Capote carefully depicts the personalities of secondary characters, such as Al Dewey, Susan Kidwell, Bobby Rupp, Mr. and Mrs. Hickock, Tex and Flo Smith, Willie-Jay and Floyd Wells. Why do you think he does this and what do these detailed portraits add to the book? Which of the secondary characters do you find most memorable and why?
How does the back-and-forth description of events in Holcomb and events surrounding Dick and Perry make the novel more vivid?
Did you feel sympathy for Dick or Perry at any point?
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I think Capote carefully depicts the personalities because he wants you to know about how these other characters are dealing with the Clutter murder. Also since he is explaining the details of these characters you get more of a background on the town of Holcomb and the people who knew the Clutter family. I find that Al Dewey is a memorable character because he is always working on the murder case and is being mentioned alot. He is becoming an important character in the book because he mainly taking charge in the case.
I don’t really understand the reasoning behind giving such detail to the secondary characters. I find it slow and boring because a lot of the times, the secondary characters are so insignificant that it wouldn’t make a difference in the book that they aren’t there except maybe for the fact that the book might be readable. I don’t believe that the secondary character’s descriptions do anything to help the reader understand the killers’ motives or anything about the family. The only thing that I believe the details add to the book is to help bring about the setting for how close everyone in the community was to each other. I find Al Dewey to be the most memorable secondary character because he is the leader of the investigation of the murders and I believe that it is going to be him who figures out the case. He is also memorable because he is so engrossed in the case that he blows off his family a lot and I think that is a very not nice thing to do. I like how Capote goes back and forth between the events in Holcomb and the events of Dick and Perry because that keeps everything happening about the same time or at least in somewhat of a chronological order. It also makes it more vivid because it shows how Dick and Perry aren’t even really thinking about the murders anymore and everyone back in Holcomb is still scared to sleep at night and investigators are spending every hour of every day trying to solve the case. That in itself makes the novel more vivid because it shows the lifestyles of each person after the murders. I haven’t ever felt sympathy for Dick during the book because he is a big meany head and he doesn’t care for anyone but himself and his gains. I do feel sympathy for Perry though because he’s had a rough life and he still does have dreams of leading a normal life even if he is messed up and kills people. I almost want him to have that life, but I also kind of want him to be caught.
thanks gilsonater
I think he tells about these characteres because it gives more detils and it expresses how other people thought of the family. He does this to express and make the story more interesting, because it shows all the drama it caused the town and to see some exitement in this story. I respect wells the most because he shows alot of emotion towards the loss of them and the reaction people are giving them so it sort of says that he was close to the family.
I think that he adds detailed portraits because he wants the readers to feel like they actually knew the Clutter family. It makes you feel closer to the family by knowing the people in the neighborhood. A second character that I find important is Al Dewey because he is always there and he is the detective guy to find out how exactly they died and why the killers did it. He also tried to find out who killed the Clutter family.
I think that Capote focuses on the secondonary characters to show how the main characters evolved, and to get information on the Clutters. We don't know much about the Clutters; they died and Capote couldn't interview them.
Al Dewey was a closer friend to the family than others, and you can tell how he is affected by their murders. Bobby Rupp was dating Nancy, and he also goes into a depression when her life ends. These are the two characters I find most memorable; I feel that they have been hurt the most by this massacure.
I'll admit, it was kind of scary when I was reading when the Clutters were alive and happy, and it flashes to Dick and Perry buying the weapons and talking about what they are about to do. I wanted to shout out to the poor family and give them a warning.
I felt a little sympathy for Perry when he was younger, how his mother was an alcholic and his dad wasn't allowed to be near him. After his parent's divorce, he was under his dad's custody, but was separated from his siblings. I could see how he eventually came to be a murderer; by beating kids up at school, self-defense or not. I thought it was bogus how his dad had full faith in Perry; that he was sure he learned his lesson and wouldn't try to do something to get himself back into prison. After that, my full sympathy goes for the victims in his way.
I think that he did this was to so how well rounded the family was. And depending on who the person was it could almost give us another side of the main characters. It would give us a better understanding of the main characters and what they were like before they died. Bobby Rupp i think is the most memorable to me because he lost the love of his life. He gave us a better understanding of what Nancy was like and the connection they had. With having the back and forth effect it make the book more interesting and keeps the reader hooked. But at the same time it sucks that it goes back and forth because then you have to make sure that you understand the book up to this point. i don't think i have any sympathy for either one. Other than Perry knew they were goin to get caught adn that i should be done.
The reason i think he goes into describing these other characters so much is because they play a big part in the story, and if he didnt go into describing all these other characters what would he have to write about because the clutters died in the first chapters. It is just another way for us to actually feel like we know these people of Holcomb. One of the characters that stood out to me the most was Al Dewey, just because he spends all his time trying to solve this case, so much that his family is suffering from it. What is nice about all the back and forth in the novel is that it keeps you interested because at one point your in Kansas talking about the clutters and the next your on the road with Perry and Dick. No i did not feel sympathy at all for Dick and Perry even once, i mean Dick runs over dogs with his car, how sick can you get?
Nice job Princess_Banana_Hammick! I like it!
