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Similes In Truman Capote's In Cold Blood

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Truman Capote uses variety of language devices such as diction, similes and symbolism to vividly develop Perry Smith in his novel In Cold Blood. Truman Capote uses diction to develop Perry Smith’s character. When Perry explains what happened that night at the Clutter family home, he tells agent Alvin Dewey about his moment with Nancy Clutter. "[He] pulled up the covers, tucked her in till just her head showed…" the use of ‘tucked her in’ expresses a calm and cozy tone which contrasts with the situation. This implies that even though Perry will murder her in cold blood, he still is considerate enough to make her feel at home. "Perry was not a gifted liar, or a prolific one" the diction of prolific puts the emphasis on that he doesn't lie very …show more content…

The simile, ’spooky as hell’, has a mysterious and frightening tone. No one truly knows what hell is like but its negative connotations provide a vivid image of how frightening Perry can be. In the novel In Cold Blood it's described that Perry had a strong relationship with his father, but as Perry got older it worsened. The simile, "I loved my father but there were times when this love and affection I had for him drained from my heart like wasted water", "like wasted water" can represent that Perry did love his father but once Perry grew older he realized that he didn't love him anymore, and that his affection towards his father was wasted as it led to no positive outcome. This shows that Perry had some issues with his father, which could have affected his personality later on, as one needs to feel the love of a parent. Water is a scarce resource; by using "wasted water" this may imply that Perry's love lasts only for a certain amount of time. Another simile used in the novel was ‘white as a ghost’, which provides a chilling tone. Additionally it reveals Perry's delicate side, because ‘white’ has innocent and pure connotations while ghost has frightening connotations. The use of the simile plays a big role in this as it emphasizes the great amount of fear Perry endured while committing the

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