The Murder Of The Clutter Family - 1135 Words

Many people say the documentation of the murder of the Clutter family is Truman Capote’s best work. It started out as an article for The New Yorker, and evolved into the non-fiction novel; the first of its kind. Capote traveled to Kansas with friend Harper Lee to research the killings. In the course of six years bringing this narrative together, Capote began taking drugs and drinking heavily due to the dark nature of the book. Truman Capote tells the true story of a family murdered in In Cold Blood, through character analysis and symbolism to prove nature is a stronger force than nature in shaping a person’s character. Capote expresses his idea of nature vs. nurture in Dick Hickock and Perry Smith and whether killers are born or made. With this in mind, he writes, â€Å"Dick became convinced that Perry was a rarity, ‘a natural born killer,’— absolutely sane but conscienceless, and capable of dealing with or without motive, the coldest-blooded deathblows† (205). This makes apparent Perry’s instincts to kill and Dick’s desire to manipulate Perry’s instincts to do so. Dick uses Perry as an image of who he wants to be, even though Perry feels shame and embarrassment. Capote inspects their motivations for the killings based on their backgrounds. Capote uses Perry as a sympathetic character; asking the reader if Perry’s life had been easier growing up, would he have committed the murders? A point often overlooked is Capote’s detailed exploration into Perry’s childhood and lifeShow MoreRelatedThe book In Cold Blood chronicles the events leading before and after murder of the Clutter family500 Words   |  2 PagesThe book In Cold Blood chronicles the events leading before and after murder of the Clutter family (consisting of Mr. and Mrs. Clutter and their two teenage children, Kenyon and Nancy) in Holcomb, Kansas. The family, brutally killed in 1959, lived a picturesque life; moreover, as no apparent motive could be deduced, neighbours in the small town grew suspect of each other. Capote’s book follows the killers Dick Hickock (Richard Eugene Hickock) and Perry Smith’s (Perry Edward Smith) journey whichRead MoreThe Clutter Family Roles In Truman Capotes In Cold Blood1281 Words   |  6 Pa gessequence of events that transpired before, during, and after the members of the Clutter family are unexpectedly murdered on November 15, 1959. He describes in detail the background of each of the main characters, which helps to clarify the motives of Richard Hickock and Perry Smith as they murder the Clutters. He illustrates how a positive or negative influence of an individual’s environment, lifestyle, and occasionally family can impact them into adulthood. These influences can determine the role thatRead MoreLiterary Analysis Of In Cold Blood By Truman Capote1080 Words   |  5 Pagesafter the Clutter family was murdered on November 15, 1959. He describes in detail the background of each of the main characters. This helps to clarify the motives of Richard Hickock and Perry Smith as they murder the Clutters. He illustrates how a positive or negative influence of a person’s environment, lifestyle, and sometimes family can either influence them to become contributin g members of society or make them turn to a life of crime, this is shown by Capote through the Clutters, Richard HickockRead MoreThe Relationship Between Herbert And Bonnie Clutter1399 Words   |  6 PagesThe famously known novel, In Cold Blood was written by Truman Capote and was published in 1966. The novel written by Capote was based on the 1959 murders of the Clutter family in Holcomb, Kansas. The novel later became a classic 1967 film directed by Richard Brooks. Throughout the film and the book, one seems to notice the multiple differences that occurs within both. While some viewers and readers may debate about the similarities and differences of In Cold Blood film v. In Cold Blood text, oneRead MoreTruman Capote s The Cold Blood Response1005 Words   |  5 Pagesawoken one morning to the unexpected and gruesome murder of the Clutter family. While reading this non-fiction novel I experienced the whole story through the eyes of the residents of Holcomb. We learned about the l ife of the Clutters before the murder, the life of the murders, and the final outcome of the trial. While reading this non-fiction novel I feel that I was there when the crime was committed. You get to know the people of this town, the murders, and the victims. In this paper I am going toRead MoreAnalysis Of Truman Capote s Cold Blood 1542 Words   |  7 PagesIn his 1965 novel In Cold Blood, Truman Capote chronicles the murder of the wealthy Clutter family and the subsequent capture and trial of their killers, Dick Hickock and Perry Smith. The events of the book play out over a period of nearly six years, from the crime’s conception to the execution of the murderers, supplemented by Capote’s numerous interviews with living members of the Clutter family, their neighbors, their murderers, and the detectives on the case. It is widely regarded as the firstRead More Truman Capotes In Cold Blood Essay example1295 Words   |  6 Pages3. Number of pages: 336 4. Theme (s): - Murder - Feelings 5. The Clutter family. Herb Clutter: He’s the father of the murdered family. He’s forty-eight yr. old. Herb is a normal man, who makes a living with the farm he owns. His social contacts in the neighborhood and the people of Holcomb community are very good, people love to talk with him and Mr. Clutter is a member of the agricultural society. Mrs. Clutter: She’s the mother of the family, and loves miniature things. She has two kidsRead MoreUse of Characterization in Truman Capotes In Cold Blood Essay examples944 Words   |  4 Pagesa key element of In Cold Blood. The characters can be divided into three groups: the Clutter family, the two murderers, and the characters who were emotionally attached to the murder. Each killers psyche is researched by Capote, and each is individualized by his specific psyche. Capote goes to great lengths to show that the townspeople viewed the Clutter family as an ideal American family. Mr. Herbert Clutter was the most successful farmer in Holcomb: He was, however, the communitys most widelyRead MoreBook Report On The Cold Blood Essay968 Words   |  4 Pagesnarrative focused on the murder of the Clutter family in the small Kansas farm town of Holcomb. This four part story explores the Clutter family’s dynamic; the detective of the case, Detective Albert Dewey; the two murders time of being undiscovered; and the time Dick and Perry have on Death Row. The first chapter, titled â€Å"The Last to See Them Alive,† begins with introducing the members of the Clutter family through the interviews of friends, family and neighbors. The father, Herb Clutter, is a strict, religiousRead MoreTruman Capotes In Cold Blood1591 Words   |  7 Pagestheme in American literature, and in Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood, the idealistic dream is critical ly evaluated. In this paper, I will explain the context of the work, and then I will compare and contrast Dick any Perry (the murderers) with the Clutter family (the murdered) in relation to the theme of the fragility of the American Dream. Capote wrote what he considered to be the first nonfiction novel. Simply defined a nonfiction novel is one in which an event is reported using traditional literary