I think each of these characters has a great impact on the book even though they don’t have big parts. Each of these characters have a different personality and turn the book each time they speak. I would have to say that Tex and Flo Smith probably stick out to me the most in that list of names. Those two characters were Perry’s parents and taught him everything that makes him the person he is. I think that going back and forth make the book more vivid because it shows each side and every opinion of the people involved in the investigation and murder. Doing this gives both sides instead of being bias. I don’t feel really any sympathy for Dick, he is basically the leader and controls everything him and Perry do. I do feel some sympathy for Perry though; he seems to not want to be a bad person deep down. He actually feels bad for killing the Clutters and realizes that there must be something wrong with him if he would think it was okay. He never had the best life either, he didn’t really mind his life but there were a lot of things that happened in it that I’m sure effect his way of thinking. His father did his best to raise him and teach him right from wrong. His mother, on the other hand, left his father when he was young and took the kids and became and alcoholic and put Perry and his siblings in different homes to be taken care of. Eventually his father came and took Perry home with him and the rest of the children were put in good foster homes because his father couldn’t take care of all them. I kind of actually don’t want Perry to get caught I would rather just have Dick get caught alone.
Rockstar i think that is ture and is what i'm trying to get across too.
yay blogging
I also don't feel any sympathy for Dick. He chose his life. I do feel sympathy for Perry's past, though. He didn't choose to live like that. Yes, he chose his future, but when he was younger, he really didn't have any control. His mom was a drunk and he was taken away from his dad for awhile. I don't feel sorry for him anymore because he chose a bad future. But i also think that his past reflects upon his future, so he took the anger from his past and lived it out and ended up killing a family.
I think he tells us about the secondary characters so he can get different inputs from some of the people around the town. This tells the story through a different perspective. I dont know if this is a good thing or not. I like Dewey the best becasue he seems like the guy that knows everything. He is a friend of the family and wants to find out who killed the Clutter family.
I think it is cool how there is so much speculation on who could have killed them.
How are the students in the library lab doing?
great blog rosie roepke
I think that Capote depicts these secondary characters to make a stronger foundation for his main characters. By describing them in detail, the reader is able to get into the characters shoes. It brides a connection from the character to the reader. I do agree with Dommer on this one a bit, though. His descriptions do get a bit excessive. Maybe he was trying to make his book longer or something. I remember Al Dewey the most. Capote's description of Dewey leads the reader to feel sympathy for him. It also allows the reader to relate to him and the stress he is under. His description of how much he smoked due to the case was very effective as well. I believe that the use of back-and-forth descriptions is very effective. It allows the reader to put the pieces together and makes reading a long novel such as this more interesting. It provides a break between the long descriptions of Dick and Perry's life. Capote's descriptions of their early life really invokes sympathy in the reader for the two. Dick's childhood was brought out alot through the letter written by his father. This helped to create sympathy for the character. It seems the one thing Capote concentrates most on in this book is relating the characters to the reader.
Right now i am jamming to some beach boys and thinking about the clutter family. How you doing gilsonater.
I think Capote describes the characters more in depth to let us get to know these people better and how people react in a small town to a murder. It shows how dramatic a small town can become after a tradgic occurrence. I find Al Dewey the most memorable because while investigating the murder he started to drink and smoke pretty heavily. His wife didn't want him to smoke and drink but he did anyway. The back and forth descriptions are very interesting and effective. This helps the reader better understand the book and helps piece it together. In my opinion I don't feel any sympathy for Dick or Perry because if they had the guts to do such a horrible crime they should have to go through any suffering that comes to them. Whatever happens to them they had coming in the first place.
Remember that you need to respond to other students' comments.
Example:
Twix, great details about Perry. I am opening up that question to the class, "Why you think Capote does not really elaborate on Dick's story?"
who is playing music in the lab???
I agree with twix that each character in the book makes a differnce even if they are not mentioned a whole lot. They give you more information on the story and help you understand it better. I also have no sympathy for Dick because he has nothing going for him and keeps getting himself in trouble but i also don`t feel bad for Perry either even though he may get pushed around.
Twix, i like the details on Perry.
I have most of it writen up on word, but i am not finished yet. We are suppose to reply to someone elses blog right?
I think Capote depicts the personalities of these characters because every detail counts in a murder mystery when they still don’t know who has committed the crime, how they did it, why they did it, and where the culprits are now. At this point anyone is a suspect and it is important to have details in order to solve the mystery.
The secondary character that I find the most memorable is Bobby Rupp. He was the last to have seen the Clutter family. He was also the last person or event that Nancy wrote about in her diary. I think Bobby would have been the most suspected of the murder because he knew the house inside and out and other witnesses wouldn’t have thought anything of it if he came and left the house as usual. We know Bobby didn’t commit the crime but he was the first suspected. I would think that his only reason for killing Mr. Clutter was that Nancy and him would eventually have to break off their relationship because of there brother. Even with this I don’t think Bobby would have gone as far as that. This is why he is my most memorable secondary character.
I think the back and forth between scenes makes the novel more interesting because it tells you what is going on with different characters in different places during the same time. I like how it tells all the events that go on before Dick and Perry actually arrived at the Clutter family.
i think when it comes down the Dick's life we would rather have it hidden and have the reader use there imagination. But if you think about it why wouldn't he, he explains everyone else why not is?
