Identity In Truman Capote's In Cold Blood

Identity is defined as “the condition of being oneself or itself, and not another” (Dictionary.com Unabridged). Identity is what separates one being from another, creating a sense of individuality. For one’s entire life, they fit within this definition; therefore, a person is born with an identity. As they develop, however, their identity changes based on personal choice. In other words, the identity of a person is not stagnant; it is a fluid description of a person based on various aspects of their appearance, actions, and character. Although an individual is born with a genetic appearance, ultimately, people choose their identity for themselves through their actions and character. Most parts of one’s identity are developed by choice, including …show more content…
For instance, in the novel In Cold Blood, Truman Capote details the nonfictional murder of Herb Clutter and his family, and murderers Dick Hickock and Perry Smith go to extremes to hide their robbery of the Clutter home. Rather than burglarizing the Clutter residence and fleeing, a petty crime at worst, Smith and Hickock searched the entire house for items to pilfer before firing “four shotgun blasts that … ended six human lives” in an effort to cover up their burglary from family, friends, and authorities by eliminating witnesses (Capote 5). This was a conscious choice made by Dick and Perry; it destroyed nearly any sense of righteousness in either person’s character as perceived by others, thus permanently altering their identity and demonstrating the fluidity of identity. In one instant, everything family, friends, and society ever thought about them was shifted. Because of this action, they are viewed as murderers by society, whereas they were previously seen as criminals on parole. Ultimately, this demonstrates that individuals can shape an identity for themselves, affecting how they are perceived in society (much like skin color and