Paper 1

Maggie Rauck

Summer English Class

In Cold Blood

Paper #1

The Irony Between Beauty and the Beast

Truman Capote’s book “In Cold Blood,” is a novel that explores and embellishes on the real events that occurred in a real life murder case in Holcomb, Kansas. In both the book and in real life there is such an irony that occurs when the value of a life is at stake. The value is in the irony of a criminal who is to society garbage taking the life of a beautiful, youthful, and nurturing life. Capote’s idea is to cast life behind the victims in the murder and show sharp contrasts between the criminals and the ordinary, but upstanding citizens. Capote also makes an effort to show not only the difference in lifestyles and values between the victims and criminals, but also how closely our world is connected and the close parallels that exist between what is considered beautiful and horrid.

Capote makes these contrasts through a variety of ways with comparisons and examples. Capote was writing this novel in hindsight of the investigation, trial, and aftermath. To make this novel interesting to those that had been following the case through the news he had to go into great detail to provide more depth and insight into the lives of those that were affected by this tragedy. Capote chose carefully the tone and structure of the book to enhance the murder trial and expel certain details to make the reader feel a certain way and direct a level of compassion for the victims and criminals. Capote is writing about the Clutter family from Kansas that are violently robbed and murdered, how the case evolves, the criminals are caught, and eventually the town and citizens return to their normal lives, but never forgetting. Capote’s style is to break the book up into short sections that read like a movie, which is a contemporary style that many Americans enjoy because, it is thrilling and suspenseful not like the ordinary structure of many novels.

Although Capote is elaborating a real life event there is a comparison and relation that can be made too many other murder cases that is identified by the reader. Truman Capote’s book can be compared in many ways to real life crime and the headlines that appear daily in our newspapers, and nightly news. I will attempt to show and develop some of the differences by comparing and contrasting the book with two current murder cases, the Tiffany Souer’s case and the Georgetown murders. I also think that this book is appealing because of the way Capote was able to be so compassionate about the characters. Capote actually met with the criminals and established a relationship that allowed him to gain perspective outside his imagination and insight into both sides of the story from the point of view of the victim and criminal.

The first comparison can be made in regards to location. Capote’s book is based in the small town of Holcomb, Kansas. When comparing Capote's “In Cold Blood” to everyday life there are many circumstances of say Tiffany Souers and the Clemson community from which comparisons can be made. Beginning with the comparison of Holcomb, Kansas and Clemson, SC the two towns are both quiet, small, very rural places where people are friendly, hardworking, and the sole focus or attraction is the school. Certainly everyone has either lived in or driven through a small town so there is a connection easily associated with Capote’s description, “The village of Holcomb stands on the height wheat plains of western Kansas, a lonesome area that other Kansans call ‘out there’ (In Cold Blood, 1). Clemson is a small town a lot like Holcomb in that it houses 17,000 students during the school year and remarkably less during the summer and holidays. Clemson is described on the official website as “18,000 acres of university farms and woodlands”. A third comparison can be made to the Georgetown murders although Washington, D.C. is a densely populated place the Georgetown area is considered by many a safe area. As the investigation progresses this violent attack has been possibly linked to a series of attacks on the very touristy national mall area. Both areas are thought of as safe areas until recently.

Another smaller comparison is that both Holcomb and Clemson there is a reference made to the importance of the school as the center of the community. Holcomb School is described as “Unless you include, as one must, the Holcomb School, a good looking establishment, which reveals a circumstance that the appearance of the community otherwise camouflages,” (In Cold Blood, 4). Clemson is most certainly identified because of its successful football program or academic standing. Until either crime in Holcomb or Clemson life was simple and both places quietly existed without fear. After the death of Tiffany Souers the town was shaken, like Holcomb. After both murders in Kansas and South Carolina life changed and was unlocked and the trust that was in both places and within the people was gone. The town was in a desperate situation of questions as to why, who, and when their lives would return to the normal peaceful state. Across the nation everyone learned of the sleepy, small towns quickly, and notoriously. The towns quickly began a quest to question neighbors figuring the murderer must be a friend, but also worrying that it may be a total stranger, everyone was a suspect and with the thought that in either scenario the killer(s) could still be in the area made the manhunt that more desperate and hectic.

