The Theme of Morality Jonathan Dodson 12th Grade

The non-fiction novel ‘In Cold Blood’ depicts the true story of multiple murders that took place in the small farming town of Holcomb, Kansas in 1959. Capote – the author and narrator of this text provides a wealth of knowledge surrounding the killings and the two men who committed them. Although the novel is considered to be non-fiction, Capote plays with this, teasing the reader with information in such a way as to draw them in, turning an account of a real-life homicide into more of a crime-thriller novel. An example of this can be seen in the first part of the novel - ‘The last to see them alive’ when the reader is made aware that the murders have taken place but not how or why? When publishing the novel Capote of course held the answers to these questions. However, he chose to include this information much later on in the novel, this may have been a very intentional move in order to maintain some mystery considering the reader is already introduced to who the two murderers Perry and Dick are at the beginning of the novel.

The question of morality is a strong thread carried throughout the novel, beginning early on with the raw focus of the novel set out simply yet with impact “four shotgun blasts that, all told, ended six...