Similarities Between Good And Evil In Truman Capote's In Cold Blood

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Throughout his nonfiction novel In Cold Blood, Truman Capote continuously contrasts the kindheartedness and innocence of the Clutters to the malicious, manipulative demeanor of Dick Hickock and Perry Smith to emphasize the cold, cruel nature of their crime. By harshly interrupting peaceful, endearing images of Nancy Clutter baking a pie with descriptions of Dick and Perry planning the town darling’s very murder, Capote consistently juxtaposes good and evil. His tactic descriptions of the seemingly discordant yet parallel occurrences in different settings and employment of strong imagery and pathos throughout the novel prove effective in not only developing characterization and appealing to the reader’s emotions but building the contrast between good and evil that …show more content…

By immediately introducing her as a completely normal and remarkably kind-hearted girl, the reader is later on more affected by her brutal death than if she had been introduced in another light. The description of her lifestyle also emphasizes the sudden unexpectedness of the murders; no one expected a brutal murder in Holcomb, let alone the brutal murder of a girl like Nancy Clutter of all people. The seemingly insignificant details surrounding her handwriting and her developing maturity also make the reader sympathize with Nancy as she was murdered in the middle of her teenage years, right as she was beginning to understand herself and think about her future; her diary, meant to be read in the distant future, symbolized the future she’d never have. The image of Nancy setting out the dress she would eventually be buried in evokes sympathy in the reader as well and emphasizes the lost potential in Nancy’s

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