Capote throughout “In Cold Blood” is giving descriptions and details that are more personal than basic news coverage of the family of victims (Clutters) and the criminals (Perry and Dick). The first part of Capote’s book talks about the last time the Clutters would do things and builds up to how unsuspecting they all were before their violent fate occurred. The descriptions help gain empathy for some of the characters and the first section is titled “The Last to See Them Alive”. Capote begins the day before the family are robbed and killed and goes back and forth setting the stage between the families activities and those of the approaching murderers.

Capote describes the Clutter family as typical upstanding citizens and goes into detail about certain characters more than other to distinguish the rough edged criminals and the wholesome family they robbed. Capote strategically picks out qualities in both Mr. Clutter and Nancy his daughter. The leader of the home Mr. Clutter who he describes as “Always certain what he wanted from the world, had in large measure obtained it” (In Cold Blood, 6). Mr. Clutter is continuing his last day on earth as usual, “touching the brim of his cap, he headed for home and the day’s work, unaware that it would be his last” (In Cold Blood, 13). Capote also foreshadows more about how truly desolate both the town of Holcomb is and the Clutter property by saying, “Mr. Clutter seldom encountered trespassers on his property; a mile and a half from the highway, and arrived at by obscure roads, it was not a place that strangers came upon by chance” (In Cold Blood, 13). There is a similarity in that typically Clemson doesn’t have trespassers. The theme of the last to be seen is also discussed in any news story that is also the beginning of the investigation usually, trying to get an account of events that lead to the murder. Tiffany Souers was dropped off at her apartment around 11pm on a Thursday and discovered by a roommate who had been out of town for the weekend. What a story doesn’t detail is the usual activities in detail of the Tiffany’s life. Capote tries to capture this to further illustrate the value of life in the characters.

Capote describes the family of Clutters to be great examples within the community, a big family full of promise. In many ways the Clutters are part of the American dream. This dream is later shattered when travesty hits and readers feel empathy for this poor, hardworking family’s fate. This same dream turns into a nightmare in each of the three murder cases in Clemson, Holcomb, and Georgetown. A next character Capote explores is Nancy Clutter, described as “the town darling” (In Cold Blood, 7). There is a strong comparison that can be made about Nancy Clutter and Tiffany Souers. Nancy Clutter is a home-maker, who is in every way a role model for young girls to aspire to be like. Nancy is a good student, who prepares dinner nightly and makes up for the short comings of her mother and balances housework with a personal life and does so with a smile. Nancy is sort of a diamond in the rough, who burns the candle at both ends. Nancy is described as being “a straight-A student, the president of her class, a leader in the 4-H program and the Young Methodists League, a skilled rider, an excellent musician,” etc. (In Cold Blood, 18). Likewise Tiffany Souers is described as “a 20-year-old civil engineering student,” (Souers) and was later identified as a leader on campus to a variety of groups, with a lot of friends. President of Clemson, James Barker remarked of Tiffany as promising and bright. Capote describes in detail Nancy’s character strategically as a woman to show innocence and beauty in society and how horrible it is when that is taken away.

Another strong comparison can be made between Mr. Clutter and Alan Senitt who was a Jewish activist killed in Georgetown. Both men are modestly achieving the American dream and because of cruel, heartless criminals had that taken away. Alan Senitt was in Georgetown with a female companion and robbed and then killed violently. Senitt was a Jewish activist dedicated to fighting anti-Semitism, who recently moved to Washington to volunteer for former Virginia Governor Mark Warner's possible presidential campaign. “a Jewish activist dedicated to fighting anti-Semitism, who recently moved to Washington to volunteer for former Virginia Governor Mark Warner's possible presidential campaign” (Ass. Press). This incident is heartbreaking because this man had so much of a future ahead and it all was whisked away on being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Capote uses the details of the victims not only to create sympathy for them and their fate, but also to contrast the activities of the criminals until the murder. Mr. Clutter is described as being perfectly fit and a very health conscious individual. This is symbolism in that both Dick and Perry are described as not so physically fit and definitely not health conscious. These physical attributes convey them within in the book. The comparison is seen in this quote, “Like Mr. Clutter man breakfasting in a café called the Little Jewel never drank coffee. He preferred root beer. Three aspirin, cold root beer, and a chain of Pall Mall cigarettes-this was his notion of chow down” (In Cold Blood, 14). Dick and Perry are also described as not only abusing their bodies with cigarettes internally, but externally with a lot of tattoos. Tattoos are sometimes seen as trashy by some and I think it is put in the book on purpose by the author. Tiffany Souer’s murdered was also described as having “tattoos all over his body including a tattoo all over his back, a skull on his left chest, a skull pentagram on his left hand, a skull dagger on his left leg, a bat on his neck, a skull dragon and cross in memory of brother on his right arm, a skull on his right hand, and a female with a gun on his stomach,” (Souers). I think this was highlighted in real life to prove a certain stereotype that some associate with bad seats. Either way Capote uses all these stereotypes to show the bad moral character of Dick and Perry against the pure innocence seen in the victims of each of these murders.

