In Cold Blood: A Timeless Novel A majority of the American public is intrigued by what’s happening to whom, why, and when. This general human curiosity is what aids in making In Cold Blood such a celebrated book. Inquisitiveness about what occurred in the Clutter home on the night of November 15, 1959 helps carrion the legacy what George Steiner claimed to be “A classic of mid-century Americana.” It is also the first “non-fiction novel.” In Cold Blood draws the reader into the novel with elements of human appeal. These components include, something everyone can relate to, suspense, sympathy, and universal public interest about how a normal, everyday, rural family was viciously murdered. This story has many aspects that people can relate to.
Particularly, the two different types of lifestyles portrayed by our main characters, The Clutter family, and our murderers, Dick Hickok and Perry Smith. The “All-American” family is completely embodied by the Clutter’s. They had a simple, happy, rural life. Nancy, who I most relate to, is the town sweetheart.
” She (Nancy) felt it her duty to be available when younger girls came to her wanting help with their cooking, their sewing, or their music lessons-or, as often happened, to confide.” (18) Nancy always tried relentlessly to help others, to remain a straight-A student, and to run her household. This perspective and detail into Nancy’s life helps bring animation to the story. A different lifestyle is also rendered in this novel, but this one is of a darker nature. Perry Smith represents a life less loved, but known by many.
The Essay on Government Influence On Family Life
Do government programs influence family life? Some of these programs are Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. These programs have changed family life not only in a positive way, but also in a negative way. These programs are targeted at giving older citizen some form of money or medical care, while other programs are geared at taking money from the working class. Yes, government programs do ...
Criminal habits stem from a neglected, physically abusive childhood. .”.. My mother put me to stay in a Catholic orphanage. The one where the Black Widows were always at me. Hitting me.
Because of the bed wetting.” (132) These personal, detailed looks into the lives of the characters help to acquaint the reader with the concept of sympathy for both the Clutter’s and the killers. But, as the plot unfolds, the suspense becomes the main focus of the reader. Anticipation of what might happen next is always key to keeping the reader involved. Capote interviewed many people to create an overall knowing of what happened before, that night, and also after. Nancy’s schoolteacher told Capote, “She’d (Nancy) been shot in the back of the head with a shotgun held maybe two inches away.” Truman Capote not only encloses facts, like this one, about these horrific murders, but also fictionalizes some parts to draw the readers’ attention to more minute details.
One example is, conversations that took place before and after the murder. Capote couldn’t have known exact feelings and words expressed in each conversation, so he attaches extra components. This helps to make In Cold Blood more coherent. The dialogue between characters also adds a more personal side to this shocking crime. Capote had to fictionalize pieces of this story to make the reader sink deeper into the minds of the murderers, and into the plot. The straightforward facts and “not so true” entities coincide beautifully to absorb the reader, while still keeping the account accurate.
The elements of human appeal are what make this novel live on today. By getting to know the characters on a personal level it creates empathy for both parties. In George Steiner’s statement, he questioned whether or not this book would retain its relevance in the future. I believe that this book will retain its importance because it has something the American public is always interested, what is happening to everyone else.
I also feel that since In Cold Blood is the first “non-fiction novel”, it needs to maintain its status. Being the first in a genre and being successful at creating something to that magnitude is an important milestone.
The Essay on Sympathetic Character Holden Make People
The World Through Holden Caulfield s Eyes When writing a novel, the author has the option of using the first or third person narrative. In The Catcher in the Rye, J. K. Salinger creates Holden Caulfield in the first person. As we go from one adventure to the next, we see everything that happens from Holden s point of view. This helps to make him a sympathetic character. Throughout the novel, ...