Rockstar, I had your idea in the back of my head also about Al Dewey being close to the family...
I also agree with princess banana hammock about Perry’s father actually believing that Perry had learned his lesson the first time going to prison and wouldn’t do anything to go back there. How ironic that he had just killed a whole family not too long ago and is reading this letter. If he was so afraid to go back to prison he should of gone with his gut feeling and not have gone through with the murder.
O'Doyle RULES!
I think it was interesting how Perry's sister turned out fine, but he didn't. I also think it was interesting how Dick's parents were perfectly stable, too.
You would Princess_Banana_Hammick! haha
I totally agree with Geoff Dommer. I think he did a very good job.
I completely agree with Car Ramrod because Dick deserves what he gets because he runs over dogs and committed a terrible murder.
I think Capote depicts the personalities of secondary characters becase it gives a back ground on charcters in the story so when you read the book you know how the charcater are tided into the story. I find Al Dewey the most memorable because he is the one who is investigating the murders that happen. The back and fourth events are good in the book because it adds on how the people of the town are acting.
He does this because they were kind of the last one to see them. The readers need to know so information on them. It is important because to get know the characters more better. I feel so sorry for Perry because he really didn't mean to kill the Clutters. Perry had a tough life when he was younger and he put it on the clutter family. The clutter family are like the people that he wanted to hurt. Dick is so demanding and so sure of himself that they won't get caught.
I believe that he does this so that we feel more in touch with the characters and draw us more into the book. I think that capotes main goal in writing this novel is to make us feel like we are in the novel and experiencing everything first hand. He puts as much detail into the story so that the reader can clearly picture everything that is going on so that he feels he/she can reach out and touch the characters while reading.
I feel that the most memorable secondary character is by far Al Dewey. He puts so much time and effort into solving the crime. He completely analyzes everything and depicts everything as if it were happening to himself. I also find that his statements in the book ring true and that he is genuine. I think that with his addition into the book you truly get the feel of a true novel.
The events happening to dick and Perry to me give you a sense of urgency and that the walls are closing in. I think that the back in fourth gives you a feel that while one thing is happening you know exactly what the killers are doing. That capote did this in the book I think it gives you an almost movie sort of feel.
I feel no sympathy toward either dick or Perry. I think they both deserve everything that happens to them. I think they are in complete fault and anything that happens anything would be a just development.
BTW your all blog nazis
I think that Capote depicts the secondary charaters because they were a big part of proving who killed the Clutter family. These people new the family and some were with the family the night that they died. The KBI are trying to find the killers and the only way to do that is to talk about everybody and what type of people they are. For instance Boby Rupp was with Nancy. It also gives more background to the book. The charater that is meorable to me is Bobby Rupp. Has been through alot by losing his first love and being questioned if he was part of it or not. When Capote goes back in forth in the events in Holcomb is that it keeps things moving and in order. It makes it more vivid because everybody on Ho;comb are still scared to sleep at night and Perry and Dick keep goin on and dont care.
I think that Capote carefully depicts the personalities of the secondary characters because all of these characters have been affected by the Clutter's murder.And i think Capote is trying to tell you all about the people of Holocomb and how they all knew the Clutter family. I think Bobby Rupp is the most memorable character because he just went through the loss of his girlfriend and i couldnt imagine ever losing someone that important in my life like he did.
I think that the back and forth description of events in Holcomb and the events surrounding Dick n Perry make the novel more vivd because Dick n Perry really dont think about the murders they committed anymore and the people of Holcomb are scared and terrified that the killer could be anyone they know or are close to. I feel absolutely feel no sympathy for Dick and Perry because they have just committed a brutual murder and i dont think they even deserve any sympathy at all. They made the chose to kill those people and they should recieve punishment for it and get no griving from people around them.
I dont feel bad for any one who kills someone. I feel bad for the family because why should someones family get killed for absolutly no reason and why should they kill with no motive.
Teh Jew very good job blogging!!
I think that the characters are being described in great detail to give us all an idea of how important they are, or how they fit into the story. It also shows what kind of relationships they have with the main characters and how they affect the story. I think that Dewey is the most memorable character because Capote does mention him a lot, I think that as the story progresses, Dewey is going to get more detailed and involved in the story
gilsonator what is up with all good comments to all the people.
your friend
greenperson
I think Capote does this so you can become more acquainted with these secondary and begin to like them. He wants you to understand stuff about them. These are people that all have something to do with the Clutters and most of them know the Clutters. I do have to say though that he does NOT need to describe the secondary characters like he does. This makes the book longer and some of the information about the secondary characters has nothing to do with the plot. Yes it adds details to the book but I think there are too many details about the secondary characters. I find Al Dewey to be my favorite secondary character. He is a very important part of this book and to me, he seems more like a main character because the book somewhat revolves around him right now. I do think that back-and- forth descriptions do make the book more vivid but it can get a little confusing. The jumping does add a certain effect to the book but every once in a while I get a little confused. Dick and Perry will get no sympathy from this guy. They brutally killed a family and don not deserve any sympathy whatsoever! You reap what you sew.
And greenperson... maybe they did have a motive for killing them and you just dont know it yet.
Good luck 7th hour!
