Pages: 56-60 Diction: “I only recall Nancy’s Teddy Bear looking at me”(Capote). Nancy Ewalt’s and Susan Kidwell’s close friends pronounced the quote upon seeing Nancy Clutter’s dead body. Truman Capote’s diction is perfect, but it also sets a tone in this section. This is a great example of diction as it allows the reader to understand how people would feel if they were being watched. Syntax “This must be it. Here’s school, garage and we are heading south. Perry thought Dick’s murmurings sounded like jubilant, mumbo-jumbo (Capote 5). Capote chose specific words in this sentence to highlight the importance of the scene. Perry clearly does not wish to continue with the murder of Clutters. Imagery: Nancy’s bedroom, the smallest room in her house, was as girlish as a ballet tutu and the smallest. The walls and ceiling were all pink or blue. There was no white or black furniture except for the desk and bureau.
Bobby won the prize in a shooting range at a local fair. The bed was white with pink pillows. A big pink and white Teddy bear dominated it. Above the white-skirted table, a pink cork bulletin was attached. The board held old valentines as well newspaper recipes. . There were photos of them together, Nancy and Bobby (Capote 56). Capote has used word choices that are specific to help the audience visualize Nancy’s bed room. The audience can feel closer to Nancy by knowing how her room looks. Nancy also keeps portraits with her parents and lover, making them think she loves and cares for those around her. The audience will feel sympathy when Nancy is murdered.
Pages: 307-309 (Diction): “A black robe, hurriedly put on, billowed behind him, but he wore it with impressive dignity and integrity …”. The judge appeared at Dick and Perry’s trial. Capote has chosen his words very carefully in order to convey the judge’s authority. The judge is a powerful person to the suspects because he can convince them. He keeps coming back to the cell in search of him. I’ve fed him, but it doesn’t seem to matter. Capote, 308). Capote uses Syntax in this example. This signifies the squirrel’s connection to Perry. Imagery : “In a section south of the jail compound, there is an odd little building. It’s a two story dark building shaped as a casket” (Capote 309. It is a perfect example of an image because it illustrates perfectly the appearance of prisons. This is not a simple example of images, but also of diction.
The quote contains “dark” as well as “coffin”. Both words are negative; a box is long and narrow where corpses are buried or re-cremated. Capote chose the words he did to describe the prison as a way to foreshadow the death of someone in the future. In Cold Blood’s tone is haunting. Eerie describes this book perfectly because certain parts are a bit creepy and give you goosebumps. Capote also creates a tone in which the reader develops sympathy for the killers. He describes the murderers’ childhoods constantly, which makes readers sympathize with them. In Cold Blood’s main theme is that criminals, like everyone else, are also people. Capote constantly talks about the criminals, which allows the reader to feel empathy for them because they have had a depressing childhood. Capote does not want the reader to feel bad for the murderers, even though their victims were a perfect and innocent family.
