Truman Capote s The American Dream - 1928 Words

The definition of the American Dream varies from person to person, however, its basic components include a healthy, happy family, a sense of safety and security, and a sufficient amount of money. People from all backgrounds strive to achieve their specific American Dream, however, actually achieving this proves extremely difficult since the nature of the American Dream is often unrealistic, fragile, or elusive. Many artists, authors, and poets use their art to explore or comment on this heavy, complex topic. Specifically, Truman Capote investigates the American Dream through his work of creative nonfiction, In Cold Blood, which centers on the violent murder of a Kansas family in the 1950’s. After interviewing law enforcement officers,†¦show more content†¦The fact that he secretly smokes and does not live up to his own high standards reveals the impractical nature of the perfect family. The community views the Clutters as the American Dream family, however, Capot e implies that a perfect family is an illusion. Later in his description of the Clutter family, Capote focuses on Bonnie Clutter, the mother of both Nancy and Kenyon Clutter and wife of Herb Clutter, and her postpartum depression, which forces her to remain indoors and keeps her from community events. After the birth of her youngest child, Kenyon, â€Å"the mood of misery that descended never altogether lifted; it lingered like a cloud that might rain or might not.† (27) In describing the depth and intensity of Bonnie’s mental illness, Capote utilizes a simile to compare her depression to a gloomy cloud to demonstrate how just as storms hang in the sky and create a dark, melancholy feeling so does Bonnie’s depression constantly loom over her and ruin her daily life. Although Bonnie has created a typical healthy family, she cannot care for her family or involve herself in raising her children due to her constant, almost crippling depression. With Bonnieâ€⠄¢s flaw, Capote shows again the unrealistic nature of an American Dream family. Bonnie’s â€Å"cloud† of depression prevents the Clutters from truly achieving the family life of the American Dream. Near the end of Capote’s description of the Clutter family, he introducesShow MoreRelatedTruman Capotes In Cold Blood1591 Words   |  7 Pagesand provides insight into the condition of that society. The American Dream is a dominant theme in American literature, and in Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood, the idealistic dream is critically evaluated. In this paper, I will explain the context of the work, and then I will compare and contrast Dick any Perry (the murderers) with the Clutter family (the murdered) in relation to the theme of the fragility of the American Dream. Capote wrote what he considered to be the first nonfiction novel. SimplyRead MoreBased on True Events A Glance into the Nonfiction Novel Genre979 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"The best nonfiction recognizes the impossibility of perfect representation, the dream of the 1:1 ratio,† (Sharlett). What Jeff Sharlet means in this quote is that facts cannot be perfectly represented, regardless of any type of imagery or descriptions, so a good nonfiction work uses only what is needed to get the message across. Beginning in the 20th century, many nonfiction writers would even look towards fiction for the resources to describe what was considered impossible to describe (Taylor)Read MoreThe Authors Biases in Into the Wild and In Cold Blood1062 Words   |  5 Pagessituation. In both Into the Wild and In Cold Blood, the authors form distinct opinions about their main characters and believe family structure heavily influenced their future. Truman Capote forms a close relationship with convicted murderer, Perry Smith, and allows his own personal perception of Perry to influence his story. Capote repeatedly puts emphasis on the fact that Perry comes from a troubled background and portrays him as a victim rather than a murderer. Perry confesses to a night he â€Å"remembersRead MoreCharacters In Truman Capotes In Cold Blood1330 Words   |  6 PagesJoseph Bouchie Honors English 9/1/17 Part 1: In the first chapter of â€Å"In Cold Blood†, Truman Capote switches between stories of the Clutter family, Dick Hickock and Perry Smith. This transition allows Capote to focus on multiple accounts at once, and to connect the lives of the Clutter family to their killers. Dick and Perry are two essential characters in the first chapter as the beginning is told from Perry’s view. Dick Hickock is an uneducated somewhat charming man who didnt regret killingRead MorePerry Smiths Nature And Nurture1304 Words   |  6 Pages However, others say the way life treats a person defines them. In the case of Perry Smith, nurture seems to be casting the deciding vote in his life. Nurture definitely trumps nature in deciding the way Perry Smith s inner thoughts, feelings, and actions take shape. Perry Smith s inner musings form as a result of the suffering he undergoes throughout his life. Perry contemplates many thoughts that the reader is able to see in In Cold Blood, and these thoughts seem to have a great deal to do withRead MoreThe Life Of An American Literary Icon1206 Words   |  5 Pages Neelee Harrison Honors English 9 19 April 2015 The Life of an American Literary Icon I think there s just one kind of folks. Folks (Lee 304). Harper Lee is one of America s most famous and beloved writers of her time. She has inspired people with her unique down-to-earth writing voice and her presentation of the rawness of people and life in general. Because of Harper Lee, America has learned to appreciate the differences in others from ourselves because you never really understandRead MoreAnalysis Of Truman Capote s Cold Blood 1247 Words   |  5 PagesAdriana Reyes Professor Leigh Ann Weatherford English A102 November 22, 2016 In Cold Blood by Truman Capote is an exciting non-fiction novel and also a documentary of an authentic historical American crime. Capote utilizes distinctive voices to recount the story, making a closeness between the readers and the murders, the readers and the victims, and the various players in this event—townspeople, agents, companions of the family. He doesn t simply introduce the actualities of the case, all throughRead MoreAnalysis Of Truman Capote s Cold Blood 1616 Words   |  7 Pagesto justice afforded to others elsewhere. America purports to have a duty to serve justice, yet the justice system provides little leeway to those whose crimes are not their fault. This notion of unfulfilled justice appears in In Cold Blood by Truman Capote. When Dick and Perry commit murder, the circumstances are such that Perry cannot be entirely accountable for the actions he took. Perry bears no responsibility for the crimes he committed; storied psychological illnesses and pitfall s compromisedRead MorePsychological Trauma And Behavior Of The Cold Blood By Truman Capote1139 Words   |  5 Pagesyears old, stood trial for a murder that had occurred more than 20 years earlier. The victim, 8-year-old (Susan Kay Nason, was murdered on September 22, 1969). Franklin s daughter, Eileen, only 8 years old herself at the time of the murder, provided the major evidence against her father. What was unusual about the case is that Eileen s memory of witnessing the murder had been repressed for more than 20 years (The Reality).† After psychological trauma, repressed memories can occur. Psychological traumaRead MoreAnalysis Of Truman Capote s I Am A Criminal1952 Words   |  8 Pagesâ€Å"people who dislike baseball†. Like I said, you can say it in a thousand different ways. However, for one man, Truman Capote, the dividing line between two people was a rather complex one. In regard to a person’s ethos, if you will, an individual is not â€Å"born into† a certain role in society, rather society determines one’s role. That being said, the point I am trying to make is that, Capote firmly believes that Perry was not born a criminal, after all, how is it even possible to be born a criminal