I also agree totally with Teh Jew's blog. He has the same thoughts as me on Dick and Perry getting sympathy. He is a smart man. Nice writing.
Mr. Capote describes the secondary characters so that we are able to see every side of the story instead of one of the sides. Honestly I think he just did this to make is book more thrilling and lengthier. I do think that the book could have gone without some of the smaller people.
Mr. Capote switches the views every so often too makes sure you get both the sides at the same time. This can be kind of frustrating, because every little new view has its climax and when he switches you have to climb back up to the small climax he inputs.
As of right now I have some sympathy for Perry who is making himself look like a person he really isn’t just to impress and be friends with Dick. Perry, I believe, seems to have heart for killing the people and the same time happy because dick is respecting him now.
I think that Capote depicts the personalities of secondary characters because he wants everyone to be added in and really get into detail. So we can truly understand about the family. Also i think that he got into such detail about the family and all the secondary characters so that we can relate to how they were in their small town. I think it is pointless how they carry on with the explanation of the family. I find Bobby Rupp and Susan Kidwell to be the most important because they were the ones that were with her the most and they would know the most about her. To every last detail about her which means at anytime they could have known something was wrong. I do not feel any sympathy towards dick at all because he is always just worried about himself and is always trying to get the best for himself and not really thinking of others at any time. There are times in the book that I do feel sympathy towards Perry because he is still always trying to achieve the best and he never is just thinking of himself he is always worried about everyone and everything that is going on.
I don't have any sympathy for Perry and Dick because they comitted a crime that was uncalled for and they should have to pay for it. They didn't have any right on torturing the Clutter family. I still feel that perr is a good guy that wants to follow his dreams to a good life but he deserves what he gets.
I think that Truman Capote was so descriptive with the secondary characters because he wants us to know what they feel and how they reacted to the Clutter murder. When I was reading the book I felt like I was one of them and that I was reacting to the murder like they were. The character that I find the most memorable from the book is Al Dewey. I think this because he spends all of his time on the case and his family hates that he is doing this. Also, Dewey seems like a smart guy and he is a family friend of the Clutters. He wants to solve the case and find out who murdered them. Capote is very descriptive on Dewey like when he is smoking and drinking and how his family is suffering. The back and forth events make the novel more vivid because you completely understand what all the different characters are going through because it keeps switching back and forth between the town and the killers. No I don't feel sympathy for them because they are cold blood murders and they deserve what they get.
Orange- Nice idea on the personalities of the characters. I agree with you on that.
I think that Capote described all of those characters so that the readers would understand how much it affected everyone in that town and not just the people related to the Clutters. When Capote explains how devastated Susan Kidwell and Bobby Rupp are, and how the others are just superstitious about how the killers could be someone in the town. I agree with orange when she/he said that Al Dewey is the most memorable character because he is the one that really takes over after the Clutter family is murdered. He becomes the one that Capote focuses on after the murder while he is piecing things together.
When Capote goes back and forth between events in Holcomb and Dick and Perry’s movements it sort of creates suspense, because you know that they are getting closer and closer but yet in Holcomb, no one knows what is about to happen. Capote really keeps them both up to the same time so it seems more real.
I do not feel sympathy for Dick because I think he is very selfish. He only cares about himself being the best and doesn’t care if he knocks others down on the way. I feel a little bit of sympathy for Perry because he has had a rough life. He also wants to take more precautions than Dick does, because Perry wanted to get stockings for their head but Dick said that any witnesses will not survive.
Luke Gilson:
Your blog is excellent! I totally agree with you and you go into great detail with your ideas and opinions! I love how you went into detail with Dewey and describing your opinion on his role in the book. It really shows that you have read the book and you are interested in it. I agree with you on your thoughts with Dewey and on your entire blog. GREAT JOB!!!
Princess Pucklips great details. I agree with you kn Bobby Rupp and how he lost someone important to him.
Christina rose “I feel so sorry for Perry because he really didn't mean to kill the Clutters.” When you say this it seems like your saying Perry just accidently went into the house with dick and tied some people up accidently. Than accidently shot four bolts in four peoples head’s, leaving four people dead. “Perry had a tough life when he was younger and he put it on the clutter family.” Having a bad childhood wouldn’t make it be alright for someone to murder a family.
I think that Capote does this to give us a different point of view. The secondary characters are all very different from each other. We see how people were affected by the Clutter murders from people who knew the family very well, like Susan Kidwell and Bobby Rupp, or from the point of view of the killer’s family. We are able to view the case from the investigation’s stand point and from people who knew Perry and Dick before they killed the Clutters. I like how Capote does this because it makes the book more interesting and it makes you think. You would not feel as much sympathy for the Clutters if the book was only written from Perry and Dick’s point of view. I find Al Dewey most memorable because he is a respected family man. We see the care Dewey has for his wife and sons as well as the town of Holcomb. Dewey becomes almost obsessed with the case, so he wants it to be solved so he can return to his family. The back-and-forth descriptions also make the book more interesting. We can see what the investigators are doing and where they are searching for Dick and Perry. We can also see where Dick and Perry actually are and what they are doing. This gives a more in-depth feeling to the story because we know more than the investigators did at the time. The back-and-forth descriptions also provide a background on the killers. We, as readers, can understand why they act like they do sometimes. I definitely feel sympathy for Perry because of his family life growing up. He was basically neglected by his parents and denied of an education. This is why he started making trouble in the first place. I don’t feel as much sympathy for Dick, though, because he had a very loving and well-respected family. He also had a good education. You can’t help but to feel guilty about having sympathy for Dick and Perry because you know what horrible things they did to the Clutter family.
