Dualism in Truman Capote's in Cold Blood

To fully understand the purpose of In Cold Blood, one must explore Capote's strategy in writing such a tale. In his "In Cold Blood," Capote raises the possibility of rational order without ever fully endorsing it, often revealing that random and accidental events shape the history of the crime. Because of this, we as readers cannot pinpoint one exact reason for the incidents that occurred at the Clutter house that fateful night, and are forced to sympathize with two opposing characters within the story, Perry Smith and Alvin Dewey.

Capote's narrative method also emphasizes two language systems--the first based on punishment, the second on psychological analysis of personality-- that demonstrate opposing ways of judging human behavior, thus making it impossible for one to judge the killers or the novel from one specific viewpoint. This example, and the example regarding two channels for reader sympathy, illustrates the theme of dualism presented in the novel. In order to evaluate these opposing issues, one might investigate the critical "confession" scene, in order to get a more lucid sense of how Capote's narrative is supposed to make the reader feel. This scene provides a basis for reading the murders, for placing them within a coherent design for In Cold Blood as a whole. The narrative promises to create an understanding of the crimes and get to the bottom of the killers' motives--if not through the legal system, then perhaps through the process of psychological analysis. Capote utilizes this consistent sense of dualism that never allows the reader to think only from one biased perspective.

Until Part 3 of the book, "Answer," Capote's method emphasizes the mysterious, evasive nature of the crimes and their effects on the townsfolk of Holcomb, Kansas. Because he does not allow the author to speak in his own, first-person voice, Dewey's role is critical in that he acts as the central intelligence guiding our integration of plot elements. His motives and desires allow readers to identify with the eventual capture and punishment of the suspects. The confession scene promises to release pent-up curiosity about the crimes, which up to this point have been presented as motiveless and inexplicable. Our anticipation takes its cue from Dewey's solemn vow when first encountering the murder scene: "However long it takes, it may be the rest of my life, I'm going to know what happened in that house: the why and the who.'' (Truman Capote, 80) Here, we as readers are compelled to sympathize with Dewey in his quest to discover what monster(s) would commit such a crime.