The Clutter Family Roles In Truman Capotes In Cold Blood

The nonfiction novel, In Cold Blood by Truman Capote, takes place in the small and quiet town of Holcomb, Kansas. Capote takes the reader through the sequence of events that transpired before, during, and after the members of the Clutter family are unexpectedly murdered on November 15, 1959. He describes in detail the background of each of the main characters, which helps to clarify the motives of Richard Hickock and Perry Smith as they murder the Clutters. He illustrates how a positive or negative influence of an individual’s environment, lifestyle, and occasionally family can impact them into adulthood. These influences can determine the role that a person plays in society whether it is becoming a contributing member of society or†¦show more content†¦Herb is a devout Methodist and actively participates in his church congregation. He, along with his family â€Å"did not smoke, and of course did not drink †¦ and were inclined to avoid people who had† (Cap ote 10). This illustrated how innocent and pure his and his family’s intentions are. The Clutters never try to take advantage of or harm others, but always try to help them. Nancy even spends her last day alive giving piano and baking lesson to children from school. To the village of Holcomb, the Clutters may have been considered an innocent and charitable family. However, this lifestyle that Smith and Hickock envy is what motivates them to murder the Clutters. Perry Smith has a family that is contradictory to the Clutters, which leads to him becoming one of the murderers. He is born to Florence and John, who were part of a traveling rodeo. After they retired from performing and settled down, his mother becomes an alcoholic and files for divorce with his father because he is abusive. At age 13, Smith’s mother chokes on her own vomit and dies, as a result, he is sent to a Catholic orphanage. After residing with nuns, who beat him and emotionally scared him, he develops â€Å"an aversion to nuns. And God. And religion† (Capote 132). This dislike of conventional religion leads him to create his own, in the form of a large yellow bird that comes and liberates him from danger.Show MoreRelatedTruman Capote s The Cold Blood1705 Words   |  7 Pages Truman Capote’s â€Å"In Cold Blood† is widely considered today as the first â€Å"non-fiction novel.† Published in 1966 and the fruit of over 6 years of research, the novel is an account of the gruesome murder of the Clutter family by two fellow ex-convicts Perry Smith and Dick Hickock. The four members of the Clutter household, Kenyon, Nancy, Bonnie, and Herbert Clutter were all taken to a different location in the house and promptly executed, each by a brutal shot to the head with a 12-gauge shotgunRead MoreTruman Capotes In Cold Blood1591 Words   |  7 Pagesreveals truths and provides insight into the condition of that society. 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While reading Truman Capotes novel,In Cold Blood , I spentRead MoreCold Blood by Truman Capote900 Words   |  4 PagesIn 1965, Truman Capote created the infamous tale known as â€Å"In Cold Blood†. The book created the illusion of fantasy while based on reality. Many people were floored at the brilliance Capote demonstrated within the pages. The book took the literary concept of a novel with the literary elements of designed scenes, characters, a story formed with an introduction, rising action, climax and resolution to the real events surrounding the murder of the Clutter family. Those that worked in the field ofRead MoreAnalysis of Murder in Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood 561 Words   |  2 PagesTruman Capote’s In Cold Blood documents the homicide of the Clutter family, the search for the killers, and the trial and execution of the two convicted murderers Perry Smith and Dick Hickock. 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The film ‘Capote’ was by directed Bennett Miller after being adapted from a book of the same title, written by Gerald Clarke. It was set in Kansas and starred Seymour Hoffman as Truman Capote and chronicled a six year period in theRead MoreInvestigation Of Justice State V. Hickock And Smith1085 Words   |  5 Pagestrial, by an impartial jury† (U.S. Consitution. Art./Amend. XIII)†. The infamous trial in the state of Kansas, State v. Hickock and Smith, documented in the iconic true crime novel In Cold Blood, by Truman Capote details the events of the murder of four innocent people and the trial of their killers. Upon reading Capote’s depiction of the trial, readers are placed in the position of deciding if the rights of Richard Hickock and Perry Smith were violated during their trial, and whether or not justiceRead MoreIn Cold Blood: Nature vs Nurture Essay885 Words   |  4 PagesIn Truman Capote’s famous non-fiction novel, In Cold Blood, there is evidence that supports the injustices of the trial: death penalty. The final outcome of the trail was never to be any different than death. â€Å"Of all the people in all the world, the Clutters were the least likely to be murdered† (Capote 85). We know the two men who killed the Clutter family, Perry Smith and Bill Hickock, preplanned the crime with malice and forethought. Although the actions were crul and grusome, does Death Row fit