Although most of the book is in third person, with what seems like a narrator or Capote himself telling the story, a good portion of the book is interviews with characters, in which they recount their memories in first person. Capote uses post-murder interviews to tell the story of the Clutters because the other characters’ reactions are significant within themselves. The narrator, speaking in third person, sounds like a person doing an expose on the murders in Holcomb, while the first person recollections are revealing not only the specific details of what happened, but how other characters cope with and understand what took place in their small Western town. For example, the initial discovery of the Clutters dead bodies is told to readers by a completely impartial side character, Larry Hendricks. Hendricks is speaking way after the fact, but is telling every single details he remembers, explaining that he “decided [he] better keep [his] eyes open. Make a note of every detail. In case [he] was ever called on to testify in court” (62). He ends his account by saying, “They were dead. A whole family….You had to believe it, because it was really true” (66). Having important events being recounted by characters adds a whole new dimension and understanding to story, and even more so, to a murder story.
Capote mainly writes in third person, with some first person interviews. In the sections that are in third person, there are many side notes added in parenthesis, which are mostly irrelevant and divert the reader's attention from the main topic at hand. One example of this is when Perry “shook three aspirins out of a bottle, chewed them slowly (for he liked the taste)” (53). In the sections that are first person accounts, the accounts may be biased because each person connected to either the murdered or the murderers, and has a certain perspective.
In Cold Blood is mainly written in third person. It is written from many different people’s perspectives, usually switching off between Perry, Dick, and the Clutters or detectives. However, there are some letters written in the first person and some first person interviews in the book. Personally, I did not like the switch from first to third person. It confused me, and made it hard to follow. I suppose the first person voice makes it more personal than the third person voice. In addition, letters can give more insight than third person could. For example, Perry’s father writes “Im quite sure Im rite” (p.129) which has three spelling errors, giving us insight into the type of man Perry’s father is.
I agree with Leora for the most part. I would add, however, that the third-person narration was to me mostly informational, to tell us the story. When Capote transitions to the first-person narration through detailed snippets of interviews, he uses the interviews as emotional stimulus. Hearing the story from *people* and not from 'a person' really serves to draw the reader in. The information conveyed would otherwise be not engaging. Mrs. Dewey's account of Alvin hearing about the arrest is especially emotional. "Alvin had a hold of me and he was hugging me and I said "Alvin Dewey have you lost your mind?" Fun's fun, but the man was wet as a pond" (212). This narration by Mrs. Dewey has happiness, anger, astonishment, and a whole other slew of emotions that a third-party narration simply couldn't convey.
In Cold Blood is written in the third person, however, there are are instances where the first person is used, generally for an interview, interrogation or letter. This switch between different voices in the story provides the reader with a more in depth view of what happened. It is not just Capote telling the story; there are also characters that explain their participation in the plot. They can voice their own opinion and feelings towards the murder. Larry Hendricks says: “Then one of us—Mr. Ewalt? I don’t remember—pointed out something else. A thing I can’t get out of my mind” (65). This provides the reader with insight to how he was feeling. I liked that we got more than one account of the events.
Even though there are a few cases where first person is present in In Cold Blood, it is mainly written in third person. The reason why Capote might have written his book mostly in the third person is because it gives the reader a more realistic feel to the story that the characters are telling. For example, when Perry is describing the murder he says, “ I didn’t realize what I’d done till I heard the sound. Like somebody drowning. Screaming under the water. I handed the knife to Dick. I said, ‘Finish him’”(244). This description of the murder is much more chilling than it would have been, had it been written in first person. Writing in third person gives the book an element of realism, which makes the book more appealing to the reader.
The story is told in third person but the conversations among the different characters are written in first person. I think Capote chose to include the first person dialogues because they enable the reader to feel more emotion than if they were just being told the story. Perry admits "I was sore at Dick. The tough brass boy. But it wasn't Dick. Or the fear of being identified. I was willing to take the gamble. And it wasn't because of anything the Clutters did. They never hurt me. Like other people. Like people have all my life. Maybe it's just the Clutters were the ones that had to pay for it”(302). The reader is able to feel much more sympathy toward Perry when he is speaking and expressing his feelings, as opposed to Capote simply describing Perry’s feelings.
