Pre-Seminar Response - 3.24.16

Well, there was this quote that was on the screen today... And honestly, I didn't really know what to say. But what I'm gathering is that for all the humans that have lived, some do not grant mercy to those who come after them and so on. I believe he is also trying to say that people generally have their love/likeliness strengthen for those who generally take pity, like poor people or people who have had wrong done to them, and so on. I would like to talk about the word pity as well. It stands out to me and I feel it is a word that could help describe the two murder characters in the novel. Throughout the book I had an on and off sense of sympathy for them. After learning of Perry's violent and horrible childhood I had pity for him because he was most likely not in the right mind when he committed those murders. I had also felt sympathy for Dick, mostly because he was given capital punishment for essentially just being by Perry's side when the murders of the Clutter family happened. But, these men do not deserve pity, they deserve to be treated the way they are even though they may or may not be in the right minds.

The New "In Cold Blood" - 3.23.16

     Truman Capote’s non-fiction novel, In Cold Blood, is under quite the controversy for the question of, “Was it fully true?” There are several reasons for the credibility of Capote’s writing to be criticized because it was in fact journalistic, but also because Harold Nye (an investigator and/or KBI agent) had notes and documents that contradicted some of what Capote wrote about in his non-fiction novel. Obviously, journalism is not always truthful, it can be exaggerated from the truth, or it can be understated. Either way, it helps add an element to the story that was not there previously — which, in turn, helps gather more interest to the story and grab reader’s attentions. Nye’s son, Ronald Nye, claims that his father had rejected Capote’s novel and the movie. He had thrown the book at the wall after page 115, and had also walked out on the move, which shows just how much he disliked how the case was portrayed. Nye, as all investigators would, had notes about the investigation. Within these notes there was information about the “jailhouse snitch” also known as, Floyd Wells. In the novel, Capote describes it as detective Alvin Dewey had immediately acting on the tip… However, in Nye’s notes it shows that it actually took five days for Dewey to act on the tip and attempt to locate them. If they had done it earlier, the two murderers would most likely not have been able to make it out of Kansas and into Florida. The only reason that it took Dewey and his team (unless he acted alone, I assume he did not though) so long to locate the two murderers is because he thought it was just a “red herring” and that the real murderer(s) actually knew the Clutter family and had something against them. So, the real problem is plain and simple. How much was overstated and understated in Capote’s novel? Does it affect how we view the case in general? Because personally, while reading the novel I felt a sort of sympathy for Perry and Dick. At first I felt sympathy for Perry because he had such a horrible childhood and mentally unstable past. In the end I had felt bad for Dick because he honestly did not murder anyone in the Clutter family according to he and Perry’s confessions. So all in all, I do believe that the critics of In Cold Blood are justified with their problems about In Cold Blood because in a case like this if the truth is not evident enough or truthful how can we as a reader be able to make similar judgements to those that the jury and the judge made during the cases for Hickock and Smith.

