Violence is often incorporated in media as a means of entertainment; however, there are certain instances where the use of violence crosses a line. It is up for debate on when this line would be reached and when the violence would be considered too extreme. In these cases, it may be necessary for schools to remove such literature from their libraries and from their curriculum. In Cold Blood is an example of literature that has been deemed questionable by several parents; therefore, banning this novel has been a popular topic of discussion in many different school districts. In Cold Blood tells the true story of the Clutter family, who were savagely murdered in their own home. The murder was brutal, and it was described by Capote in a very graphic …show more content…
After the murder took place, anyone who knew the Clutter family was in shock because they could not understand why anyone would murder this particular family. After discovering that the murder was committed by strangers who seemed to have no motive, the townsfolk became very suspicious of everyone. As paranoia began to rise, evidence is found at the scene of the crime that ties two men, Dick Hickock and Perry Smith, to the murder. These men are arrested, and they are forced to confess to the crime, leading them to reveal their motive. Perry’s motive is much clearer than Dick’s, and is actually rather unclear what Dick’s role in the murder would have been. After these two men confessed to having committed the murder, they are sentenced to the death penalty. There are many subjects in In Cold Blood that may be deemed too inappropriate for young readers; however, the main issue would be the excessive use of violence. Although violence in novels may give young readers insight into the psychological aspect of crime, the violence in In Cold Blood is glorified making it too graphic for a school