Truman Capote's In Cold Blood

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1. Title:

“In Cold Blood.”

2. Author plus biographical background information:

Truman Capote, one of America’s most famous writers was born in New Orleans in 1924 and died in California in 1984. He wrote both fiction and non- fiction stories. (for example this book, “ In cold blood”) short stories, novels, travel writing, profiles, reportage, memoirs, plays and films.

3. Number of pages:

336

4. Theme (s):

- Murder

- Feelings

5. The Clutter family.

Herb Clutter: He’s the father of the murdered family. He’s forty-eight yr. old. Herb is a normal man, who makes a living with the farm he owns. His social contacts in the neighborhood and the people of Holcomb community are very good, people love to talk with him and Mr. Clutter is a member of the agricultural society. Mrs. Clutter: She’s the mother of the family, and loves miniature things. She has two kids, a girl named Nancy and a boy named Kenyon. The daughter is very much loved in town by boys who like to hang out with her, but she already has a boyfriend named Bobby Rupp. Nancy has another love, and that’s her old fat horse named Babe. The brother of Nancy is Kenyon, he’s a boy who likes to fish and hunt. Chase coyotes on his “Coyote wagon”, just a normal boy.

Perry and Dick.

Perry Smith is a very quiet person who had a lousy childhood, which affected his behavior in worse form. He seems to be a quite decent person to talk with, but he’s very easily influenced. In the end you feel a little sorry for him because Truman Capote describes him as a person who had a very difficult childhood. Perry was the person who killed the Clutters by shooting their brains out with a .12-gauge shotgun. He’s feel’s no sorry for the crime he has committed. But he also says he liked Mr. Clutter, and thought he was a very nice man. Then there is his companion named Richard (Dick) Hickock. He’s the one who comes with the idea of robbing the Clutter family and to kill any people in the house on the moment of the robbery. When they’re looking for the safe of Mr. Clutter, they find out that there isn’t any safe in the office of Mr. Clutter. They decide to tie the family up and kill them. Dick doesn’t dare to pull the trigger so Perry has to do the dirty work. Dick first was planning to rape Nancy Clutter, but Perry kept him from doing that. People who are sexually obsessed make him mad. In the story you’ll know ...

... middle of paper ...

...about what they’ve done.

But they are very pissed of the fact that there was so little money in the house ( they only got 40 $ ). They decide to go to Mexico to flee and hide for the police, who are starting an investigation on the Clutter murder case. The whole city of Holcomb is shocked by the killing of the loved family and everybody is scared.

Perry and Dick stay in Mexico for a while but then they want to return to the states again, they decide to hitchhike back to the USA. Then Floyd Wells, a former cellmate of Dick. Dick told Wells that he was planning to kill the Clutters and leave no witnesses. Floyd Wells reads about the murder and tips the police of the possible murderers. Dick and Perry stole a car when they were back in the US, they also pass out false cheques and spent the money on a holiday in Miami. Then they travel to Las Vegas where the police catch them. They are questioned about the murder and they finally make a full confession. They spent the rest of their time in jail until they have to go to court to hear their punishment. The jury as the judge decides to give them the dead penalty by hanging. Eventually both of the men are hanged on April 14 1965.

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