The story is told in third person but switches to first person during interviews. The reason for this can be that by keeping the book in third person, Capote was remaining factual. Then, when Capote does switch to first person, it becomes more engaging and the reader can begin to sympathize with the characters. Like when Susan Kidwell talks about losing her best friend, Nancy Clutter, and says, "I couldn't go to school- not those first few days. I stayed out of school until the funeral"(94). The flip from third person to first person allows reader to really feel for Susan and understand her loss. Whereas if written in third person, it would have sounded more general and less personal.
The story is told in third person but switches to first person during interviews. The reason for this can be that by keeping the book in third person, Capote was remaining factual. Then, when Capote does switch to first person, it becomes more engaging and the reader can begin to sympathize with the characters. Like when Susan Kidwell talks about losing her best friend, Nancy Clutter, and says, "I couldn't go to school- not those first few days. I stayed out of school until the funeral"(94). The flip from third person to first person allows reader to really feel for Susan and understand her loss. Whereas if written in third person, it would have sounded more general and less personal.
The novel uses a third person narrator, but often contains long first person testimonies from many of those related to the murder. The narrator seeks to describe the scene and give background information on the interviewee while the interviewee gives a personal account of the story. Capote blends the unbiased view of the third person narrator with the accounts of the members of Holcomb to create a many different perspectives of the murder. Furthermore, the passages about Dick and Perry are mostly focused on Perry. The narrator rambles on about Perry's relation ship with Willie-Jay, "Only Willie-Jay had ever recognized his worth, his potentialities"(44), and also discusses Perry's inclination to stay with Dick; the narrator never goes in depth into Dick's character.
Capote ingeniously incorporates third person narrative and first person accounts. The effect that I think he achieves through this is giving the reader the experience of a puzzle being pieced together. For instance, on page 113 he writes, “... favorite meeting place, Hartman’s Cafe. ‘Since the trouble started... ‘ One rumour originating in Hartman’s Cafe…” (113). By inserting certain excerpts from testimonies, Capote gives the book a “Usual suspects” feel (for those of you who haven’t seen the movie, I highly recommend it). These transitionless quotes make the reader feel that they are experiencing the storyline as it is being told, and piecing the puzzle of the murder together along with those in the book.
The majority of In Cold Blood is written in third person, with interviews and dialogue appearing throughout the novel. Personally, I feel Capote does a great job at integrating these narratives into his report of the murder tale. It is obvious that Capote has researched and analyzed each of the characters lives, that it feels as if it's not written from an outside party, but from someone who experienced it all. For example, when Nancy's best friend Susan recalls their time together, she says, "Nancy loved the river..Ride straight into the river and right into the water..we played out flutes and sang," (94). Capote is truly a great writer to be able to accomplish this in such a seamless fashion despite his detachment from the actual characters.
While most of In Cold Blood is authored using third person, Capote sprinkles in first person testimonies and interviews to create a very interesting and personal recount of the murders in Holcomb. To me, I think the best quality of Capote's work is that he makes the account very personal and emotionally taxing, while still letting the audience be a spectator to the events which unfortunately unfolded. In the beginning of the book Capote paints a very clear picture on how one of the victims, Mr. Clutter lives his life with piety and virtue. Clutter's employee, Alfred Stoecklein mentions that his daughter is sick and that he would like to take her to the doctor. Capote illustrates how Clutter responds, "Mr. Clutter, expressing sympathy, said by all means to take the morning off, and if there was any way he or his wife could help, please let them know." Though that was just a mere glimpse into Cuttler's actions, Capote paints a picture that Cuttler is a very kind and gentle soul, one that certainly did not deserve death. Capote is a great storyteller. Like all great storytellers, he is able to make the characters personal to the audience while still maintaining essential elements of privacy.
