In Cold Blood is a nonfiction book by Truman Capote on the murder of the Clutter family in Holcomb, Kansas. From the point of view of the Clutters and the murderers Dick and Perry, Capote tells the story along with the purpose of humanizing the murderers. Capote uses pathos, point of view, and diction to allow the reader to see into the minds of Dick and Perry, and get to know them as more than just names in a newspaper article. Through Capote’s use of pathos, the reader makes a connection and can even sympathize with Perry. Perry had a rough childhood that some readers may be able to relate to. When speaking about his family and how he feels like he is all alone he says, “By now, over the years, that was all I had left me. Jimmy a suicide.
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During one of the interviews with Dick, Capote provides an example of this when he writes, “But this chunky, misshapen child-man was not pretty; the pink end of his tongue darted, like the tongue of a lizard. He was smoking a cigarette, and from the evenness of his exhalations Nye deduced that he was still a virgin.” Capote (224). Capote uses the word “child-man” to express that Dick is not taking the interview seriously enough and is being childish and “misshapen” to express how Dick himself is not mentally well or “normal”. Dick continues to keep up his careless attitude, which allows the reader to have a little more understanding of his personality and who he is as a person. Another example of this is when Dick is trying to seduce a young girl at the beach and Capote includes when Dick grabs her hand and tells her, “You’re my baby girl. My little sweetheart,” before she rips her hand away (Capote 201). The use of words like “baby girl” and “sweetheart” come across as disturbing and creepy in this situation. Even though Dick knows this is wrong, he continues to call the girl these names, adding more feelings of disgust towards him. Reading the words like they are coming out of Dick’s mouth is much more effective in viewing Dick as a human, which once again helps convey Capote’s
During one of the interviews with Dick, Capote provides an example of this when he writes, “But this chunky, misshapen child-man was not pretty; the pink end of his tongue darted, like the tongue of a lizard. He was smoking a cigarette, and from the evenness of his exhalations Nye deduced that he was still a virgin.” Capote (224). Capote uses the word “child-man” to express that Dick is not taking the interview seriously enough and is being childish and “misshapen” to express how Dick himself is not mentally well or “normal”. Dick continues to keep up his careless attitude, which allows the reader to have a little more understanding of his personality and who he is as a person. Another example of this is when Dick is trying to seduce a young girl at the beach and Capote includes when Dick grabs her hand and tells her, “You’re my baby girl. My little sweetheart,” before she rips her hand away (Capote 201). The use of words like “baby girl” and “sweetheart” come across as disturbing and creepy in this situation. Even though Dick knows this is wrong, he continues to call the girl these names, adding more feelings of disgust towards him. Reading the words like they are coming out of Dick’s mouth is much more effective in viewing Dick as a human, which once again helps convey Capote’s