The Killers In Truman Capote's In Cold Blood

It was a recipe for disaster: a picturesque family of four, a small town numbering 270, and two misunderstood ex-convicts –yet no one saw it coming. No one could have predicted that the 1959 murders of Herbert Clutter, his wife and 2 children would launch the town of Holcomb, Kansas out of obscurity and onto national headlines. But someone would take it upon himself to piece together the crime in a format far removed from the hysteria characterized by the news media. It was Truman Capote who in is Non-Fiction novel In Cold Blood, would chronicle the aftermath of the Clutter Killings setting a precedent for journalism and the true crime genre in books as well as film. However, it was not the fame brought by innovation, nor the notoriety of the case that led Capote to pen this revolutionary …show more content…
Given by Capote’s in depth narration, the purpose for writing is to give a comprehensive account of the murders. By truly leaving no stone unturned, Capote reveals to his readers the total impact of the crimes. The killers, Perry Smith and Dick Hickock, victimized far more people than the four they killed, and in fact they may have been most dangerous to themselves. By examining crime through such an inclusive scope, Capote is able to communicate to his readers the residual consequences of crime.
Everyone in Holcomb seems to react differently to the deaths of the Clutters. However, the chief reaction is that of fear and uncertainty. Mr. Helm, a laborer on the Clutter’s farm is no exception. Ever loyal to his duties, Helm continued to work on the farm after the crime. Yet, his hardworking spirit was warn-down with feelings of disquiet brought on by, ”the locked house, Nancy’s