Capote’s Bias and Fairness: An Analysis of In Cold Blood Sarah Dempsey 12th Grade

Nonfiction novels are a genre of book that employ all devices of a fictional piece, however all of the information is completely factual. Though legitimate, the integrity of the writer still can be called into question, depending on the portrayal of the facts. Truman Capote, being the first author to use this style of writing, was the first to twist a true story into his own. He was able to do this in In Cold Blood through his use of bias. Truman Capote shows bias in In Cold Blood through his selective characterization and attention to detail, yet this bias results in a more fair narrative overall.

One way Capote shows his bias in the novel throughout is his clear favoring of Perry over Dick. Capote characterizes Perry in a very positive manner compared to Dick, making readers feel sympathy for him. From the beginning, readers are led to believe that Perry is submissive to Dick. Perry follows what Dick tells him and rarely bothers speaking his own mind. This combined with the contrasting tones Capote uses between the two of them make readers see Perry in a more positive light. For example, using a sympathetic tone while speaking of Perry’s childhood (98) while using a calm, yet humorous, tone just hours before Dick’s execution...