Reading Log From Cold Blood Essay

Truman Capote's "In Cold Blood" is the story of Perry and Dick and the night of November 15, 1959. This investigative, fast-paced and straightforward documentary provides a commentary on the nature of American violence and examines the details of  the motiveless murders of four members of the Clutter family and the investigation that led to the capture, trial, and execution of the killers.

While reading the book “In Cold Blood” you are introduced to the Clutter family one by one. You learn that Herb Clutter is the head of the house. He is well liked and respected by the townspeople. Mr. Clutter was a

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 events occurred. What was originally supposed to only be an article in a newspaper turned into an entire book with Capote analyzing both how and why a murder comes to be through the use of pathos, juxtaposition, and foreshadowing.

Upon murdering the Clutter family, Perry Smith and Richard “Dick” Hickock are housed in a jail as they await their trial, which would bestow upon each of them a charge of death by hanging. While in limbo, Perry Smith receives a letter from Don Cullivan, a friend he had once known while serving in the United States Army. In his letter, Cullivan states “my brother died of leukemia… He

Capote's structure in In Cold Blood is a subject that deserves discussion. The book is told from two alternating perspectives, that of the Clutter family who are the victims, and that of the two murderers, Dick Hickock and Perry Smith. The different perspectives allow the reader to relive both sides of the story; Capote presents them without bias. Capote masterfully utilizes the third person omniscient point of view to express the two perspectives. The non-chronological sequencing of some events emphasizes key scenes.

The dynamic partnership between Dick and Perry stems from their egos, or lack thereof. Perry is especially self-conscious, and his behavior as presented in the book is due to his sense of lacking and

Essily gazed ruefully through the exceptionally clean window. It was square, except for a semicircle at the top, and had a gilded frame. There was a plush lavender velvet seat which she sat upon now, with a bed surrounded by gauzy white curtains.

"so sorry, but i'm sick had to skip class and leave work early today - i'm going to have to skip tonight. how about Saturday?"

“But afterward the townspeople, theretofore sufficiently unfearful of each other to seldom trouble to lock their doors, found fantasy re-creating them over and over again—those somber explosions that stimulated fires of mistrust in the glare of which many old neighbors viewed each other strangely, and as strangers.”

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 is right there with the culprits, whose names are Dick Hickock and Perry Smith. They had very critical roles in the murder and how they themselves were caught, and in many ways they were foils for one another. Through Capote's extensive descriptions

Mr.Hickok soon takes the stand to announce that his son wasn't right in the head after an accident he had been in but was contradicted by his son’s theaving before the accident . After him was Dr. Jones who stated that he believed that only Hickok knew right from wrong and Perry was developing a mental illness and he murdered the Clutters without an apparent motive. Both Richard and Perry were found guilty of 4 counts of first degree. The murderers were taken to Death Row or ‘The Corner’ a room which everyone was confined a small room with a cot,a toilet, a basin, and light bulb that never went out . Another person on death row was Lowell Lee Andrews (Andy), who the men became very close to and Perry was very jealous of , murdered his entire family and tried to blame it on a robbery. He was hung on a very cold night the guards even took Andy’s glasses . Before Andy was hung Perry wanted to take his own life in another way...starvation. He refused to eat and was being forced fed after five days of starving

The 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 happened by effectively and efficiently using the rhetorical strategies. The rhetorical strategies I feel were most important to the story were pathos, logos, and the tone. The way Capote uses these rhetorical strategies and literary devices is

“In Cold Blood” by Truman Capote is a nonfiction book based on a real crime happened in the peaceful town of Holcomb, Kansas. Capote wrote from both victim and criminal side to show both thoughts and point of view of the story to avoid the one-sided account. In the book, Truman Capote, a former journalist and the author of “In Cold Blood” is making readers feel sympathy for Perry since Capote befriended with Perry while interviewing him. Capote uses of pathos and strong diction effectively in order to evoke sympathy for Perry’s childhood environment and deleterious effect it had on Perry’s mind. To begin with, Capote uses emotional appeal in order to illustrate Perry’s devastating past.

The captivating story of In Cold Blood by Truman Capote is a beautifully written piece describing the unveiling of a family murder. This investigative, fast-paced and straightforward documentary provides a commentary of such violence and examines the details of the motiveless murders of four members of the Clutter family and the investigation that led to the capture, trial, and execution of the killers. As this twisted novel unravels, Capote defines the themes of childhood influences relevant to the adulthood of the murderers, opposite personalities, and nature versus nurture.

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.