Rabbit, Run Post #1

Updike establishes meaning in Rabbit, Run in a much different way than Capote does in In Cold Blood. Updike uses Harry's personal struggles and such as the basis of the novel whereas Capote uses the accounts of several different people in his book. This more personal account of Rabbit's life helped me feel like we were more connected as if I were not only reading about his life, but like we were friends and I could feel and connect to his feelings. Reading In Cold Blood, on the other hand, I felt as if I were reading a documentary of something that has happened. I felt completely unattached to most of the characters. The way Updike wrote about Harry leaving his wife and the sparse moments of remorse that he felt I somehow felt as if a man leaving his wife was an everyday event, nothing to be surprised or uneasy about. On the other hand, Capote's accounts of what happened to the Clutter family definitely did not make me feel as if murder was a common event. The situations and characters in each book definitely affected how the book is interpreted and read. In my opinion, there isn't really a way to feel the same way about Rabbit, Run as you would about In Cold Blood.