Author, Truman Capote, in his non-fiction thriller, “In Cold Blood”, recounts the gruesome murder of the Clutter family in, Holcomb Kansas. Clutters purpose is to inform the public of what really happened to the Clutters and their killers. Truman uses pathos, allusion, and a sympathetic tone to describe the dismal story to the reader.
Capote begins the book by having the reader get to know the victims and their surroundings in Holcomb Kansas. Described as a flat, awesomely extensive, collection of buildings and farmland: Holcomb emulates the nostalgia of a small town in the nineteen sixty’s. Consisting of Herb, Nancy, Kenyon, and Bonnie Clutter Capote describes them as if they were part of the readers own family. Capote does this to play to the reader’s empathetic vulnerable mind. Continuing within part one the reader also gets abnormally acquainted with the two killers Dick Hitchcock and Perry Smith. The two men are described in a similar fashion as a “race of men who don’t fit in”. (Capote 94.) Dick a man who lived a privileged youth of academics and athletics abruptly ended by money issues and a car accident. And Perry a man who had an extremely troubled childhood and adulthood shattered by crime and a motorcycle accident.
To continue, the pity party Capote gives the reader details of the killer’s misfortunes. Perry whose legs were crushed in a motorcycle accident constantly has to take aspirin to mask his pain. And Dick a man whose face was “halved like an apple” and mental state not the same after the car accident is almost cliché the way it is introduced. After the reader has specifically learned about the Clutter family and the killers Capote uses the emotional tension to make the reader choose with whom they sympathize with more. This playing of two sides proves an emotional battle within the first part of the novel.
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As can be seen later in the book, Capote uses Allusion within his own text to foreshadow and connect major events within the storyline. By saying “so they break the hearts of kith and kin” (Capote 94.) alludes to the main event of the story. By killing the Clutters Dick and Perry have not only scarred the “kith” or friends of the Clutters but also the “kin” being the two remaining Clutter siblings. This quote also alludes strongly to the emotional damage Dick had caused upon his family. Dick’s parents knew he was changed after the accident but not to this level. After appearing in court and storming out it is apparent that dick had harmed more than just one family.
On the other hand, after the murders, Capote also alludes to Perry’s past life and childhood. This past of child abuse and sibling suicide forces the reader to acknowledge these shortcomings. Capote continues these allusions by saying “There is the curse of the gypsy blood”. By saying this Capote is clearly acknowledging the killers again. This gypsy blood or bad luck can be closely referenced to other key events within the plot.
The first of these examples would be the argument in the local diner. Perry clearly feeling remorseful about the previous night’s events tries to discuss with an insensitive Dick. When Dick finally acknowledges Perry’s concern they almost fight a cause a scene and have to leave quickly before alerting the authorities. Another example would be the series of fake checks Dick wrote. After leaving a paper trail of where the two killers were the “gypsy blood” lead the police to their exact location. Capote does this to keep the reader in a suspenseful mood.
Unusually, towards the end of the book, the reader is left with a deep sense of confusion regarding tone. Capote establishes a sympathetic mournful tone within the last few pages of the book. Capote remarks, “they are strong brave and true” (Capote 94.) referring to the killers. This single line gives the reader a sense of whose side Capote is on. Clearly speaking Capote takes the side of the killers but specifically Perry. Capote continues to establish this tone by putting Perry under a spotlight. Capote first shows his expressed care for Perry while he is on trial. He includes Perry’s unusual desire not to have Dick be responsible for any of the murders.
By including this Perry is being identified as an empathetic killer. This empathetic killer is continually spoken upon with great diction. Another example of the expressed empathy is the way Capote describes Perry’s cell in the Holcomb Jail. Perry is given the women’s cell in jail to keep him as far away from Dick as possible. Capote described the cell as a pleasurable hell of some sorts made light of a jail cell. He describes this cell as an escape for Perry where he would write in a journal and peer out the window at Holcomb.
Capote continues this tone by evoking feelings of remorse from the reader. After the killers have been transferred to “the corner” (death row) Capote still finds ways to empathize with Perry. Perry (in part four) has received a postcard from his father internally was a mess. Capote invokes the asking of the question “how couldn’t you feel bad for the guy?” frequently inside the readers’ mind. However, to the average person, this sympathetic feeling simply cannot be felt because the reader is put in a personal place. How could one not be enraged at one for killing their family? The answer is simple one cannot show sympathy. Capote established this tone but is it for the right reasons?
As shown above, Author Truman Capote, in his non-fiction thriller, “In Cold Blood”, recounted the gruesome murder of the Clutter family in, Holcomb Kansas. This somewhat morbid story reveals deep flaws within Capote. It shows something deep within him was wrong. To insert oneself into a crime scene and sympathize with the killer is humanly unacceptable. Although Truman uses pathos, allusion, and a sympathetic tone he uses them to convey the wrong message. This crime shook a small American town to its roots. Although wonderfully written the novel sympathizes with the wrong people and makes wounds deeper instead of healing them.
