In Cold Blood

              Journal Entries: In Cold Blood - Truman Capote

	Textual References (Observations)	Reflections (Response to Questions)
1)	“Goodness, no. I just love her to death. Well, everybody does. There isn’t anybody like Nancy (Clutter). Do you know what Mrs. Stringer says?” said Jolene, naming her home economics teacher. ”One day she told the class, ‘Nancy Clutter is always in a hurry, but she always has time. And that’s one definition of a lady.’ ” “All my children are very efficient. They don’t need me.” (page 25) “Seems like I’m always thanking you, Herb (Clutter). But thanks.” (page 29) “You, you’re different. The way you can stand up and talk to hundreds of people. Thousands. And be so easy--convince anybody about whatever. Just nothing scares you,” commenting upon a generally recognized quality of Mr. Clutter’s: a fearless self-assurance that set him apart, and while it created respect, also limited affection of others a little. “I can’t imagine you afraid. No matter what happened, you’d talk your way out of it.” (page 36)	The Clutter family was seen as noble and charismatic. The Holcomb community was embraced by the family as they were actively involved in activities and friendship bonding with one another. Herb Clutter was “well respected” throughout the community, and an easy to talk to guy. He assisted the newly arrived Ashida family with meshing into the town, where the created a strong relationship, and often was asked to comment at events as he was “fearless”. The Clutter family as a whole however was upstanding and cared for in Holcomb.
2)	“I’m not surprised,” Mrs. Clare said. “When you think how Herb Clutter spent his whole life in a hurry, rushing in here to get his mail with never a minute to say good-morning-and-thank-you-dog, rushing around like a chicken with its head off--joining clubs, running everything, getting jobs maybe other people wanted. And now look--it’s all caught up with him. Well, he won’t be rushing any more.” (page 69) “Well, it was pretty bad. That wonderful girl--but you would never have known her. She’d been shot in the back of the head with a shotgun held maybe two inches away. She was lying on her side, facing the wall, and the wall was covered with blood. The bedcovers were drawn up to her shoulders.” (page 62) “All we’ve got out here are our friends. There isn’t anything else. In a way, that’s the worst part of the crime. What a terrible thing when neighbors can’t look at each other without kind of wondering! Yes, it’s a hard fact to live with, but if they ever do find out who done it, I’m sure it’ll be a bigger surprise than the murders themselves.” (page 70)	The previous entry made it seem as if everyone in the Holcomb community adored the Clutter family, and would have been in shock to hear of their deaths, but that was not the case. The clerk of the store was actually happy to know the Herb Clutter had died because he believed Herb was taking the allotted jobs for the entire town, and was too energetic for his liking. Despite this one instance, the majority of the community was mourning their deaths and enjoyed the time spent with the Clutter family. People were saddened by the bad news during their busy lifestyles, and reminisced upon their own family as well. Rumors were brought up like wildfire, and neighbors were now suspecting each other of committing the murders. This brought upon a sense of paranoia to the Holcomb community.
3)	“Perry was not moved by affection. Far from it. He “loathed” Barbara, and just the other day he had told Dick, ‘The only real regret I have--I wished the hell my sister had been in that house.” (page 143) “Dick was awake. He was rather more than that; he and Inez were making love. As though reciting a rosary, Dick incessantly whispered……”The previous midnight, when Dick had brought her to the room and told Perry that she was going to sleep there, Perry, though disapproving, had acquiesced, but if they imagined that their conduct stimulated  him…..” (page 146) “An outstanding athlete--always on the first team at school. Basketball! Baseball! Football! Dick was always the star player. A pretty good student, too, with A marks in several subjects.” “He wanted to go onto college. Study to be an engineer. But we couldn’t do it. Plain didn’t have the money. Never have had any money. Our farm here, we hardly can scratch a living. I guess Dick resented it, not getting to college.” (page 166) “Perry once recalled: “Six of us riding in an old truck, sleeping in it, too, sometimes, living off mush and Hershey kisses and condensed milk. Hawks Brand condensed milk it was called, which is what weakened my kidneys--the sugar content--which is why I was always wetting the bed.” “It was not an unhappy existence, especially for a little boy proud of his parents, admiring of their showmanship and courage--a happier life, certainly, than what replaced it. For Tex and Flo, both forced by ailments to retire from their occupation, settled near Reno, Nevada.” (page 131)	As the story continues, the reader discovers the lives of the two killers, Perry and Dick. Perry has lived a harsh life that he describes as not an unhappy existence. His parents were travelling entertainers that earned little money and cared for a rather large family. They had little education and also little food to feed the entire family. He loathed his sister, but attaches to Dick on their journey. On the other hand, Dick is more of an independent person, having a family himself made him less prone to their love. He roams around the nation, after becoming bitter of his family’s economic status. He was unable to go to college because of this, and attributes who he is today to it. Dick is considered to be slender and athletic while Perry is more sophisticated in nature, dependent on Dick, usually becoming used by Dick. Perry waits at the laundromat while he took care of “errands”. Dick is the “mastermind” of the murders, he used the ideas of a former cellmate, and carried them out when he was released with Perry. Their two personalities are comparable to the characters in “Of Mice and Men” George and Lennie, where George was the “brains” and Lennie was the “brawn”.
4)	“Just unscrew the bulb and smash it and cut my wrists. That’s what I ought to do. While you’re still here. Somebody who cares about me a little bit.” (page 276) “Prior to the accident, Dick had been a “happy-go-lucky- boy,” had done well in school, been popular with his classmates and considerate of his parents--“No trouble to anybody.” “Harrison Smith, gently guiding the witness, said, “I will ask you if, after July, 1950, you observed any change in the personality and habits and actions of your son Richard?” “He just didn’t act like the same boy” (page 292)	The family members and acquaintances of Perry and Dick begin to realize the inevitable for the two is near, the death penalty. By law, they have the opportunity to talk with a psychologist, which can determine whether or not the accused has any mental disorders. The psychologist is then asked to testify if they indeed does, and have a chance of repealing the death penalty to a life sentence or something comparably less severe. Dick has the opportunity to talk with a journalist, which turns out to be the author Truman Capote, while he is piling facts for the novel.
5)	Description of baking apple pies with the Clutter family to the several tattoos on the bodies of Dick and Perry “An outstanding athlete--always on the first team at school. Basketball! Baseball! Football! Dick was always the star player. A pretty good student, too, with A marks in several subjects.”	This creates a contrasting ensuing effect on the work; envision two separate ideas, joined together by the relationship between the Nancy Clutter and Perry. Zeugma is slightly used in the novel, but this rhetorical device organizes the ideas of the reader so the flow of the novel will run smoothly, without much confusion.