Kansas City Royals

Sometimes bad things happen to good people because of the wickedness of others. In Truman Capote’s novel In Cold Blood, he writes a detailed account of murderers Perry Smith and Dick Hickock that shows this type of wickedness by sharing the graphic details of the murders. Charged with murdering a family of four in cold blood with no true motive, the heartlessness and evilness of the two killers is inarguable. Truman Capote also shows their humanity, which draws sympathy from his readers.…

The Lovely Bones; the first murder novel I ever opened. The gruesome story hooked my attention immediately. I could not look at people the same. After that story, I have always had a strange passion for investigating murders and crimes; hence why, when I was given the novel In Cold Blood, I was nothing but excited. Truman Capote, the author and investigator of the Clutter family murder, is an outstanding novelist. He spent hours interviewing suspects and local townspeople trying to piece…

social justice group, the American Friends Service Committee. During this time, I’ve learned so much about myself, as well as Kansas City’s youth. I’ve helped organize a city-wide high school poster art project and a poetry workshop of the same — giving students a platform to speak out on social issues. This consisted of conducting interactive lecture style classes in Kansas City metro schools such as Paseo, Wyandotte, Washington, Cristo Rey, De La Salle, and various youth organizations. I’ve…

Richard (Dick) Hickock and Perry Edward Smith, the cold blooded killers of the Clutter family in In Cold Blood by Truman Capote. When you describe them like that, they seem one and the same, they’re murderers. But, there is way more to them as people than just that, they are similar and they are very different. Dick and Perry are character foils, although they possess a few similar characteristics and experiences. Both men met in jail for petty crimes (Dick for bad checks and petty theft, and…

Truman Capote’s first non-fiction novel, “In Cold Blood”, recaps the events around the murder of the Clutter family, by focusing on the two murderers, Dick Hickock and Perry Smith. Throughout the book, Capote acknowledges the perpetrators without a bias perspective, he does this by giving the backstory of both Dick and Perry. Capote does not just focus on the murder, but instead introduces Dick and Perry as two people who made a horrible mistake and deserve sympathy. However, if you sympathize…

Throughout Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood, there is a reoccurring theme of good and evil. The readers are constantly wondering if the murderers were evil. The quote, “Inside of us, there is the speed of both good and evil. It is a constant struggle as to which one will win. And one cannot exist without the other” relates to the texts main characters (Burdon). Capote uses informed opinions and vivid descriptions to debate the good within evil, and how Perry and Dick relate to this. By the use of…

A Time to Never be Forgotten I will never forget the hot Florida sun in the summertime or the squeaking of basketball shoes moving across the hardwood court. All this happened when I was in the 3rd grade. As I was eager to get out of Kansas, I started packing my bags the night before, and I usually never pack until my mom is yelling at me at the top of her lungs to get out of the door. This was going to be my second time heading back to Florida, but my first time going there for basketball. We…

In 1974, “Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders”, was written by Vincent Bugliosi. Who was a Los Angeles attorney that persecuted Charles Manson 1971 for directing the death of the in the Tate and La Bianca Murders. Right when you open the book Bugliosi writes,” The story you are about to scare the hell out of you “. The book I am about to explain was chosen because those that followed Manson, listened and believed every word he said. The book showed how the whole process started…

H.H. Holmes: The True History of the White City Devil/ By: Adam Selzer Skyhorse Publishing, 2017, 430 pages The book I chose was The True History of the White City Devil. In this book the author describes the many scandals and murders H.H. Holmes was involved in in the late 1800's. In this report I'm going to explain some of the crimes Holmes committed and some of the reasons I enjoyed this book Throughout this book the author tells about the life of Herman Webster Mudgett who later became…

INTRODUCTION/COVER LETTER: The classic novel, "In Cold Blood", is based on a true story about the murder of the Clutter family in Holcomb, Kansas in 1959. The dialog acts as if it was written as a novel, even as a part of the nonfiction genre. It's known as a true crime masterpiece which pricks the psychological and emotional toll that the murder gives the readers, in America's heartland. Svein Atle Skålevåg gives a rhetorical approach to the crime novel, stating that it was a "true account of…