Question

In Cold Blood Essay Help! I don't need someone to write the whole essay, just need some info I can incorporate into the essay to answer the prompt. Thank you!

Prompt 1:
Average characters and everyday objects or activities are often portrayed in a work of literature in such a way that they come to symbolize society's or culture's values and ideals. The relationship between iconic characters or objects is implicitly reflected in the society they represent. Choose an iconic character, object, or activity in Truman Capote's In Cold Blood, and write a well-organized and well-supported essay in which you analyze Capote's use of this icon and its contribution to the meaning of the overall work.

Prompt 2:
While the concept of genre once assumed a fairly definitive distinction between forms, especially between fiction and nonfiction, modern writers and works frequently combine elements of different genres, thus making the distinctions less obvious. Consider such film genres as the "docudrama" and the "mockumentary." In print, we now have "narrative nonfiction," the "fictional memoir," and the "true crime narrative." Consider Truman Capote's In Cold Blood as an early example – possibly even the prototype – of a new, hybrid genre and write a thoughtful and well-supported essay in which you analyze the techniques Capote uses from both fiction and nonfiction genres in order to create his new form: the nonfiction novel.

Answer 1

Prompt 1:

The tattoos on Hickock and Perry represent their true escence as people and murderers.

In the novel, we see Hickock talking and behaving as a person who is ruthless and willing to do anything to get money, yet he is not. He shows carelessness about life in different ways: from killing a dog to robbing people, and his tattoos are also carelessly done: most of them are designed by him and self-applied as well. They seem to show that he wants to come across as wild and dangerous, but in the end his tattos, and himself, are bad imitations of a more realistic figure (describe tattoos). In the novel he fails to fill the shoes of the macho-persona he presented himself as: he does not dare to kill the Clutters, he cries for mercy when captured, he is the first to crack-up and confess (blaming Perry), and he plays the victim-role to try and earn the sympathy of important figures that could help him get out of prison.

On the contrary, Perry's always presented as a ssweet person who is intrinsecally good despite of his crimes. The author shows him as true victim of life because of the horrors of his past, and he is always compassionate to other people. However, Perry is the true murderer, and so his tattos, which are more elaborated and artistic, showcase tigers, daggers and monsters.

Prompt 2:

Journalism (non-fiction genre): Accurate description of every landscape, building and event that happened in Kansas and even in the whole country. (You may quote the description of the village, the post office, the impact on the media, etc).

Narration (fiction): The last scene of the novel, in which the inspector meets with Nancy's best friend, never happened. Capote admitted this was invented in order to give a message to the audience. There are also some other invented scenarios and dialogues, as well as characterizations. For instance, Capote had no way of knowing wether Mr. Clutter asked Nancy to end her relationship with Bobby due to his religion. Capote confessed that he added that scene because he thought the story would be more relatable for the people of 1965.