Rhetorical Outline: In Cold Blood by Truman Capote, Chapter 1
I.
II.
Introduction
a. The 1950s were a truly different time in America; there were new
technologies, trends, and sources of entertainment. However, not only did the
1950s pave the way for positive comings, but also for stories of mistrust and
criminal behaviour. Truman Capote, in his book In Cold Blood, cleverly
contrasts the violence of the ‘50s with America’s previous society in earlier
decades through the appeals of ethos, pathos, and logos with a desolate,
rustic, and foreboding tone.
Ethos
a. Example
i. Capote incorporates examples into his writing to give the audience an
idea of the simplicity and style of life and culture before the scandalous
events took place.
ii. Evidence:
1. “The local accent… barbed with a prairie twang.”
2. “…high-heeled boots with pointed toes.”
iii. The evidence listed above are examples of some attributes of the
people of Holcomb and, as one could probably tell, the residents of
Holcomb are simple and what many would call “out west”, even
though Kansas is considered a Mid-West country in the United States.
Due to its simplicity and drama-free nature, the residents of Holcomb
seem satisfied with their daily lives and doings. Capote reveals this
with a tone of rusticity and a purpose of making Holcomb seem
innocent.
b. Concrete Details
i. Capote uses concrete details to explicitly describe life before the ‘50s;.
ii. Evidence:
1. “The bank closed in 1933…”
2. “…one-story frame affairs, with front porches.”
iii. By including these details, Capote succeeds in portraying the little
town on Holcomb as an empty, boring establishment with a desolate
and somber tone. There are also historical allusions that refer back to
the Great Depression. In addition, some details in fact describe the
nature and personality of not only the town but the people as well.
c. Definition
i. By including terms such as “depot” and “Stetsons”, Capote adds a
touch of genuine spark to the piece, giving the reader an idea of the
type of language used back then.
ii. Evidence
1. “Stetsons”
2. “postmistress”
III.
IV.
iii. By using such terms, Capote proves to the audience that he indeed is
knowledgeable in the 1950’s Holcomb society. With an endearing and
somber tone, Capote uses definitions to describe the emptiness and,
ironically, also the life of Holcomb.
Pathos
a. Personification
i. Capote incorporates personification into the piece in order to portray
the subtle life of Holcomb.
ii. Evidence:
1. “…scuttling tumbleweed…”
2. “…wait of locomotive whistles.”
iii. Including personification in this piece, Capote successfully adds “life”
to an otherwise seemingly vacant town; this perhaps warns the
audience of scandalous events that will perhaps happen in the future.
With this purpose in mind, Capote delivers the idea with a foreboding
tone.
b. Simile
i. With the simile, Capote makes an allusion to another society in the past
which accurately represents the American society at the time of his
writing.
ii. Evidence:
1. “…as gracefully as Greek temples…”
iii. The use of this simile suggests that Capote looks at American society
much like that of Ancient Greece; although it seemed to be flawless in
every aspect, there were still some forms of corruption. Capote used
this simile with a purpose of communicating to the audience that
American society is flawed in a foreshadowing tone.
c. Sensory Perceptions
i. With sensory perceptions, Capote is able to create genuine imagery
and insight of Holcomb for the audience.
ii. Evidence:
1. “…this one in flaking gold on a dirty window.”
2. “…unnamed, unshaded, unpaved [roads].”
iii. By incorporating such perceptions into the piece, Capote has a
purpose of portraying Holcomb as a vacant “village” that is
“lonesome” and on the “countryside” with a rustic and simple tone.
Logos
a. Parallelism
i. Capote used parallelism in his piece to describe the “drama” in
Holcomb with three other metaphors of an equal bearing.
ii. Evidence
1. “Like the waters of the river, like the motorists on the highway,
and like the yellow trains streaking down…”
V.
iii. This use of parallelism stresses three important metaphors that
describe the incessant consistency of drama in Holcomb, despite its
rusticity. Capote, with a purpose of juxtaposing the seemingly simple
town with its scandalous drama, conveys this point in a suspenseful
tone.
b. Facts
i. Capote places facts throughout the piece to emphasize the simplicity of
the town, despite its soon-to-come drama.
ii. Evidence:
1. “…on the north by a highway, Route 50…”
2. “No passenger trains [pause there].”
iii. With these facts in mind, it is hard to imagine that the town of Holcomb
would experience anything more exciting than the daily special at
Hartman’s Café. Therefore, Capote uses facts with the purpose of
setting the image of a simple, rustic town in the audiences’ minds,
through a desolate and informative tone.
c. Declarative Sentence
i. Capote uses the declarative sentence not so much to make a point, but
to incorporate irony to the piece.
ii. Evidence:
1. “And that, really, is all.”
iii. The writing followed by this declarative sentence then proceeds to
describe more attributes of Holcomb which are classified of a higher
caliber than the descriptions prior. Capote’s purpose in this sentence
was to create irony by portraying that, although Holcomb may seem
outdated and rustic, it actually has a few components that are highly
essential and commendable. His tone in this example is brief and
sarcastic.
Conclusion
a. In conclusion, Capote has more than one purpose to the first chapter of his
book, In Cold Blood. Not only did it provide the setting for the book, but also
gave the audience an idea of what 1950’s America was; Holcomb was, in fact,
a metaphor for the rest of the United States. In addition, the juxtaposition of the
town’s vacancy with the drama of its people foreshadows the events to come
in the following pages, and therefore only leaves the audience yearning for
answers. Capote successfully portrays all this information with a foreboding
and suspenseful tone, leaving the audience curious of the scandalous
happenings that are explained later in the book.