s style of writing. Given that he had an enduring task of describing the murder and trial without the liberty to add plot enhancements, his approach shines of pure genius. His ability to capture the minds of even the most biased readers (including me) is a testament to his skill with the pen.

It is interesting to see that Capote divided up his plot between the actual murder, the criminals, arrest, and the trial. This kind of division allows the reader to stay focused on the plot as it progresses. As a modern reader, I am not disadvantaged by the fact that this story takes place over 40 years ago. His ability to accurately depict the social conditions and implications made by them allows the reader to understand the crime according to circumstances unique to the time period.

Finally I’m slightly conflicted when accepting the fact that this book is non-fiction. Although the author presents the case with tremendous amounts of information as it is implied that the “journalist with whom [Dick] corresponded and was periodically allowed to visit him” was Capote (331), the author seems to have infused some implications of his own. It is constantly argued that Capote had a soft spot for Perry. There are numerous occasions on which the author feels for Perry and his troubled childhood whereas Dick is portrayed to be a cold-hearted criminal who deserves to be in the situation he is. Assuming that Perry’s physiological evaluations were conclusive, Capote’s emphasis on Perry’s “helplessness” adds doubt to the veracity of his writing even though his emphasis might shed light on other angles for reasons of the murder.

Other than my personal reservations on Capote’s unbiased report on the Holcomb murders, In Cold Blood is a one-of-a-kind plot. 

Text Connections

            Since this novel is based on a true story it lends it self to many connections to the real world. Capote himself alludes to many outside sources within the book. He alludes to Greek temples as he proclaims that “the land is flat, and the views are awesomely extensive; horses, herds of cattle, a white cluster of grain elevators rising as gracefully as Greek temples are visible long before a traveler reaches them” (3). It hardly seems coincidental that he picked Greece for a description of the Kansas landscape since it was a civilization with many successes followed by its ultimate downfall; a trend that is foreshadowed in Holcomb later.

            It is also revealed that Nancy Clutter alludes to a character in Wuthering Heights named Heathcliff. Although she is describing a minor character, the level of detail is once again applauded. The fact that Capote was able to pick up on such a minor detail gives credence to his research and his portrayal of the story.

           Capote’s style of switching between the murderer’s point of view and the Clutters’/Holcomb community’s point of view is a stylistic choice also employed by the author of Flipped, Wendelin Van Draanen. Although Van Daraanen chooses to take a he-said-she-said approach, the fact that both the plots are divided in such a way suggests a commonality between the books.

            Finally I had flashbacks to when I read Monsters on Maple Street, when the community of Holcomb was in frenzy the days subsequent to the murders. It is also suggested by Bess Hartman that the murderers could be someone they knew. In both stories the individuals of the community started second-guessing their neighbors and everybody went into a level of panic and mistrust.

Syntax

·  “The Detective Division of the Las Vegas City Jail contains two interrogation rooms-fluorescent-lighted chambers measuring ten by twelve, with walls and ceilings of Celotex. In each room, in addition to an electric fan, a metal table, and folding metal chairs, there are camouflaged microphones, concealed tape recorders, and, set into the door, a mirrored one-way observation window” (215).

In this passage the reader is given a detailed description of the interrogation rooms that Perry and Dick face. It would have seemed less strenuous to explain that they had simply entered a small room with uncomfortable accommodations. These extremely detailed sentences are long and pact with abundances of minute details that allow the reader to fully experiences the views of both Perry and Dick. This kind of elaborate sentence structure is stylistic choice prevalent throughout the book and is one of the many reasons why In Cold Blood is considered a literary masterpiece.

·  “Anyone visiting the sheriff’s office, three under-furnished, over-crowed rooms on the third floor of the county courthouse, could detect an odd, almost sinister atmosphere” (190).

In this loose sentence, Capote employs the use of an asyndeton to better convey the atmosphere stated in previous sentence. He claims “secrets are an unusual commodity in a town the size of Garden City” (190). Cy combining numerous descriptive phrases, Capote is able to describe reasons as to why secrets would be impossible to hide. This syntactical device is effective in that it is able to communicate details without lengthy explanations.

·  “I remember—I think it was Monday—we drove down to the river. We parked on the bridge. You can see the house from there—the Cluttler house. And part of the land—Mr. Cluttler’s fruit orchard, and the wheat fields going away” (94).

Capote uses dashes as a method to convey interruptions between Susan Kidwell’s thought processes. The abrupt nature of the sentences allows the reader to imagine what she would sound like if they were to hear her speak. The main purpose of this particular type of sentence structure is to communicate the progression of Kidwell’s narration of the memory she has of Nancy Clutter.

·  “‘I was sore at Dick. The tough brass boy. But it wasn’t Dick. Or the fear of being identified. I was willing to take that gamble. And it wasn’t because of anything the Clutters did. They never hurt me. Like other people. Like people have all my life. Maybe it’s just that the Clutters were the ones who had to pay for it’” (290).

This passage is littered by short telegraphic sentences Perry uses to justify his actions. The main purpose of the terse sentence fragments is to convey Perry’s thought process as he convinces himself about his own motives. These sentences are supposed to mirror Perry’s thoughts as he slowly identifies his true reasons for killing such an unsuspecting family. There is a change in syntax as the sentences becomes longer and more confident nearing the last few phrases as it comes clear that Perry has come up with what  he thinks is a logical reason for his motives

Diction

Truman Capote’s use of diction is key when narrating In Cold Blood. Since his choice of words creates a unique tone, he is immaculate in choosing ones that convey a meaning closest to the reality. When narrating the murder scene, the reader is taken aback when discovering the dialogue between Perry and Nancy. When talking to Dewey, Perry claims that “[he] roped her feet together and tied her hands behind her back. Then [he] pulled up the covers, tucked her in till just her head showed. There was a little easy chair near the bed…She told me quite a lot about herself. About school, and how she was going to go to a university to study music and art” (242). Capote includes this piece of information to characterize Perry. The calm tone of Perry contrasts situation. When describing the event Perry uses phrases such as “pulled up the covers,” tucked her in,” and “little easy chair” to suggest that he was quite comfortable with Nancy and had no intention of killing her. The almost father-like tone created by this dialogue creates a different dimension within Perry.

