Rhetorical Analysis In Cold Blood

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Pages: 5

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote is a nonfiction narrative that follows the gruesome murders of the Clutter family in Holcomb, Kansas. The unique and original style of the book allowed for it to be a success opening the door to a new genre of books. His success can be credited to his exceptional writing style and use of rhetoric that allows readers to feel connected to the people including the murderers themselves. One such example of this was on pages 107-113 where Capote recounts the same conversation from two different people, murderers Dick Hickock and Perry Smith. As a result of the juxtaposition of the two passages, the reader is able to connect with and understand Perry and Dick better by allowing the reader to see into the mind of Dick in the first passage and Perry in the second. However, because Capote could not have known exactly what they were thinking, Capote’s look into the mind of Dick and Perry is bias in his apparent sympathy for Perry and dislike for Dick.
As Capote looks into the mind of Dick in the first passage, the reader is able to connect with him and Perry despite the bias associated with each person. After Perry questions their heinous crime, Dick thinks, “Why the hell couldn't Perry shut up? ... It really was annoying. Especially since they'd agreed, sort of, not to talk about the goddam thing. Just forget it” (Capote
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To the credit of Dick and Perry, they did not die as cowards as Perry apologized in his final words and Dick shook hands with all the KBI officers present at his execution. Because of the juxtaposition of the passages, the reader can better know and understand Perry and Dick by letting the reader to see into the head of Dick in the first passage and Perry in the second. However, because of his apparent sympathy for Perry and dislike for Dick, Capote’s look into the mind of Dick and Perry is