Compassion In Truman Capote's In Cold Blood

‘In Cold Blood’ demonstrates that compassion must be extended to both victims and their killers’ Discuss

Truman Capote, through his celebrated nonfiction work ‘In Cold Blood’ depicts the events preceding and following the brutal murder of the prominent Clutter family of Holcomb, Kansas, 1959. The text clearly emphasizes that compassion must be extended to all victims of the violent crime. The term ‘victim’ is not exclusively reserved for the murdered but is extended to the family, friends and the entire community of Holcomb. To a lesser extent, Capote demonstrates that compassion should be shown to one of the killers. Capote challenges the reader to become compassionate towards Perry Edward Smith, despite knowing he murdered four innocent

Capote illustrates such potential for the family, particularly that of the children who are both talented and exceptional in their own ways. This familiarity that Capote establishes allows for a sense of devastation and compassion to be felt by the reader in the wake of the murders. Compassion is naturally extended to those whom are close to the Clutters, Bobby Rupp and Susan Kidwell are poignant examples of this. For these young adults, and children of the school and community, the loss of Nancy and her family would be the first true tragic event that they have experienced in their lives. This experience of tragedy evokes sympathy naturally from the reader towards those close to the Clutter’s. The disruption to the close knit and trusting community in Holcomb, which was once a place in which doors were always unlocked, demands the readers compassion. Prior to the murders, Holcomb and it’s residents are described by Capote in an idealistic manner, trusting, low to no crime, proud of their community and friendly. This lifestyle is abruptly destroyed along with the Clutters; prompting sympathy to be extended to those left behind as well as directly to the murdered Clutter

Hickock’s backstory of denied opportunity and of his seemingly debilitating “car smash-up”, should also evoke compassion, however Capote swiftly extinguishes any compassion that may be extended towards Dick. Following the murders, Hickock takes every opportunity to run down dogs in Mexico, exclaiming “Oh Boy!” each time he hits a dog; Perry recalls Hickock excitedly saying “we sure spluttered him” after they hit the dog. This action cements the the sociopathic, homicidal image that the reader holds of Hickock and deepens it with an element of sadism as Dick takes pleasure in killing the dog. Unlike Perry, Dick appears to take pleasure in killing an which extinguishes any of compassion that may be extended towards him. The ‘final nail in the coffin’ is when Dick’s “perverted” tendencies are discussed by Capote. Hickock’s “sexual interest in female children” was despised by Perry, so much so that Perry prevented Dick from raping Nancy Clutter. The reader, through the total exposure Hickock’s lack of morality, views Hickock as completely undeserving of any compassion or