In the excerpt from the opening of In Cold Blood, Truman Capote sets the setting of his book in Holcomb, Kansas. His description of Holcomb compliments his story about a tragic murder that will be explained throughout the book. Through his usage of distinct visual imagery and dull word choice, Capote portrays Holcomb as a lonely, mournful, and lifeless town. Throughout his opening, Capote effectively uses distinct visual imagery to describe how the town of Holcomb looks like. He is precise and careful about every detail he puts in the scene that the book is opened up with. Capote states, “At one end of the town stands a stark old stucco structure, the roof of which supports an electric sign Dance--but the dancing has ceased...Nearby is