Most of In Cold Blood is written in third person omniscient narrator, which provides access to the characters’ thoughts and allows Capote to use intense descriptions. In describing the murder scene, he uses beautiful language to captivate the moment: “those somber explosions that stimulated fires of mistrust in the glare of which many old neighbors viewed each other strangely, and as strangers” (5). However, in the more compelling scenes--such as the murder--Capote turns to a first-person narration. For example, when Nancy Ewalt and Susan Kidwell find Nancy Clutter’s body, the narration switches to first person: "I don't remember screaming. Nancy Ewalt says I did-- screamed and screamed. I only remember Nancy's Teddy bear staring at me" (60). This writing technique adds a level of understanding and emotion to the novel. Furthermore, his choice in narration is particularly intriguing since it caused the novel to sound like a police report. In Cold Blood, similar to a report, weaves in and out of witnesses and the assumed storyline of the murder. His style caused me to follow along with the story as if I were vicariously an investigator, putting together the stories to create a final file.
Capote writes the majority of his novel in third person. By doing this Capote separates his own feelings and ideas from the facts. The reader can be certain that what is written is accurate and unbiased. However Capote makes unexpected changes into first person when he includes interviews with witnesses. One of the first instances of this is on page 41 when the point of view suddenly changes to Mr. Helms testimony of the Clutters’ last day, “And that, was the last I seen them.” The change is quick and unanticipated by readers; therefore causing the reader to feel more sympathetic towards the victims and be more inclined to fully understand and believe what the witness is trying to convey.
In Cold Blood is mostly written in third person with some exceptions. The testimonies and interviews are written in first person to give a personal account of what happened. Capote writes an unbiased explanation of an event, and brings in letters or quotes to add details to the story, giving the reader a well rounded idea of what occurred. I think Capote does a great job integrating his narratives into the book. For instance, Capote writes that during Christmas time Bobby had always “hurried to the Clutter house with a package...he hoped would surprise Nancy and delight her” (203). Then Capote brings in stories about that, written in first person. By switching the voice to first person, it allows the reader to feel more sympathy for the individual talking.
The majority of In Cold Blood is written in third person with some interviews that are in first person. The portion of the story that is written in third person narration is mostly informational. In contrast, the first person accounts make the story more personal and play on the emotions of the reader. The interviews in first person allow the reader to see the thoughts of the characters and allows the reader to view the story from their perspective. Reading the gruesome description of the Clutters’ murders in no way compares to the detective Al Dewey’s personal feelings on the case. Dewey admits, ‘’ I’ve seen some bad things…but nothing so vicious as this’’ (pg. 80).Reading the statements of people who witnessed the process that followed the murder gives the reader added insights and provides a personal connection between the reader and the characters.
Capote’s objective in writing In Cold Blood is not to show the reader a story, but rather to get the reader to understand a crime case. He uses the third-person narrative to explain facts and guide us through the events that take place. Through this narrative the reader is able to observe all the action that occurs within the case. However, Capote does not believe that one can truly understand this case as a whole through simply observing; the reader must be part of the case. A crime case does not just involve facts and a story, it also involves people and emotion. The reader must see the victims, townspeople, murderers, and detectives first hand. He must feel the sorrow Susan Kidwell feels as she says “I remember how excited she was the first time she wore it. At a party. All I could see was Nancy’s red velvet. And Nancy in it. Dancing” (96). By incorporating these first-person narratives, Capote comes closer to achieving his literary goal-- enabling the reader to become part of this American crime.
Something I found interesting was that from almost the beginning of the book the reader knows that Dick and Perry are the murderers of the Clutter family. Truman Capote purposely does not include any drama in the book bar how they committed the murderer and their motive. When Dewey is first informed of Floyd Wells' evidence he says, "No maybe not" "But I have a hunch" (165). In a usual mystery novel, the reader would be still left wondering. It is possible Capote did this to have the reader informed of the Dick and Perry's characters early on.
