In Cold Blood Seminar

Directions: Choose TWO of the prompts below and write a minimum five-sentence response to each. You MUST provide textual evidence for your responses. NO QUOTE = NO CREDIT.

1. Capote’s purpose in writing this book changes as the story progresses. Analyze those changes and how he influences the reader to support his purpose. Ultimately, what was his real purpose in publishing In Cold Blood?

2. Based on the details Capote emphasizes, what is his attitude toward the death penalty and the criminal justice system? It is fair of him to include this viewpoint in this novel?

3. A critic says, “In Cold Blood is a work that transcends its moment, yielding poignant insights into the nature of American violence.” Consider Capote’s research and detailed description of the criminals in this book—is this statement true?

4. What do the Clutter murders reveal about the town of Holcomb? How does the gossip surrounding the crime reflect underlying truths about the town?

5. Does In Cold Blood have a protagonist? Is it Herb Clutter? Dewey? Perry? Explain.

6. Why does Capote leave out descriptions of the two older Clutter sisters? Does the narrative benefit from this exclusion?

7. What role does dreaming play in the novel, both figuratively and literally? Think of Perry's dream of the parrot and of finding gold in Mexico, and of Dewey's nightmares. How reliable is what Capote tells us about these dreams?

8. How is montage used in In Cold Blood? In other words, how does the back-and-forth description of events in Holcomb and events surrounding Dick and Perry make the novel more vivid?

9. In what ways does Capote reveal the nature of his research through the construction of the book? Is it important that Capote himself is never named? Does his absence endanger the credibility of the narrative?

10. Is In Cold Blood a creative work more than it is nonfiction? Is it journalism? Why or why not?