Capote cleverly includes statements made by Dick hours prior to his execution. When Dewey is talking to an individual sitting next to him during the execution, the individual claimed, “ Hickock’s got a sense of humor. They was telling me how, about an hour ago, one of the guards says to him, 'This must be the longest night of your life,’ And Hickock, he laughs and says, ‘No. The shortest’” (338). The fact that Dick can joke about his “shortest” night of his life suggests that he is the archetypical criminal. Capote also mentions that Dick greeted them with “his most charming smile; it was as if he were greeting guests at his own funeral” (339). This sentence is especially interesting as his carefree tone furthers Dick’s psychopathic personality and a hint of sarcasm is revealed when he was “greeting guests” since they were anything but because the men he greeted “requested permission to attended the execution” (339). The calm tone created by both Dick’s dialogue and his actions are critical in analyzing Dick as a ruthless killer.

As his final chance to convey Perry’s “innocence,” Capote chooses to detail Perry’s last actions meticulously. He remembers that Perry “stopped chewing a hunk of Doublemint gum he had in his mouth, and grinned and winked at Dewy, jaunty and mischievous…” and later recalling that he claim “‘It would be meaningless to apologize for what I did. Even inappropriate. But I do. I apologize’” (340). By choosing to provide phrases such as "chewing a hunk of Doublemint gum"and characterizing Perry's actions as  “jaunty and mischievous” Capote creates a sympathetic tone through his final child-like characterizations of Perry. It becomes clear that Capote views him as a helpless “child” under the inescapable rule of Dick.

Dewy imagined the moments subsequent to Perry’s execution would include an “a sense of climax, release, [and] of a design justly completed. Instead he discovered himself recalling an incident of almost a year ago, a casual encounter in Valley View Cemetery, which in retrospect, had somehow for him more or less ended the Clutter case” (341). The fact that Dewey is met with the idea of “Valley View Cemetery” contrasts the feeling he hoped to have. This automatically invokes a solemn tone. Through Dewey’s thoughts after the execution, Capote is able to convey that even though the case is now officially closed, Dewey would not have a sense of freedom just yet since he had just witnessed a murder of a slightly different kind thus diminishing any hopes for a joyful ending.

Rhetorical Devices & Analysis

"After the rain or when snowfall thaw, the streets, unnamed, unshaded, unpaved, turn from the thickest dust in to the direst mud” (3). -Alliteration

“Like the water of the river, like the motorists on the highway, and like the yellows trains streaking down the Santa Fe tracks, drama, in the shape for exceptional happenings, had never stopped there” (5). –Repetition

“It was ideal apple-eating weather; the whitest sunlight descended from the purest sky, and an easterly wind rustled, without ripping loose, the last of the leaves on that the Chinese elms” (10). –Imagery

“The mood of misery that descended never altogether lifted; it lingered like a cloud that might rain or might not” (27). – Smile

“Dick, who took a dim view of Willie- Jay, and called the letter ‘Just more of Billy Grahamcracker’s hooey.’ Adding, F****** of scorn!’ He’s the f*****’” (44). –Invective

“When is comes to murder, you can’t respect grief. Or privacy. Or personal feelings” (85). – Terse sentence/ anaphora

Another reason, the simplest, the ugliest was that this hitherto peaceful congregation of neighbors and old friends had suddenly to endure the unique experience of distrusting each other…it was someone within ten miles of where we stand now’”(88). Polysyndeton.

“Among Garden City’s animals are two gray tomcats who are always together—thin, dirty strays with strange and clever habits” (246). –Metaphor

The fact that the book is divided into chapters that explain what is simultaneously happening in lives of the Clutters and the murders- Juxtaposition.

“Because where else could have seen a gardens like that? With white marbles? Fountains” (93). –Rhetorical Questions

“Now, on this final day of her life, Mrs. Clutter hung in the closet the calico housedress she had been wearing, and put in one of her trailing nightgowns ad a fresh set of white socks” (30). -Foreshadowing

            It is interesting to analyze In Cold Blood from a rhetorical standpoint. Truman Capote’s writing style is one of the many reasons as to why it is considered a masterpiece. One would not have difficulty finding utilization of rhetorical strategies in his writing since Capote employs them on numerous occasions.

            When reading the book, one is immediately met with some of Copote’s many similes. Although a rather elementary form of description, he is able to convey important information to the reader. In the first half of chapter one, the author focuses on establishing a sense of the current situation. Though similes, Copote is able to provide crucial detail on the characters and their surroundings. In the following chapters, the author uses similar strategies to convey the crime, the fleeing of the murderers, the trail, and the hanging.

            Another device heavily employed is the use of imagery. Imagery works hand in hand with the juxtaposition of the surroundings the author tries to establish when switching off between the Clutters and the murderers. Each section usually begins with a description of the setting; whether that includes the climate or a person. It is ironic that Capote chooses to start the chapter subsequent to the murders of the Clutters with a weather  that is “gloriously bright skied, [and] as glittery as mica” (77). This juxtaposition is consistent in following chapters.

            Among other intelligently utilized devices, Copote chooses to foreshadow many events. This amount blatant foreshadowing creates a case of dramatic irony, where the reader is almost sure about what is going to happen in the future. This creates a heightened tension in the book, thus adding to the overall reception of the plot.