Truman Capote’s Nonfiction Novel "In Cold Blood" and Bennett Miller’s Biopic "Capote"

A Comparison

Epreuve d'examen , 2008 , 97 Pages , Note: 1

Philologie Anglaise - Littérature

When In Cold Blood was first published, critics had a hard time categorizing the book. Capote himself held that he had written a “nonfiction novel (Capote in Plimpton 1966: 2)” and that he had thereby created an altogether new genre. In the subtitle, Capote stresses his central claim regarding this new genre, assuring the reader that what she is about to delve into is “a true account of a multiple murder and its consequences (Capote 2000 [1966]).” As will be seen in the opening chapter, criticism of In Cold Blood has therefore to a great degree revolved around Capote’s and the book’s adherence to this assertion of truth. The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (SOED) lists as the three first entries under the head word “true”:

true /tru:/
1 Steadfast in allegiance, loyal; faithful, constant (…).
2 Honest, honourable, upright, virtuous; straightforward, sincere (…).
3 Of a statement, report, etc.: consistent with fact; conforming with reality (…).

The following investigation of In Cold Blood and of the biopic based on Capote’s work on the book, Bennett Miller’s Capote (2005), will proceed along the lines of these three aspects of the definition, questioning Capote’s claim of rendering a “true account.”
The genre chapter and large parts of the ensuing discussion of In Cold Blood will be especially concerned with the definition’s third aspect, In Cold Blood’s consistency with fact and its conformity with reality. The question will be raised as to whether or not a true account of real events is possible at all, and in what ways Capote and other writers of New Journalism, as the genre is most frequently called today, have tried to achieve such true accounts.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

• Introduction
• Genre
  • Capote's Literary Development toward the Nonfiction Novel
  • The Nonfiction Novel - an Altogether New Concept?
  • The Nonfictional in the NONFICTION Novel - a True Account?
  • The Novelistic in the Nonfiction NOVEL
• Style
  • Structure
  • Language
• Setting
  • The Rural Homestead
  • The Road
• Character
  • Perry
  • Dick
  • The Clutter Family
• In Cold Blood and the American Dream
  • The Portrayal of American Society in In Cold Blood
  • The American Dream
  • The American Nightmare in In Cold Blood
  • Society's Reaction – the Trial
• In Cold Blood on Film
  • Miller's Biopic Capote
  • Capote's Two Sides
  • Capote and Perry
• Conclusion
• Works Cited
• Appendix
  • Segmentation Capote

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte

This paper aims to analyze Truman Capote's nonfiction novel In Cold Blood and its adaptation into a biopic by Bennett Miller, Capote (2005). The paper explores the genre of the nonfiction novel, examining Capote's claim of creating a "true account" and the challenges of achieving such a goal. It delves into the stylistic choices Capote made in In Cold Blood, including its structure, language, and setting, and analyzes the portrayal of the Clutter family and the two murderers, Perry Smith and Dick Hickock. The paper also investigates the American Dream as a pervasive theme in In Cold Blood, exploring its impact on both the Clutters and the murderers. Finally, the paper examines the biopic Capote, focusing on Truman Capote's relationship with Perry Smith and the ethical dilemmas he faced as an author and a private individual.

• The genre of the nonfiction novel and its claim to truth
• The stylistic choices of In Cold Blood, including structure, language, and setting
• The portrayal of the Clutter family and the two murderers, Perry Smith and Dick Hickock
• The American Dream as a pervasive theme in In Cold Blood
• The ethical dilemmas faced by Truman Capote as an author and a private individual in the biopic Capote

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel

The introduction sets the stage for the analysis by outlining the central question of the paper: whether Capote's claim of a "true account" in In Cold Blood is achievable and how the book's truth value can be assessed. The chapter on genre explores the development of the nonfiction novel, examining Capote's contribution to the genre and the challenges of achieving a truly objective account of real events. The chapter on style delves into the structural and linguistic choices Capote made in In Cold Blood, analyzing how these choices contribute to the book's overall impact. The chapter on setting examines the contrasting settings of the Clutters' rural homestead and the road, exploring how these settings reflect the characters' lives and motivations. The chapter on character provides detailed analyses of the Clutter family and the two murderers, Perry Smith and Dick Hickock, exploring their individual motivations and the complexities of their relationships. The chapter on In Cold Blood and the American Dream investigates the American Dream as a pervasive theme in the book, exploring its impact on both the Clutters and the murderers. The chapter on In Cold Blood on Film examines the biopic Capote, focusing on Truman Capote's relationship with Perry Smith and the ethical dilemmas he faced as an author and a private individual.

Schlüsselwörter

The keywords and focus themes of the text include the nonfiction novel, Truman Capote, In Cold Blood, Bennett Miller, Capote, the American Dream, true account, style, structure, language, setting, character, Perry Smith, Dick Hickock, the Clutter family, and ethical dilemmas.

• Université: University of Freiburg
• Note: 1
• Auteur: Michael Helten (Auteur)
• Année de publication: 2008
• Pages: 97
• N° de catalogue: V128448
• ISBN (ebook): 9783640344987
• ISBN (Livre): 9783640526154
• Langue: anglais
• mots-clé: Truth, Biopic, Perry, Character