The overall message of the novel “In Cold Blood” by Truman Capote is that the naivety of small town life can lead to a fear of the unknown. The village of Holcomb is an isolated town located in the middle of nowhere. The Clutters house is said to be “situated at the end of a long, lanelike driveway shaded by rows of Chinese elms” and “the handsome white house, standing on an ample lawn of groomed bermuda grass, impressed Holcomb; it was a place people pointed out” (Capote 12).
This imagery used to describe the home of the Clutters conveys their isolation, and shows that even though they are very wealthy and successful they are still vulnerable do to their isolation in their small secluded town. By beginning his novel with the description of the small and isolated village of Holcomb, Capote was able to build off of the townspeople’s innocence to show that it made them vulnerable to problems to come.
The murder of the Clutters has a very strong impact on the people of Holcomb. It makes them aware that there is a world beyond their small town, and a widespread sense of fear and hatred begins to form amongst the townspeople. It changed them, and “many old neighbors viewed each other strangely” (Capote 5). Capote described that this caused former friends and neighbors to start distrusting each other. Their usual naivety brought on by their small town life ends up causing them problems, because they are now forced to be put on the pedestal because of these murders. By showing the effects of a devastating murder on a small town, Capote is able to portray that the naivety of small town life leads to problems because it causes the townspeople to distrust one another rather than coming together.
Truman Capote’s novel “In Cold Blood” is still important today because it brings light to important themes that continue to prevail in society. By writing this novel he was able to expose some of the problems that small town life can cause. He is able to make the reader aware that isolation and avoidance of things that bring fear only leads to problems overall. This allows the reader to learn that being human we tend to shelter ourselves from things we don’t want to face, but eventually they will catch up to us.
