PHILIPPINE NORMAL UNIVERSITY
National Center for Teacher Education
College of Languages, Linguistics and Literature
Department of English
Taft Avenue, Manila
A Formalist Approach on Truman Capote’s
In Cold Blood (Non-Fictional Novel)
In partial fulfilment of the requirements in S-Eng : American
Literature
Prepared by:
GUESE, Bianca Camille Lising
III – 10 BSE English
Submitted to:
Ms. Marla C. Papango
Course Professor
29 March 2012
Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood
Truman Capote, in his novel, In Cold Blood had adapted an entirely different
style from his other works in relating his readers the tang of a real-life brutal murder
case via exemplar literary writing crossing another media – journalism.
This novel, In Cold Blood is the product of almost six years of intensive
interviewing, research and writing. The murder was real. The story was real. Everything
was factual making the details of the book written without prejudice. This may suggest
that Capote only had a slight influence into the text, and that the influence that he did
have is to manoeuvre the emotional status inflicted on the events.
It is known to be a non-fiction novel which is also an exception to the earlier
works of Truman Capote (Other Voices, Other Rooms, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, etc). In
the duration of the 1960s to the 1970s, a literary movement was beginning to
popularize. It was called the New Journalism literary movement which attempted to
break free from the purely objective style of mainstream reportage of the time. In Cold
Blood, inclusive to the span of the uprising genre, was published 1966, which highly
induced this style of writing.
Adapting to the literary genre, it has certain technical characteristics. First trait is
the employment of dramatic literary techniques on the novel. The novel is not more than
just a newspaper description of the crime as it had served in The New York Times. To
keep the journalistic work literary, Capote made use of fictional techniques by giving the
reader false clues, which added a sense of mystery.
One is the dramatic irony which amplified the tension because the reader knows
that nothing can prevent the inevitable murder of the Clutters. Another is the flashback
of events. One more tool used in relieving the background for characters of Hickock and
Smith. Interestingly, tension Capote did not begin the book with the murder scene . The
story started with the description of what was before the situation in Holcomb, Kansas
thus, narrating the life of the family. Capote also made good use of symbolism
whenever he described Perry Smith’s legs it was as twisted, problematic and painful. He
recurrently described as legs that seemed grotesquely inadequate to the grown – up
(p.9), dwarfish legs (p.20), legs that pained him (p.34), legs that often trembled (p.36),
legs broken (p.56), damaged legs that were unreliable (p.56), legs cracking (p.57),
undersized legs (p.60), injured legs (p.74; 125), legs broke (p.80), legs were shorter
(p.116; 142), legs were pushing with pain (p.120), feeling bad –legs do (p.144), and legs
were on fire (p.155). As for Dick Hickock, it was his face that seemed to be abnormal. In
some instances it was describe to be a face that slackened (p.56), face that reddened
(p.142), face that is puffy (p.212), etc.
In the making of the novel, Capote had to get
in touch with the killers themselves. It was risky however, he managed and even
befriended them. It the finished work it is evident that Capote had recorded quite a
number of conversations with them especially with Perry Smith. It is undeniable that the
longest segment in the work provides significant information about Perry Smith, the man
who quite seemingly interested Capote more than anyone else in the case. It is
surmised that another literary device developed was Pathos; an emotional appeal that
Capote endorsed to instigate a feeling of pity or sorrow towards a character. In such
case, it went for Perry Smith by illustrating the miserable life he had with his unlucky
family particularly siblings that opted to have done similar events in their own lives (e.g.
the death of his brother’s wife and his suicidal). Capote is well-known for a fact that he
had homosexual tendencies. With the circumstances of having long discussions with
Perry, his feelings for the man had to soon intensify. In one reading, there were claims
that Capote felt it necessary to take tranquilizers in order to complete his novel probably
because of a fact that that his feelings for the Smith were overwhelming interrupting with
his operation.
Another trait is intensive reporting which is apparent with the tedious work for six
years in accomplishing the popular novel. Part of this, Capote has followed the main
devices based on the style in New Journalism.
First is the scene by scene construction He consistently did by shifting scene by
scene on the short chapters of the book. Likewise, giving scenes was the style rather
than delivering historical narrative. Next is having fully recorded dialogue. Apparently,
there was almost conversational speech throughout rather than giving quotations and
statements as if it is narrative. Capote argued that the non-fiction novel should be
devoid of first-person narration and, ideally, free of any mention of the novelist. In the
novel, there was no mentioning of Truman Capote being on the scenes of the
investigation. So, the next device is the third person point of view usage. There was no
use of “I”. Lastly, recording of everyday details just like in a normal journalistic work
where everything is documented. The presentation of the Clutters’ normal life at
Holcomb, (e.g. the relationship of the Clutters with other people in the town, the two
children’s issues and affairs, their interaction with friends, and their daily routines) and
even the families of the killers were clearly captured by Capote.
More to this trait, Capote ensured that every detail was of truth and nothing but
the truth. The process of gathering all the bits of information
and putting pieces
together to form the whole story including that of the murderers which added to the
years of accomplishing the book was difficult. It was truly a work of passion and
advocacy.
The final trait that the novel possessed is that there is a reporting of generally
acknowledged subjectivity. The book is still Capote’s own although the story is
nevertheless real and not from the power of imagination. In subjective journalism, the
author is allowed to divulge his own opinion, ideas or involvement to creep into the
story.
Capote’s well- written work of art In Cold Blood did not only settle as an excellent
literary piece but also stood out for incorporating the work with journalistic process.
All the same, it turned out to be an artistic, creative, literary reporting.
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