I think he carefully depicts their personalities of the secondary characters to show the tragedy and how everyone is dealing with their murders. I think by putting the secondary characters reactions and points of view in the novel make the reader realize how important the Clutter family was. Their point of view makes you feel more sympathetic, because you can now relate to the murder and you know what the secondary characters are going through. I find Bobby Rupp and Al Dewey the most memorable characters. Bobby Rupp, I think is one of the most memorable characters because he reminds me of people I know and I can just relate to him well. It makes me sad that he has to lose someone he knew he couldn’t marry but thought about marrying. I also think that Al Dewey is a memorable character because his whole family is being affected by their death. He gets calls that keep him and his family awake all night just trying to get some justice out of the murders of a beloved family. I think the back and forth description of the characters make you realize what both sides are thinking it also makes you feel more sympathy for the clutter family, and the friends and family left behind. The back-and-forth description has made me realize how sick Dick and Perry are and it also makes me feel sympathy which I hadn’t thought I would for them. I felt sympathy; when Perry talked about how he had been beat by a nun when he was a child for wetting the bed. I also felt sympathy when he talked about caching pneumonia from a nun trying punishing him by almost drounding him under water. The back and forth made me realize how bad of a life Perry had when his father held a gun up to him. I had thought that might be a reason they have killed the Clutter family out of despite of their easy life.
The detailed descriptions of the secondary characters do get very boring but I believe they serve a very valid purpose. We can relive the Clutter family murder through these characters’s point of view. I find Al Dewey the most memorable. He was a friend of the Clutters and investigating their murder. He said he won’t give up until he solves the crime by finding out who murdered the Clutter family. Capote purposely used the effect of back-and-forth descriptions to really show the difference between the “insiders” and the “outsiders”. By switching from events in Holcomb to Dick and Perry, you get the information bit by bit. This montage really makes the novel more suspenseful. I know Perry had a rough life growing up with divorced parents and being separated from his siblings. I don’t feel sorry for him though because you choose what kind of person you want to be. If Perry hated his life growing up, he should have had an initiative to be a better person than his parents. Instead he resorted to bulling and later on murdering. I don’t have any sympathy for Dick either. He comes from a loving family and didn’t have the childhood Perry had. But he still turned into a murderer. That was his choice and he should have to suffer the consequences for his own actions. When he didn’t want his parents to find out about him passing bad checks, he went with Perry down to Mexico. If Dick is caught, he can’t run and hide from his consequences.
When Capote describes all of the characters so that we have a better understand of what is going on in the town of Holcomb. It is almost as if there was mass hysteria because families are scared that someone in Holcomb is the killer. Husbands are getting nagged on by their wives because their wives don’t want to live in a town where such a horrible act took place. Characters such as Dewey allow us to see how much work was put into the investigation process and how these peoples’ lives were changed forever as a result of the murders. I think the character that I find most memorable would have to be Alvin Dewey because he not only has to worry about himself and his family but he is the one that everyone has to turn to for answers. Alvin is who the town is depending on to solve this murder.
The back and forth descriptions describing Dick and Perry and the town make the story more vivid because we can sort of tell what was going through everyone’s’ minds through different stages or times. I think that Capote elaborates more on the thinking of Perry, as if there was more to him than just being a killer. Capote talks of Perry’s life before he met Dick and how his parents got a divorce and he was then sent to an orphanage. Also the book talks of how Perry was treated when he was a child; we are supposed to think he was neglected or ill-treated. We also learned that Perry did not go to school for very long when he was a child. Then Capote would switch back to the town of Holcomb where we would find random towns people gossiping or still asking questions about the murders. In the Café men would bombard Alvin Dewey with questions just to get a hint or clue to if there was a suspect, so they could have some peace of mind. I never felt sympathy for Dick because he seemed to just brush off the fact that he just killed a murdered a family. But at some points I did feel bad for Perry because it seems that he has a conscience and that he holds on to so many things from his past, that maybe they are clouding the decisions he is making now and in the future; in the book.
Capote tries to tell you everything and anything about these people that have to do with the case. To him, every detail matters, and although it may get monotonous at times, chances are that Capote will come back and tie everything together. To me, the best part of a book is when everything gets tied in, like when you are reading, something that seems really dumb and unnecessary to the plot become the reason the book flows, or in this case, the detail that led to “the fall of the domino’s”. Because there is no way that Capote can interview the family and get their input, he relies on the next best thing, the people that knew the family best. Also by talking to these people so in-depth, you get so many different views on the family and what was happening beneath the surface. Capote finds out things that people don’t realize are happening, like how Herb Clutter was becoming frustrated with his business and some of his clientele. I think that the most memorable of the secondary people is Alvin Dewey because he is committing all his time to get this right. He spends countless hours investigating, interviewing, and reviewing the pictures. Not only that though, but he isn’t getting distracted by the occasional bumps in the road; people are calling his house at the latest hours of the night to give him the latest information, but Alvin, being as qualified as he is, knows who is sincere and who is just out to get the money. I pity his family though because they are suffering just as much as the surviving members of the Clutter family because they basically got dragged into the middle of this controversy. The entire family can’t sleep because the phone is ringing nonstop, and Mrs. Dewey even wonders if their life will ever go back to normal.
