On November 15, 1959, in the humble community of Holcomb, Kansas, four individuals from the Clutter family were viciously murdered. This famous novel was written by American Novelist Truman Capote. The main characters in the novel are Perry Smith, Dick Hickock and the Clutter family. The Clutters were pure, loving people, although there is some naivety in their purity. The book also talks about how the murder had little to no evidence and without a single motive. The quality of the Clutters appears to originate from and rely upon self-assurance, economic well being, and money related security. Herb Clutter and his family are portrayed idyllically in the novel. This is a respected family of educated, hard working people. In Murder in Cold, they embody the ideals of the American Dream: success, stability, integrity, and piety. Capote's innovation is that he portrays both victims and murderers as two sides of the same American phenomenon. The Clutter family is the embodiment of the achieved American Dream, and the criminals are victims of the dream of success and quick material well-being. “Dewey was fifty-one, four years older than when he supervised the Clutter investigation. . . . The dream of settling on his farm had not come true, for his wife’s fear of living in that sort of isolation had never lessened. Instead, the Deweys had built a new house in town; they were proud of it, and proud, too, of both their sons, who were deep-voiced now and as tall as their father. The older boy was headed for college in the autumn.”(Capote 341) Here the Clutters are established with a lasting connection with a permanent impression on their lives. Just like the American Dream, Dewey and his family are arranged towards what's to come. The Clutter family is the embodiment of the achieved “American Dream” and the criminals are victims of the dream of success and quick material well-being. The very image of the Clutter family is given to Capote in a slow, soundly realistic manner. Capote lingers for a long time on the description of things. In part 4 he states,“Since their arrest they had not been allowed to communicate, and that, freedom aside, was what he most desired-- to talk to Dick, be with him again. Dick was not the 'hardrock' he'd once thought him:' Pragmatic,' 'virile,' 'a real brass boy'; he's proven himself to be 'pretty weak and shallow,' 'a coward.' Still, of everyone in all the world, this was the person to whom he was closest at that moment, for they at least were of the same species, brothers in the breed of Cain; separated from him, Perry felt 'all by myself. Like somebody covered with sores. Somebody only a big nut would have anything to do with”(Capote 259-260).
This is a good example of a role in the family because Capote needs or wants us to see that despite the fact that Dick and Perry did not have a decent family, they both see each other as siblings. Two individuals who just could truly depend on each other like family.
The main story unfolds chronologically and Capote blaming society for the atrocious murder at Holcomb is “sentimental nonsense”. Capote creates special in line links between chapters. In the fifth chapter, Capote talks about Dick Hickok and Perry Smith repairing the car in which they intend to go to the scene of the planned crime. In the sixth chapter, Nancy bakes cherry pie together with Jolene Katz. As a result, both of them were satisfied with their work.
These connections Capote makes are necessary so that the narrative does not break up into separate sketches. In addition, in the context of the entire work, these seemingly insignificant touches allows us the readers to realize the tragic parallels that exist between the wealthy and all respected Clutters and outcasts Smith and Hickok. Both the murdered and the criminals are victims of the American Dream. In part one, “Nancy and her protégée, Jolene Kartz, were also satisfied with their morning’s work; indeed, the latter, a thin thirteen-year-old, was agog with pride. For the longest while she stared at the blue-ribbon winner, the oven-hot cherries simmering under the crisp lattice crust, and then she was overcome, and hugging Nancy, asked, “Honest, did I really make it myself?” Nancy laughed, returned the embrace, and assured her that she had --with a little help” (Capote 240). This is significant because, The exchanging viewpoint here empowers us the readers to absorb the two sides of the story.
The role of the family in this novel is very important, and the heroes are the embodiment of the ideals dictated by the “American Dream”: success, stability, integrity, piety. The chapters describing criminals contain the image of the road and the motive of constant movement, which, in connection with the images of Smith and Hickok, are key to American literature is associated with restlessness and lack of roots. The Clutters, like most of the people around them, think that wealth, education, work, good relations in the family, the performance of everyday duties are all the most reliable forms of protection from evil, from chaos, from another, homeless, impoverished, criminal America. And the life of the Clutters really turns out to be, as it were, wrapped in cellophane. But a sudden impulse and now a terrible grin of crime, cruel savagery, atrocity is very close. The book contains many facts, details that lead to exactly such conclusions: eleven months after the tragedy in Holcomb, the postmaster was robbed; biology student Andrews, Dick and Perry’s death row neighbor, killed his parents and sister in cold blood, again for the sake of money. The murderer Perry himself was needed by his country only once - during the war in Korea; for participation in this war, he was awarded a bronze medal.
The determining causes of the crime are the trouble of the world, the trouble of society. This is the objective, artistic conclusion of the novel. However, the concept of conclusion can be used very conditionally. Rather, Capote gives us a wealth of material for reflection, comparisons, and paves the way for arriving at answers and conclusions.
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Essay on Dick and Perry in ‘In Cold Blood’.
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