Truman Capote Research Paper

He implied these ideas to one of his best-known novel In Cold Blood—he called it the “nonfiction novel”—regarding four members of the Clutter family who were savagely murdered in a small town of Holcomb, Kansas on November 15, 1959 by two criminals named Dick and Perry. This is the reason many critics would probably assert why Truman Capote wrote In Cold Blood in the first place—to create a new genre in order to get

First, Capote involves his reader. "This immediacy, this spellbinding 'you-are-there' effect, comes less from the sensational facts (which are underplayed) than from the 'fictive' techniques Capote employs" (Hollowell 82). Capote takes historical facts and brings in scenes, dialogue, and point of view to help draw the reader in (Hollowell 82).

(308). Earlier the sentences were long and complex. Capote uses semi-colons, many commas, and rhetorical questions. When Capote changes from long sentences to short, consecutive sentences, this is effective to the comprehension of the book. The short sentences also creates diction in the book.

The diction Capote uses is vapid yet magnetic. He uses words such as “haphazard hamlet” and “unnamed, unshaded, unpaved” as attention grabbers. Capote entangles long, slow sentences with with alluring adjectives to keep the reader interested while still expressing the idea

Truman Capote writes a genius book about a real murder that happened and he tore the case apart to find out every detail that happened in the crime. In Cold Blood is about two men who almost get away with a hostile murder of a family. How a lead detective on the case gets so pressured about finding these men. It is also about the anxiety that these murders put on the killers because one of them is afraid they are going to get caught. The town that turns on each other and locks their doors at night and prays no one comes in. Capote’s purpose in this book was sympathizing with the killer and all the other people in the book, also in the book he presents foreshadowing, and Pathos, he has many other Rhetorical Strategies but these are the important Strategies.

Written in a time period in which people who are found guilty are immediately assumed as such, Truman Capote was able to write a non-fiction novel, In Cold Blood, that had characters that he believes deserve to be seen as humans, even victims themselves, rather than criminals. Truman Capote manipulates language elements, achieving his purpose of telling a story that shows the potential corruptness of the criminal justice system and plays toward the humanity of the criminal rather than the viciousness of the crime.

Capote wrote his novel, In Cold Blood: A True Account of a Multiple Murder and Its Consequences, brilliantly and beautifully by portraying the feelings and secrets of the community, the Clutter family, and the criminals. Capote provided background and details of the murder in a small town Kansas. He would not have been able to write this nonfiction novel had it

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 life

The second most important rhetorical strategy Capote used is logos. Many people probably think that logos is the most important rhetorical strategy- but I disagree. You need logos to accurately tell all sides of the story, yes, but you need pathos to make it truly worth reading, in my opinion. Pathos is what makes it interesting, it draws out your emotions, leaves you hanging on every word, making you never want to put down the book. Logos is extremely important,

Truman Capote's writing techniques are an essential component to the overall effect that his message gives to the readers. The use of rhetorical as well as literary devices work hand in hand to show the reader just exactly what Capote was trying to convey through his words. At first glance, it may be difficult to decipher the message, however once one digs deeper the message becomes much clearer. Capote wants the audience to understand the importance of living life to the fullest because it can change drastically in the matter of minutes. Although he explains very little that directly relates to his true purpose, his subtle use of stylistic devices work in cohesion to express his ideas, thus the importance of living life to the fullest at all times is greatly emphasized.

As Capote is pitiful towards Perry, the story written may be biased which is where the fictional qualities of his book lies. Also, the author knows too much than he could possibly know. For instance, Capote knows that Herb Clutter had

Almost two decades after his initial exposure to Capote's novel, Swanson discovered it was still a "brilliant study of crime and punishment" being more "haunting than ever" (32). When Swanson first read the novel, he was more impressed with Capote's "audacity" and stylistic techniques than

To Capote his writings were everything, they were his passion he didn’t want to do anything but that and that’s what he did. Being so dedicated to write good stories came naturally to him and paid off in the end with his famous novels, two of which are now movies. Truman Capote’s childhood is not what anyone would guess of such an amazing and inspiring writer. He was neglected and forgotten about by his parents, which is not what you would expect of such a talented writer.

Capote was born in New Orleans as the son of a salesman and a 16-year-old beauty queen. His father worked as a clerk for a steamboat company. He never stayed with any job for long, and was always leaving home in search of new opportunities. This put a strain on his parent’s

Through his numerous short stories, fiction novels, and even nonfiction novels, Truman Capote has notably been considered one of America’s most prominent literary writers of the twentieth century. The numerous conflicts in which Capote dealt with in the earlier parts of his life led him to procure solace in writing (McMillan). Emerging as a prolific author who was commonly known for his excellent usage of prose, Capote came to publish the notorious nonfiction novel, In Cold Blood, in 1966. During Capote’s era, Southern Gothicism, a literary genre associated with dark and grotesque themes, increasingly prevailed (Bjerre). Capote’s novel became an atypical work in the genre, though, as he transformed a work of literary nonfiction into what seemed as though a “factional” piece-- a true novel in which incorporated fictional elements of Southern Gothicism (“Slouching Toward Popularity). Within the novel, Capote intricately details the Clutter family murder executed by Richard Hickock and Perry Smith. By doing so, he was able to successfully incorporate elements of Southern gothicism within the novel. Through the analysis of the damaged characters within the novel, the criminality involved in the Clutter murder, and the violence of the murder itself, Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood not only fit the Southern Gothic genre, but ultimately came to revolutionize the nonfiction novel, thus proving its deserved standing in the literary canon.