Although most of the book is in third person, with what seems like a narrator or Capote himself telling the story, a good portion of the book is interviews with characters, in which they recount their memories in first person. Capote uses post-murder interviews to tell the story of the Clutters because the other characters’ reactions are significant within themselves. The narrator, speaking in third person, sounds like a person doing an expose on the murders in Holcomb, while the first person recollections are revealing not only the specific details of what happened, but how other characters cope with and understand what took place in their small Western town. For example, the initial discovery of the Clutters dead bodies is told to readers by a completely impartial side character, Larry Hendricks. Hendricks is speaking way after the fact, but is telling every single details he remembers, explaining that he “decided [he] better keep [his] eyes open. Make a note of every detail. In case [he] was ever called on to testify in court” (62). He ends his account by saying, “They were dead. A whole family….You had to believe it, because it was really true” (66). Having important events being recounted by characters adds a whole new dimension and understanding to story, and even more so, to a murder story.
ReplyDeleteCapote mainly writes in third person, with some first person interviews. In the sections that are in third person, there are many side notes added in parenthesis, which are mostly irrelevant and divert the reader's attention from the main topic at hand. One example of this is when Perry “shook three aspirins out of a bottle, chewed them slowly (for he liked the taste)” (53). In the sections that are first person accounts, the accounts may be biased because each person connected to either the murdered or the murderers, and has a certain perspective.
ReplyDeleteIn Cold Blood is mainly written in third person. It is written from many different people’s perspectives, usually switching off between Perry, Dick, and the Clutters or detectives. However, there are some letters written in the first person and some first person interviews in the book. Personally, I did not like the switch from first to third person. It confused me, and made it hard to follow. I suppose the first person voice makes it more personal than the third person voice. In addition, letters can give more insight than third person could. For example, Perry’s father writes “Im quite sure Im rite” (p.129) which has three spelling errors, giving us insight into the type of man Perry’s father is.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Leora for the most part. I would add, however, that the third-person narration was to me mostly informational, to tell us the story. When Capote transitions to the first-person narration through detailed snippets of interviews, he uses the interviews as emotional stimulus. Hearing the story from *people* and not from 'a person' really serves to draw the reader in. The information conveyed would otherwise be not engaging. Mrs. Dewey's account of Alvin hearing about the arrest is especially emotional. "Alvin had a hold of me and he was hugging me and I said "Alvin Dewey have you lost your mind?" Fun's fun, but the man was wet as a pond" (212). This narration by Mrs. Dewey has happiness, anger, astonishment, and a whole other slew of emotions that a third-party narration simply couldn't convey.
ReplyDeleteIn Cold Blood is written in the third person, however, there are are instances where the first person is used, generally for an interview, interrogation or letter. This switch between different voices in the story provides the reader with a more in depth view of what happened. It is not just Capote telling the story; there are also characters that explain their participation in the plot. They can voice their own opinion and feelings towards the murder. Larry Hendricks says: “Then one of us—Mr. Ewalt? I don’t remember—pointed out something else. A thing I can’t get out of my mind” (65). This provides the reader with insight to how he was feeling. I liked that we got more than one account of the events.
ReplyDeleteEven though there are a few cases where first person is present in In Cold Blood, it is mainly written in third person. The reason why Capote might have written his book mostly in the third person is because it gives the reader a more realistic feel to the story that the characters are telling. For example, when Perry is describing the murder he says, “ I didn’t realize what I’d done till I heard the sound. Like somebody drowning. Screaming under the water. I handed the knife to Dick. I said, ‘Finish him’”(244). This description of the murder is much more chilling than it would have been, had it been written in first person. Writing in third person gives the book an element of realism, which makes the book more appealing to the reader.
ReplyDeleteThe story is told in third person but the conversations among the different characters are written in first person. I think Capote chose to include the first person dialogues because they enable the reader to feel more emotion than if they were just being told the story. Perry admits "I was sore at Dick. The tough brass boy. But it wasn't Dick. Or the fear of being identified. I was willing to take the gamble. And it wasn't because of anything the Clutters did. They never hurt me. Like other people. Like people have all my life. Maybe it's just the Clutters were the ones that had to pay for it”(302). The reader is able to feel much more sympathy toward Perry when he is speaking and expressing his feelings, as opposed to Capote simply describing Perry’s feelings.