The novel would not be the same if it were told any other way, because it is told in a back in forth way, you really get a feel as to what’s all happening. This form of writing not only makes the story seem more real because of the detail involved, but also it makes it more suspenseful. By building up a chunk of detail and then completely switching perspective and talking about Perry and Dick, the book keeps a fast pace. This pace is essential in not losing the interest of the reader, and it allows Capote to add all the detail he wants without getting too boring.
At certain points, I really feel that Perry was just dragged into it and has the potential to be so much better. He seems to truly care and always brings up getting caught because I think inside he wants to be uncovered so that he can finally get it off his mind.
I think Capote is trying to show how the characters were involved with the story. By going into detail, we can see how each felt and why each felt the way they did. It also gives us a clue as to how the Clutters were viewed by the people of their town. It shows how some were deeply affected, and how others weren’t. I find Susan Kidwell the most memorable. She was Daisy’s best friend; they used to gossip on the phone and hang out like friends do. Her description of how she felt and how she is dealing with it really had an impact on me. I feel like that’s how I would react if my best friend was brutally killed. I also had a lot of sympathy for Bobby Rupp. It must have been like a nightmare for him; losing the girl he loves, and being wrongly accused for murdering her.
The back and forth descriptions make the novel more vivid by keeping you on your toes. The story jumps from person to person to add suspense so you don’t know what’s going to happen next. It also keeps the story moving by filling you in on what each character is doing.
I don’t feel sorry for Dick at all because it was his idea to kill the Clutters in the first place. He has to be a terrible person to want to go out and kill people for fun. And what’s worse is that he doesn’t have a care in the world. He doesn’t care that he just killed a beloved family. All he cares about is what he wants and how to get it. I have a little sympathy for Perry because he was talked into it and feels really bad afterwards. I think he has a heart and is just trying to reunite his old friendship with Dick.
nice blogging PrincessPuckerup.
WOW!! Christopher Ronald Lefeber you did a great job with all your descriptions!! Whoop Whoop!
Good job tying what you read to our class discussion *67!
I think that he ads these secondary characters to let you know how many people were involved with this family. It is also important because to Capote every detail is crucial in this murder mystery. He wouldn’t tell us about Al Dewey’s quest to find answers, or how Bobby Rupp was the last diary entry that Bonnie ever had. They add a sense of confusion, because when Capote would write about someone, you would wonder what the heck this person have to do with this story. Then you keep reading the details about them and finally the clues fit. I also think that he introduces these characters because it keeps you interested. We are all people who love to gossip, and we are interested in what everyone else’s opinions on the subject are. The more we know they more connected we feel that we are. I find that Alvin Dewey is the most memorable character. This is because he is mentioned a lot in the book, but not only that it’s the fact that he will do whatever it takes to find the killers. Even, unfortunately, if it means not paying enough attention to his family at home. At times it seems like he is more interested in the Clutters rather that his own family. I think Capote goes back and forth between stories to try and keep you updated on what is happening between two entirely different groups of people, which is helpful for keeping you on track but aggravating at the same time. You are intently reading about what Dewey is saying, and then all of a sudden the next paragraph switches to Perry and Dick.
I feel absolutely no sympathy for Dick or Perry. This is because this was a choice that they made; no one forced them to do this. I don’t care about what their background is, what they did was wrong. People who had a hard childhood can change their ways as they grow older. You are not always defined on your past, but more as to what you can be now and how you could change. I think that their so called horrible pasts are just an excuse that Capote is telling you to try and feel sorry for them, but if you need to remember that they killed innocent people. How could you feel sorry for someone who murdered almost an entire family, just because they wanted some of their money? I know I personally could never feel sorry for someone like that.
Lauren E.Fieder you really know how to work your magic with these blogs! YOU ROCK MY SOCKS OFF!!
I think Truman Capote depicted the secondary characters in such detail because he wanted the reader to feel like a resident of Holcomb who knew everyone and everything that happened in the town. These detailed portraits add a feeling of actually being there to the book, but unfortunately they also make it a pretty boring read at times. I find Al Dewey to be the most memorable secondary character because of his relationship with the Clutter family and his determination to solve the murder. The back and forth description of events in Holcomb make the novel much more exciting and create drama. If the novel was written in chronological order, it would be too straight forward and would be lacking suspense. The events surrounding Dick and Perry also add to the novel. Instead of picturing them as ruthless killers the details of their lives give the reader some knowledge on why they would do such a thing and almost make the reader feel a little sympathy for them at times.
I remember al dewey the most cause he was the main character of the story and he was a cop for his job.
I felt bad for the family and i liked the whole family.
i dont feel any sympathy for dick or perry.
I think that Lauren E. Feider has a great insight in the novel. I agree with her on how she believes that Capote described all of the secondary characters so that the readers would understand how much their death affected everyone in Holcomb not just the people related to the Clutters. I do disagree with her on not feeling any sympathy for Perry and Dick I think they have had a hard life even though I don't think it was right to kill someone. Lauren E. Feider you did GRREAT!!!
