1# *In Cold Blood* - Truman Capote 2 3## Setting 4 5**What does the setting of the text include?** 6 7- Holcomb, Kansas, America, 1959 8- cultural information - America, small isolated community, agricultural economy, 1959 9- explicit mention of dates to set period (Nov 14, 1959) 10- Holcomb, Kansas - small town, "not a place that strangers come upon by chance" 11- introduction to characters - family interactions/relationships 12- integration of events & people to describe culture/period/location 13- "hip-high, sheep-slaughtering snows" - harsh weather 14- description of clothing - "narrow frontier trousers, Stevensons, and high heeled boots" 15- description of accent - "the local accent is barbed with a prairie twang" 16- landscape - dusty, dry flat, vast 17- low population 18- "few Americans [..] had ever heard of Holcomb" 19- dilapidated buildings, uniform through town 20 21**How do the setting and events work together?** 22 23**Foreshadowing** 24 25p 25, 41, 52, 63, 67 26 27- chapter titles - "the last to see them alive" etc 28- not going to church 29- ambiguous implications 30- “Chinese elms had turned into a tunnel of darkening green” (leading up to Clutters' house) 31- “until one morning in mid-November of 1959, few Americans [..] had ever heard of Holcomb” 32- Herbert “headed for home and the day’s work, unaware that it would be his last” 33- “if Dick had not hammered home the every-minute importance of the next twenty-four hours” - Dick and Perry planning 34- “the only sure thing is every one of them has got to go” - Dick 35- “four shotgun blasts that, all told, ended six human lives” 36- “Only now when I think back, I think somebody must have been hiding there. Maybe down among the trees. Somebody just waiting for me to leave” 37- dual narrative in chronological order approaching murder 38- - create a sense that the narrative will "collide" 39- - different settings, same time 40 41 42## Characters 43 44### Herbert Clutter 45 46- owns River Valley Farm 47- four children - two daughters (Eveanna + Beverly) + Nancy + Kenyon 48- successful - owns large property 49- "I'm not as poor as I look" 50- devout Methodist 51- approves of Bobby but wary of their relationship 52 53### Bonnie Clutter 54 55- wife of Herbert Clutter 56- mentally unstable (anxiety/BPD) 57 58### Kenyon Clutter 59- 15 60- builds stuff 61 62### Nancy Clutter 63- boyfriend Bobby Rupp 64- best friend Susan Kidwell 65 66### Clutter family 67 68- complement each other - "just beautiful honey, a beautiful southern Belle" 69- cares for each other - "poor Bonnie's afflictions", "just one serious cause of disquiet" 70- controls his kids with a genuine interest - "suggests she see less of Bobby", "his laws were laws" 71- strict routine/organisation 72- a family that was stereotypically perfect until Bonnie was sick - judgement of others 73 74### Bobby Rupp 75- Nancy's boyfriend 76 77### Alvin Dewey 78- Investigator for Kansas Bureau of Investigation 79- wife Marie (stenographer), two sons 80 81### Dick Hickock 82 83- murders Clutters with Perry Smith 84- "Dick, the practical Dick" 85- appears confident 86- married twice, had three sons 87- calls Perry "honey" 88- impulsive - if he had enough money, he "would spend it on vodka and women" 89 90### Perry Smith 91 92- murders Clutters with Dick Hickock 93- injured in motorcycle accident 94- breakfast - "three aspirin, cold root beer and a chain of Paul Mall cigarettes" 95- self-centred/egotistical - “Every time you see a mirror you go into a trance” 96- more open/prominent in text than Dick 97- messy/materialistic - “Christ, Perry. You carry that junk everywhere?” 98- "know the ins and outs of hunting gold" 99- has trouble meeting deadlines - "if Dick had not hammered home the every-minute importance of the next twenty-four hours" 100- criminal past 101- "never drank coffeemy name sluger lolol" 102- personal account of boyhood while in Mexico 103- parents were rodeo riders 104- two siblings and one inlaw committed suicide 105 106### Willie-Jay 107- assistant to prison chaplain 108- respects and mentors Perry 109 110### Minor characters 111 112- Myrtle Clare - postmistress 113- Mrs Hideo Ashida - family moved due to crime 114- Floyd Wells - worked on Clutter farm, imprisoned with Dick, snitched Dick & Perry 115- Andrews - prison inmate, temporary friend of Perry 116 117### Suspects 118- Bobby Rupp - lie detector test 119- John Jnr/Snr 120- Mr. Smith 121- robbery? 122- Mabel - cafe worker 123- Jonathan Daniel Adrian 124 125**Manhunt** - Floyd Wells alerts authorities and Alvin Dewey starts manhunt. Dick and Perry steal car then return to Kansas to produce more cheques. They then move to Miami, then Las Vegas. Policewoman in Vegas recognises car. Dick confesses first, then Perry. Both undergo trial and are condemned to death. Five year appeal process - Perry starves himself, Dick writes letters to organisations. Dick accepts death sentence politely, Perry regretful/apologetic. 126 127## Themes 128 129- appearance vs. reality 130- family & relationships