Truman Capote’s “In Cold Blood” is a captivating non-fiction novel describing the unveiling of a multiple murder that took place in the small town of Holcomb, Kansas in 1959. Capote portrayed Perry’s and Dick’s life as normal, by meticulously describing their journeys, such as going out to eat, fishing, and traveling. He attempted to be objective, yet his sympathy towards the criminals emerged. By using a third person, omniscient point of view he allows the reader to experience the emotional reality of each scene and making you feel as if you were in the characters’ mind. Truman achieved to be both objective and sympathetic.
Capote purposely intended the readers to feel sympathy for Perry. In page 239, he says “"Perry Smith's life had been no bed of roses but pitiful, an ugly and lonely progress toward one mirage and then another." Smith is known as a potential paranoid schizophrenic which also explains why he didn’t hesitate to kill the family, regardless that Dick wanted to abort the plan since there was no safe and he had no desire to kill anyone, and that led to Perry calling him a coward and telling him to “man up”. On page 236 we learn that Dick had the intentions of raping Nancy Clutter, but Perry stopped him saying he’d have to kill him first, confessing he despises anyone who can’t control themselves sexually. He also makes the reader understand how loved and well-respected the Clutter family was. …show more content…
In Texas, they pick up a young boy and his feeble grandfather, Dick is scared that the elder might die therefore wanting both of them to get out of the car but Perry refuses to let that happen, showing he can be rebellious and kind-hearted. Furthermore on page 333, seconds before being hanged, Smith says : " It would be meaningless to apologize for what I did. Even inappropriate. But I do. I apologize”. He portrayed Smith as being less assured but more
Capote purposely intended the readers to feel sympathy for Perry. In page 239, he says “"Perry Smith's life had been no bed of roses but pitiful, an ugly and lonely progress toward one mirage and then another." Smith is known as a potential paranoid schizophrenic which also explains why he didn’t hesitate to kill the family, regardless that Dick wanted to abort the plan since there was no safe and he had no desire to kill anyone, and that led to Perry calling him a coward and telling him to “man up”. On page 236 we learn that Dick had the intentions of raping Nancy Clutter, but Perry stopped him saying he’d have to kill him first, confessing he despises anyone who can’t control themselves sexually. He also makes the reader understand how loved and well-respected the Clutter family was. …show more content…
In Texas, they pick up a young boy and his feeble grandfather, Dick is scared that the elder might die therefore wanting both of them to get out of the car but Perry refuses to let that happen, showing he can be rebellious and kind-hearted. Furthermore on page 333, seconds before being hanged, Smith says : " It would be meaningless to apologize for what I did. Even inappropriate. But I do. I apologize”. He portrayed Smith as being less assured but more