I completely agree on Jasper’s view of how the montages make this book more vivid.
Justin Schneider:
I completely agree with your views toward Dick and Perry. I feel the same way about them. I also agree with the fact that Bobby Rupp and Susan Kidwell were affected the most because they had a closer relationship with the victims.
I agree with Lauren E. Feider.I liked how you described Susan Kidwell and Bobby Rupp's reactions after the murders. I also agree with the fact that the back-and-forth descriptions create suspense.
I believe Truman Capote gives a lot of detail to the secondary characters because he couldn’t interview the family, but he did interview and get to know the other people in the city. By giving a lot of details of the Clutter’s friends and people in the town, you may understand the lifestyle of the family better. Also, you get to learn more about the Clutter’s relationships and how they were viewed by the characters in the book. However, these details do get a little long at times. I believe the book might be easier to read if he didn’t include some of the excessive details. To me, the most memorable character is Al Dewey because he is the main detective in this murder case. He invests a lot of time into his work. He is very interested in this case and Al feels as if it is his duty to solve it as soon as possible.
The way in which Capote is writing the novel makes it more interesting and in my opinion, easier to read. It makes the story more vivid because the reader has to pay attention to detail to see when the setting changes and Capote writes about another event happening. The reader is able to remember more details because the author doesn’t write about the same thing for too much time before writing about something else. The events surrounding Dick and Perry give us insights into what they may be thinking and how they feel about them murdering an innocent family.
I do not feel sympathy towards Dick or Perry because they killed innocent people. Even if Perry had a bad life so far, nothing excuses him from committing this big of a crime. I am looking forward to Dick and Perry being caught later in the book.
prettyinpink I agree with your opinion on Perry. I feel like he was more or less dragged into this murder also. I think the significance of his dreams is to show that he really wants to live a normal life. It's also true that he is very scared he will get caught.
I think that Capote adds detailed descriptions of the characters so that the story becomes more interesting. It invokes a sense of mystery within the book, even though you know who the murderers are. The secondary characters are necessary because they make the story suspenseful by becoming a pathway for us to solve the crime and figure out the motives. In addition, it shows that the death of the Clutter family affected a lot of people and encourages you to feel empathy towards the family and town. I find that Bobby Rupp is the most memorable of the secondary characters because he is so hurt by the loss of Nancy. He says that he could never love another woman again, which shows that he was devoted to her and is truly a protagonist. He often talks about memories he had with Nancy, such as riding on Babe and it puts you in his position; losing a true love. The relationship between Bobby and Nancy some refreshing romance into the story; which is a contradictory to the themes in the book. Even though she is dead, their love will never die. Throughout the book, Capote uses back-and-forth descriptions in Holcomb and events surrounding Dick and Perry. This makes the book more accurate because it allows us to see things that are simultaneously happening. This way we can picture what is truly happening compared to many other authors that talk about one subject at a time. As a result of Capote’s technique, the story becomes much more lucid. I have felt sympathy for Dick and Perry. I feel bad for Dick because he truly wants to make his parents happy and wants to please them, but he is so oblivious to what’s right and what’s wrong. Because of this, he finds a lot of troubles in life. I feel bad for Perry because he has had a rough time with his mom and found a good relationship with his dad, but he doesn’t get encouragement with a lot of his talents by them. This makes him feel misinterpreted, and no one likes that feeling.
Jasper I really like how you emphasize how the secondary characters are feeling, it really makes you think twice.
I agree with Lauren E Feider that Dick is very selfish and only cares about himself.
TEH JEW,
I completely agree with your analysis of the secondary characters, nice work.
Prettyinpink, I absolutely love how you talk about the domino effect! Look at any good thriller or horror movie and they use that technique! It is highly likely that you are right that the importance of the details will not be revealed until the end where every piece of the puzzle fits. It is nice to see your point of view about Perry because I totally agree. I think that there is a lot of good in Perry and because he is getting so stress out over all this, it is highly likely that he will be relieved if he gets caught; which he does obviously. You’re a great writer! Keep up the good work! :)
I feel the reason for adding such a detailed report on the secondary character was to advance the plot. Telling about them showed the small town area. It adds depth to the story. Also, characters such and Bobby Rupp and Al Dewy were greatly affected by this happening. Also, a killing such as this to this extent would have greatly affected most people of the town. I find Al Dewy to be the most memorable, not because I like him, but because he sticks out the most to me. I don’t know the full back round of Al Dewy and Clutters, but something tells me he wasn’t a great friend of the Clutters. They might have been introduced and spoken to each other before hand, but I don’t think they were good friends. I think the reasoning for Al Dewy to be around the case so much after the killings is because he finds this as an opening. He sees this as his big chance to make a name for himself. Also, I didn’t like the fact he gave up time with his wife to attend the case. By jumping around it shows the depth again of the book. It shows all sides from the murders happenings and random people around the town. It keeps you on your toes and makes you want to continue reading. Both Dick and Perry I have no sympathy for and doubt I ever will. They are true murders. They seem like a Sociopath; which means they act without feeling, usually involving a murder. It crossed their minds that they had done something wrong, but didn’t affect them while the killings took place or before hand. They were calm and cool. So I doubt I will ever feel sympathy for either.