In Cold Blood Part IV - 3.20.16

     In Part IV, of Truman Capote’s non-fiction novel, In Cold Blood, we learn more about the case involving Dick Hickock and Perry Smith. As we learned in the previous chapter, each murderer had their own confession, both had contrasted one another. Dick’s confession had included that he did not kill any of the Clutter family, and that Perry had in fact killed the entire family. While Perry’s confession was that they had taken equal parts in it. However, we come to learn in part four that Perry had in fact killed all member’s of the family. Now, in the later part of chapter four we learn more about the other death row inmates like George York, James Latham, Lowell Lee Andrews, and the two character’s that we have been learning about and following throughout the book. I believe that Capote introduces the characters to show the parallels and differences between each one of them — why they were there, their purpose, and so on. Andrews was probably used to show a parallel to Dick as Andrews himself showed no remorse for his actions (which happened to be killing his own family and framing it as if someone else did it, very psychopath like, in my opinion) and also because Dick had showed no remorse for his actions in the earlier chapters… Maybe because he did not actually do much about the murders, but he was still there and could have done something to prevent the four deaths that occurred that evening. The two newer men that are introduced are Latham and York, who were put into death row because they had gone on a multi-state killing spree because they believed that the world was essentially against them. I feel like these two characters were introduced as well because I also think that Perry and Dick had thought the world was against them… Mainly because they were both in accidents and had rough lives for various reasons. Honestly, I do not really respond to these characters like I do to Perry and Dick, mostly because I do not know them as well, and have a better liking for them. With these character’s I feel mostly bad for Dick, even though I used to not. I used to feel bad for Perry because of how he was treated by Dick and so on. Dick had not killed anyone in the Clutter family, according to his confession and the changed confession by Perry which shows essentially just how wrongly treated he was by the court system. So, in the end of In Cold Blood, I view the characters of Dick and Perry not as equals, but both as criminals of course for they both partake in the act of murder in some degree. I view them differently because Perry had killed four people in a matter of minutes and merely almost got away with it, and also because Dick was being thrown into Death Row for basically just being a witness to the crimes — however, he had also planned them. All in all, I view the ending of this book to be quite depressing yet uplifting at the same time… Capote uses a great job in the end showing parallels and contrasting the Death Row characters and using the cats in town square as a great metaphor to Dick and Perry always being on the move and (typically) scrapping for food.

In Cold Blood Part III - 3.13.15

     In Truman Capote’s non-fiction novel, In Cold Blood, we as readers learn about the horrifying murder of the Clutter family in Holcomb, Kansas. After reading part three, which is named, The Answer, we learn about really what went on inside the Clutter home on November 15, 1959 and the journey that Dick and Perry had up until they were arrested. This journey consisting of going from places like Miami, Kansas City, and Las Vegas. Their last destination on this journey was in Las Vegas; where they finally confessed about the murder of the family. Dick’s confession was, “Hickock said, ‘Perry Smith killed the Clutters.’ He lifted his head, and slowly straightened up in the chair, like a fighter staggering to his feet. ‘It was Perry. I couldn't stop him. He killed them all.’” (Capote 145) What I could get out of Dick’s confession was that he wanted to get away with the least amount of punishment possible, he was going to put his life before Perry’s. However, Perry’s confession was a lot more detailed and showed the team effort of the murders and how it began with just robbing the Clutter family to murdering all four of them. Perry describes the murders as if he is the better of the two, because he did not want to murder the family, but leave them alive. He also talked about how Dick can not control his sexual desire, and he was worried that he would end up harassing Nancy, the “All American Girl”. My reactions to these confessions (emphasizing that there were two [even though Perry’s was most likely the realistic and actual one] that somewhat matched up and supported one another) would have to be in complete shock. I was shocked that Dick and Perry succumbed to violence. The situation could have been totally avoided, from Perry’s confession we see that he was reluctant to kill the family and just wanted to leave the house and not have anything to do with what was happening.

     All in all, the confession makes me dislike the two characters even more… Dick more than Perry, though. At first I was intrigued to learn how it all went down, but when it all came down to logistics I was terrified for the family, and could not imagine the horrors that happened with this murder that occurred in the peaceful town of Holcomb. 

Boston Photographs - 3.8.16

The photographs at the center of controversy in Boston. When is it not appropriate to publish photographs, especially photos that are not of explicit content? Perhaps that begs the question, what is explicit content in photography?


Just by looking at these photographs there really isn't much "explicit" content; there's only the morbidity of them because of the falling woman and child in a burning building. Personally, I believe it's inappropriate to publish photos that aren't explicit when it may contain sensitive material, or if it is just flat out unfitting for the article section. Then again, I believe that explicit content is when there is sensitive material, like nudity, death, and so on, but explicit content is rarely published in magazines and newspapers. The only question that I have for the photographer is why he didn't publish a photograph of the fire itself, and photographed a falling child and woman in a fire. Obviously the photographer is trying too show the severity of the fire (maybe, I'm unsure) and how fires are dangerous and can kill people. As I wrote about in my capstone paper, photojournalism is capturing a story through pictures, which can tell the viewer just what really went on and the extremes that may carry with it.