ReplyDeleteThe story is told in third person but switches to first person during interviews. The reason for this can be that by keeping the book in third person, Capote was remaining factual. Then, when Capote does switch to first person, it becomes more engaging and the reader can begin to sympathize with the characters. Like when Susan Kidwell talks about losing her best friend, Nancy Clutter, and says, "I couldn't go to school- not those first few days. I stayed out of school until the funeral"(94). The flip from third person to first person allows reader to really feel for Susan and understand her loss. Whereas if written in third person, it would have sounded more general and less personal.
ReplyDeleteThe story is told in third person but switches to first person during interviews. The reason for this can be that by keeping the book in third person, Capote was remaining factual. Then, when Capote does switch to first person, it becomes more engaging and the reader can begin to sympathize with the characters. Like when Susan Kidwell talks about losing her best friend, Nancy Clutter, and says, "I couldn't go to school- not those first few days. I stayed out of school until the funeral"(94). The flip from third person to first person allows reader to really feel for Susan and understand her loss. Whereas if written in third person, it would have sounded more general and less personal.
ReplyDeleteThe novel uses a third person narrator, but often contains long first person testimonies from many of those related to the murder. The narrator seeks to describe the scene and give background information on the interviewee while the interviewee gives a personal account of the story. Capote blends the unbiased view of the third person narrator with the accounts of the members of Holcomb to create a many different perspectives of the murder. Furthermore, the passages about Dick and Perry are mostly focused on Perry. The narrator rambles on about Perry's relation ship with Willie-Jay, "Only
ReplyDeleteWillie-Jay had ever recognized his worth, his potentialities"(44), and also discusses Perry's inclination to stay with Dick; the narrator never goes in depth into Dick's character.
Capote ingeniously incorporates third person narrative and first person accounts. The effect that I think he achieves through this is giving the reader the experience of a puzzle being pieced together. For instance, on page 113 he writes, “... favorite meeting place, Hartman’s Cafe. ‘Since the trouble started... ‘ One rumour originating in Hartman’s Cafe…” (113). By inserting certain excerpts from testimonies, Capote gives the book a “Usual suspects” feel (for those of you who haven’t seen the movie, I highly recommend it). These transitionless quotes make the reader feel that they are experiencing the storyline as it is being told, and piecing the puzzle of the murder together along with those in the book.
ReplyDeleteThe majority of In Cold Blood is written in third person, with interviews and dialogue appearing throughout the novel. Personally, I feel Capote does a great job at integrating these narratives into his report of the murder tale. It is obvious that Capote has researched and analyzed each of the characters lives, that it feels as if it's not written from an outside party, but from someone who experienced it all. For example, when Nancy's best friend Susan recalls their time together, she says, "Nancy loved the river..Ride straight into the river and right into the water..we played out flutes and sang," (94). Capote is truly a great writer to be able to accomplish this in such a seamless fashion despite his detachment from the actual characters.
ReplyDeleteWhile most of In Cold Blood is authored using third person, Capote sprinkles in first person testimonies and interviews to create a very interesting and personal recount of the murders in Holcomb. To me, I think the best quality of Capote's work is that he makes the account very personal and emotionally taxing, while still letting the audience be a spectator to the events which unfortunately unfolded. In the beginning of the book Capote paints a very clear picture on how one of the victims, Mr. Clutter lives his life with piety and virtue. Clutter's employee, Alfred Stoecklein mentions that his daughter is sick and that he would like to take her to the doctor. Capote illustrates how Clutter responds, "Mr. Clutter, expressing sympathy, said by all means to take the morning off, and if there was any way he or his wife could help, please let them know." Though that was just a mere glimpse into Cuttler's actions, Capote paints a picture that Cuttler is a very kind and gentle soul, one that certainly did not deserve death. Capote is a great storyteller. Like all great storytellers, he is able to make the characters personal to the audience while still maintaining essential elements of privacy.