I like all of Geoff Dommer's and Twix's posts, except one really big part. The fact they feel sympathy for Perry. Perry had the choice to get out if he didn't think it was a good idea. I don't believe either of the charaters should be given any sympathy. They had decent up brings. Truthfully there is no such thing as the perfect up brings, but I believe most American families would raise their children to the best of their abilities.
Capote depicts the personalities and lifestyles of all the characters that are mentioned in the book In Cold Blood because he wants you to be involved in their lives. Since he arrived in the town of Holcomb, he was involved in everyone else's lives to get to know the town and the surroundings along with the people in order to understand the Clutter family. I believe Al Dewey is a special character to this story because he is in the middle of the action of the murder being the investigator and all. Al and Capote have the same purpose to try and figure out what happened to the Clutter family, who did it, and why they possibly would do it. It makes the novel very vivid because when there is a murder case it does go back and forth within the town and the murderers. I don't feel any sympathy for anyone who is willing to bruttally murder a family. There is no reason for such occurence. I feel alot of sympathy for the people of Holcomb and for the murdered family. Would you feel any sympathy for murderers who would murder your family?
I agree with cupcake I wouldn't feel any sympathy for anyone who brutally murdered my family.
I agree with cupcake I wouldn't feel any sympathy for anyone who brutally murdered my family.
I believe Capote takes the time to thoroughly describe these characters because he wants readers to understand how they were affected by the Clutter Murder We get glimpses into their minds as well as knowledge of events taking place in Holcomb. I find Bobby Rupp to be a very intriguing and memorable character because he was seriously disturbed after the massacre took place. It’s sad to think about how miserable the rest of his life must have been. Al Dewey is also memorable solely because of the fact that he is pouring himself into solving the case.
In my opinion, the use of montage creates suspense and makes the novel more interesting to read. I also enjoy piecing the novel together and sorting through the facts to solve the case.
Although Perry had a rough childhood, I don’t believe that that justifies his horrible actions. Dick had a very nice childhood bull still leads a life of scheming, law-breaking, and conning. They committed horrible crimes, and therefore deserve no sympathy.
I believe the reason Capote depicts the personalities of the secondary characters is because even though they contribute small parts, they help develop the story and get you to feel more in depth with everyone/everything that is going on. The character that stood out to me the most was Willy Jay. He was memorable because I think he had a big impact on the way Perry acted. I also think that Al Dewey took an important role because of his immense contribution to the Clutter family's murder case. The way Capote wrote about him made you feel a sort of sympathy for him. I believe that montages in the novel were very effective. These back and forth descriptions made you feel like you knew what was going on with the Clutters as well as Dick and Perry at the same time, which seemed to make it more intense. At times I felt a small sense of sympathy for Perry because I felt as though he was being pushed into this by Dick. I also think that because of Perry's unsatisfying childhood and his encounter with Willy Jay in jail it caused Perry to become confused with who he really was. I never felt any sympathy for Dick, however, because he is so self-absorbed and careless to everything around him. I also feel as though Dick would leave Perry, should they get caught, whereas Perry would keep the promise in staying together.
I agree with Cootey's answers. I think they nailed the idea behind the back and forth descriptions that Capote uses throughout the book.
I think he tells about these characteres because it gives more detils and it expresses how other people thought of the family. He does this to express and make the story more interesting, because it shows all the drama it caused the town and to see some exitement in this story. I respect wells the most because he shows alot of emotion towards the loss of them and the reaction people are giving them so it sort of says that he was close to the family.
I think Floyd Wells is the most memorable because he’s the whole reason why Dick decided to break in to the Clutter house. Floyd told Dick that the Clutter’s were a rich family and Dick wanted to rob them. I think Capote describes Floyd because he’s the only reason why Dick and Perry actually got caught. The back and forth descriptions give both view points of each person and allow the reader to not have a one sided opinion. I feel sympathetic for Perry because he had a very hard life and Dick had more of a normal life and he had a lot more opportunities than Perry.
Well first of all, the book can’t be all about the only living main characters personalities (Perry and Dick), because people would lose interest in it very fast. He could not put much detail in about the Clutter family because he did not get an interview with them. Another reason could be so you would be able to get as many points of view about the situation, and make predictions about what was going to happen next in the book.
I really don’t find the reason for all the secondary characters descriptions. I know that they all had something to do with the Clutters in some way, but I don’t think there needed to be detail on all of them. The ones that I thought were important were Floyd Wells and Bobby Rupp. I think that Floyd Wells is important because he is the one who told Perry and Dick about the safe with ten thousand dollars in it. He was the reason that Dick and Perry went to Holcomb in the first place. I think that Bobby Rupp is the most memorable secondary character to me. I think this because his girlfriend was one of the ones murdered. I’m not sure why else he is memorable to me, he just seems to stick out in my mind and I just feel so bad for him.
I think the back-and-forth descriptions make the novel more vivid because it shows how the town is handling the murders and then when it goes to Perry and Dick, it shows how they are reacting to what they did to the Clutters. I think the back-and-forth descriptions make the story better.
At first I sympathized with Perry but I really don’t anymore after reading on.
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