The next section of the book is dedicated to the causes behind the murder of the Clutters and the manhunt and trial of the killers until their death. Capote was able to capture the thoughts and motives of the killers because he was able to meet with them. Capote develops a closer relationship with Perry, but has a personal relationship with both Perry and Dick that allows him to not only gain their point of view, but also feel sorry for them causing some readers to do so as well. Capote tells both of the criminals story, Perry wanted to do the right thing, but didn’t know better both criminals had bad childhoods that caused them to make poor decisions. One comment from Perry sort of illustrates his desire to make the right decision, but his lack of willpower that leads to the wrong decision, “But I didn’t mean it. I meant to call his bluff, make him talk me out of it, make him admit he was a phony and a coward,” (In Cold Blood, 244). This scene is when Perry confesses to actually being the killer, later he reveals that he would not let Dick rape Nancy, but still he is still guilty and wrong. This scenario reminds me of a John Mayer song “Daughters” where the artist describes in the lyrics how daughters will learn from their mothers, so fathers are good to your mothers, etc. Background does contribute to your fate and final product, but doesn’t go unpunished because society has what is expected and one does and is positively or negatively reinforced at a very young age the difference between right and wrong. Wrong should not go unpunished. This example shows the overall theme of how beauty and beastly behavior are connected and live together. Claims in the Tiffany Souer’s case say that although the convicted did have a series of crimes and offenses under his record there was evidence that this was his first murder, but either way the behavior or outcome cannot go unpunished.

This book reminds the public that although murder and mayhem are part of our everyday lives those people killed are not only numbers or statistics, but real people who touch others lives causing us to relate our lives to their fates. In small ways this cycle of panic, blame, and then guilt-free quality after either the killer has been caught or enough time has elapsed that people resume the normal quality of life is a microcosm of the cycle that occurs when a close family member dies. People choose to handle death and violence in their own way. For instance not everyone knew Tiffany Souers, but now we know about her and can relate her to a sister, friend, daughter etc. People relate and compare her to a loved one and sympathize with how unfair and how easily this tragedy could have happened to them. The same applies to the Georgetown murder of a man working in politics for Governor Mark Warner. I work in politics here like many people earning a living in Washington so it is easy to relate and place you in the situation for a number of reasons. Examples are that many of us go to Georgetown like this couple did and a similar fate could have occurred.

Like the readers who sympathize with the victims, Capote not only had sympathy for the Clutters, but also Perry and Dick. One last symbol is seen between the actual personal relationship between Perry and the contrast of Capote’s life to Perry. Capote has a different background and has created a different more ideal life, but is forced to think about the choices, influence and shortcoming of Perry and Dick’s lives. The actual passion and empathy Capote felt firsthand is in every page urging the reader to feel and question where to place the blame and guilt. The relationship could be described as beauty and the beast. The beast (Perry) is often misunderstood according to Capote, still dangerous, but misunderstood. Capote’s empathy and others who feel the same way towards letting criminals have second chances is risky, just like playing with fire you may get burned. This relationship with the manipulator the writer (Capote) allows us to gain insight into the minds of those who are different that us.

Although there are many similarities between all these murders they are all tragedies that Capote reminds us are real. Horrible things happen and although it is never good to dwell on the past, it is also valuable to never forget the danger that lurks everywhere is a reality. Capote’s goal in the piece I believe is to capture for audiences a very real, honest account of the Holcomb case. What Capote set out to do originally and the final product were different because the amount of passion Capote saw firsthand after meeting the criminals opened his eyes to how close disaster is to accomplishment. Just like Mr. Clutter built his house and life it can all fall so quickly and that is a symbol of the overall message and correlation between the American dream and nightmare that Capote tries to open the reader up to.