ReplyDeleteMost of In Cold Blood is written in third person omniscient narrator, which provides access to the characters’ thoughts and allows Capote to use intense descriptions. In describing the murder scene, he uses beautiful language to captivate the moment: “those somber explosions that stimulated fires of mistrust in the glare of which many old neighbors viewed each other strangely, and as strangers” (5). However, in the more compelling scenes--such as the murder--Capote turns to a first-person narration. For example, when Nancy Ewalt and Susan Kidwell find Nancy Clutter’s body, the narration switches to first person: "I don't remember screaming. Nancy Ewalt says I did-- screamed and screamed. I only remember Nancy's Teddy bear staring at me" (60). This writing technique adds a level of understanding and emotion to the novel. Furthermore, his choice in narration is particularly intriguing since it caused the novel to sound like a police report. In Cold Blood, similar to a report, weaves in and out of witnesses and the assumed storyline of the murder. His style caused me to follow along with the story as if I were vicariously an investigator, putting together the stories to create a final file.
ReplyDeleteCapote writes the majority of his novel in third person. By doing this Capote separates his own feelings and ideas from the facts. The reader can be certain that what is written is accurate and unbiased. However Capote makes unexpected changes into first person when he includes interviews with witnesses. One of the first instances of this is on page 41 when the point of view suddenly changes to Mr. Helms testimony of the Clutters’ last day, “And that, was the last I seen them.” The change is quick and unanticipated by readers; therefore causing the reader to feel more sympathetic towards the victims and be more inclined to fully understand and believe what the witness is trying to convey.
ReplyDeleteIn Cold Blood is mostly written in third person with some exceptions. The testimonies and interviews are written in first person to give a personal account of what happened. Capote writes an unbiased explanation of an event, and brings in letters or quotes to add details to the story, giving the reader a well rounded idea of what occurred. I think Capote does a great job integrating his narratives into the book. For instance, Capote writes that during Christmas time Bobby had always “hurried to the Clutter house with a package...he hoped would surprise Nancy and delight her” (203). Then Capote brings in stories about that, written in first person. By switching the voice to first person, it allows the reader to feel more sympathy for the individual talking.
ReplyDeleteThe majority of In Cold Blood is written in third person with some interviews that are in first person. The portion of the story that is written in third person narration is mostly informational. In contrast, the first person accounts make the story more personal and play on the emotions of the reader. The interviews in first person allow the reader to see the thoughts of the characters and allows the reader to view the story from their perspective. Reading the gruesome description of the Clutters’ murders in no way compares to the detective Al Dewey’s personal feelings on the case. Dewey admits, ‘’ I’ve seen some bad things…but nothing so vicious as this’’ (pg. 80).Reading the statements of people who witnessed the process that followed the murder gives the reader added insights and provides a personal connection between the reader and the characters.
ReplyDeleteCapote’s objective in writing In Cold Blood is not to show the reader a story, but rather to get the reader to understand a crime case. He uses the third-person narrative to explain facts and guide us through the events that take place. Through this narrative the reader is able to observe all the action that occurs within the case. However, Capote does not believe that one can truly understand this case as a whole through simply observing; the reader must be part of the case. A crime case does not just involve facts and a story, it also involves people and emotion. The reader must see the victims, townspeople, murderers, and detectives first hand. He must feel the sorrow Susan Kidwell feels as she says “I remember how excited she was the first time she wore it. At a party. All I could see was Nancy’s red velvet. And Nancy in it. Dancing” (96). By incorporating these first-person narratives, Capote comes closer to achieving his literary goal-- enabling the reader to become part of this American crime.
ReplyDeleteSomething I found interesting was that from almost the beginning of the book the reader knows that Dick and Perry are the murderers of the Clutter family. Truman Capote purposely does not include any drama in the book bar how they committed the murderer and their motive. When Dewey is first informed of Floyd Wells' evidence he says, "No maybe not" "But I have a hunch" (165). In a usual mystery novel, the reader would be still left wondering. It is possible Capote did this to have the reader informed of the Dick and Perry's characters early on.
ReplyDelete