In Cold Blood Part II - 3.6.16

In Truman Capote’s “non-fiction novel”, In Cold Blood, the two characters of Perry Smith and Dick Hitchcock are presented as the two who murdered the Clutter family. Capote distinguishes the characters two very different ways. Within part two the reader learns a lot more about who Perry really is, we learn a lot about his life, where he came from, and what his life is all about. Meanwhile, the reader does not learn much about Dick’s life. The only thing that I, as a reader, can grasp about Dick is that he is careless about others (obviously, because he is a criminal) and cannot keep still in one place at a time, but also with that not planning ahead for the future — i.e. when he and Perry went to Mexico and had to sell their car and then go to California, which was all unplanned… Basically because the mechanic was only payed two dollars per hour. So, the character Perry is given more background information as we get information about his father and more information about his mother, siblings and his motorcycle accident. So even though both Perry and Dick have committed the same crime, that being murder, I do not view them as equals in the crime that they committed. For example, ""Know what I think?" said Perry. "I think there must be something wrong with us. To do what we did."'" (Capote 67) Within this quote it can be seen that Perry has remorse for what he has done while from the narrator’s point of view it seems that Dick is “annoyed as hell” from what Perry said. With one character showing remorse and the other not it makes me as a reader feel more connected to Perry and less to Dick, and frankly, it makes me feel that Dick is just a psychopath with no motive whatsoever for doing what he did — even though I’m still not sure why he did it and if the answer to that question will be revealed later on. So, in conclusion, Perry and Dick have been distinguished as two different characters and Capote distinguishes the difference between them as one showing remorse for the family’s deaths and even though they commit the same crime, the extensive knowledge provided about Perry’s life makes the reader feel more connected to who Perry is and possibly the partial motives for him committing crimes after he and his father had a falling out.

In Cold Blood Part I - 3.1.16

Throughout the nonfiction novel of “In Cold Blood” by Truman Capote the reader may suspectively believe that it is a fiction novel being described as non-fiction for the quality of writing that it is in. The reader knows the fate and outcome of the characters in the book through messages like, “Then, touching the brim of his cap, he headed for home and the day's work, unaware that it would be his last.” (Capote 8) or how the boy's, Dick and Perry, had been going around shopping for tools and services that would be beneficial for them. By reading more and more of the novel, the reader begins to foreshadow what exactly the fate of the characters are. Will Mr. Clutter’s death be ironic because of his perfect health? Who knows, that is to be decided and foreshadowed by the reader while they’re reading throughout part one. Capote helps build suspense in ways that the reader doesn’t really notice are there. He uses imagery to describe locations, people, and whatnot. He also uses setting, which is Holcomb, Kansas, and cities near and far of that location. By using both of these skills, Capote is giving the reader background knowledge about characters like Mr. Clutter, Dick, Perry, and so on.  "There's him. Her. The kid and the girl. And maybe the other two. But it's Saturday. They might have guests. Let's count on eight, or even twelve. The only sure thing is everyone of them has got to go." (Capote 24) This quote shows a subtle reference from Dick and Perry about how they will go about doing what they are going to do… That being murder a family. There is yet another way that Capote goes about building suspense that I did not realize up until now, and that is providing two different narrators (one for the Clutter family, and one for Dick and Perry). Two different narrations helps show the reader who is mainly involved throughout this book and later show how it will all go down. On one end it shows the daily life of how the Clutter family lives, their upbringings, and family life; however, the other end provides a look at the criminal life of Dick and Perry. On page 15 it even talks about how one of them had been on parole, which may also let the reader know that this character may be included to show that later on he will play a larger role in what is to happen.