Closing of the story

At the end of In Cold Blood it is very dark because it explains about the hangings, however Capote makes the ending of the book lighter and it focuses on the Clutter family once again. It explains how even after all that time two of the character meet again at the graveson of the Clutter family, the two people who are reunited are Alvin Dewey and Susan Kidwell. At the beginning of their conversation it takes a while for Dewey to completely recognise who Susan is as he hadn't seen her for a while and Dewey was still thinking of the Clutter murder case, this is because he was one of the main detectives on the case. The story never left the mind of many, including Capote, he turned to a life of alcoholism which ended up killing him. Capote never really left the town of Holcomb and the Clutters and the killers were constantly playing on his mind.

My physiatrist report on Perry Smith

Perry Smith is a very young gentleman, he is quite short (5ft3) for his age of 36. He weighs 163lb and is quite stocky.  He has brown eyes and dark brown hair. He has a tanned completion. He has many scars of his body, including his large array of tattoos.

From his previous occupations we are able to apply some disorders or problems he may have picked up. He has been a soldier for part of his life, it is evident that this has caused some stress disorders within him. When he was a car painter he would have been working many toxic paints, if he had inhaled any of these paints then his brain could have been damaged as it is not good to inhale toxic paints.

Perry also had a very broken childhood, this would have made him feel unwanted and worthless, not only that he would not have had people to teach him right and wrong. He would also be 'immune' to sadness as he has had to deal with it all of his life. Even by the age of 36 it is evident that he didn't have a planned future for himself, and he barely had enough money to look after himself.

These are some of the thing which would have mentally been affecting Perry on the dreadful night of the Clutter family's deaths.

Sincerely yours,

Elliot Cheng 

My perspective on the killings- Herb Clutter

While I was lying there, on my own, I was simply at peace, almost as if my spirit had left to rest. I had a very calm night, the children were upstairs, with my wife. As I was just closing my eyes, just before I fell into my sleep. But then I heard the floorboards creak, I was going to go and check but I thought that it was one of the children getting a glass of water.

Suddenly the office door swung open, this was definitely not the kids, they would never go in there. I was quite worried by now, I didn't know wether to go and investigate or just leave it.

 Then almost out of nowhere my bedroom door swung open and I was blinded by a light, I heard the deep breathing, I thought it was my wife. I called out to her "honey?, is that you honey?". There was no reply, then a mans voice, one that I had never heard before replied and explained to me how he was a door-to-door salesman and wanted to have a talk in my office. I hopped out of bed and they led the way, I was just I my pyjamas, with no shoes on, the floor was bitterly cold.

The two gentlemen seemed very kind and gentle, they stepped into the office and signalled me to come in, I didn't see any reason not to so in I went. I hadn't properly seen these two men however I wasn't slightly suspicious about them, they seemed to be good guys.

Then almost out of nowhere two thuggish looking men were shown in the moonlight. As if the man was bi-polar they started questioning me about a safe, I didn't know what they were talking about, we didn't have a safe. I persistently tried to tell them this but they wouldn't listen to me. I tried to stay as calm and peaceful as possible, even if they were not, however only one of them really talked, the leader out of the two.
The other guy seemed reasonable, he looked more worried than me, it was almost as if he didn't want to be there. However I couldn't concentrate on him for long because they started to threaten me with there knife, he pressed it up against my chest, I didn't know what to do. He threatened me again, he said, "show us where the safe is or you're goons be a good bit sorrier". Again I told them that there was no safe and I was telling the truth, I didn't want to raise my voice as they clearly outmanned and 'outgunned'.

Then the other one spoke, he asked me if there were anymore telephone line in the house, after he cut the ones in my office. I told him about the one in the kitchen, he took the flashlightand headed over to the kitchen. After he had left I heard some creaking upstairs, I just hope that they hadn't heard it. But there was no hope in that, the who went to go and cut the phone wires was even more twitchy than myself, he had definitely heard. Who was awake, the kids, my wife!

But then he returned I they were both in the room again. They were having a whispering conversation, I couldn't understand what they were saying, I only picked out a few words like upstairs, gun, then I blanked out for a second I had the sudden rush that they were going to kill my family. Then they led me back to the bedroom, I gave them all the money I had and all the valuables in my possession. Then they started asking me about my family upstairs. They wanted to know if my wife had any money. I old them that she was Ill and I begged them not to disturb her. But the more irrational one insisted that we should go and check. By then I knew that they would never give until they got all the money in the whole house, including 'the safe'. As I led them upstairs I turned on the lights, I walked over to Bonnie's room, as I entered, with the two 'salesmen' behind me. I tried to keep her calm, but she knew what was going on.

I couldn't do anything, she burst into to tears, my own wife crying, and I was helpless, I felt torn apart, why couldn't I do anything. I knew where she kept her purse so I went into her draw and took out her purse, she had around five dollars in there. Was this really just for money? I handed over the second couple of dollars, then the quite one stepped outside with the more malicious one, they started to whisper again. But this I couldn't make out a word, I was too busy worrying about my wife and trying to get her to calm down.

When they came back from the talk they shoved us into the bathroom and tied us up, they gave my wife a chair sloshed could sit and rest, then they led us and headed to the kids rooms and put them with us. I felt terrible that we were all there, in that moment it felt like that it was the last time I was going to see them. Then I was taken downstairs into the basement, the place where once the kids played and were simply happy. However I was taken away from this half and shoved into the other room. He tied me up again, however he did in a gentle way, ensuring that it wasn't too tight. He also lay down a flattened cardboard box so I wasn't lying on the floor. Before he left I begged him not to harm my family, especially my wife, she was so fragile. He told me that he would try and help them but there was no way I could know what was happening. I was left down there trying not to imagine what was going on upstairs.

When they did come back down for me it wasn't to free me or ask for money. They both came down and taped me up. Before they tied me up I asked how my wife was, they told me that she was fine and ready to go to sleep. As were everyone. They never left after that, they were talking. I could hear perfectly, but I couldn't listen. My tears were blinding but I could still see one of them walking up to me holding the knife, the one I was threatened with earlier with, he knelt down beside me, as if to comfort me. He got really close and then......

How does capote retell Perry's confession of the Clutter murders?

Perry thoroughly describes the night and all of features of the house on the night of the killings. It is all written in the present tense. Captors interrupts the story to add his opinion, and some extra facts, he helps the picture. Perry remembers the night very well, it is almost as if has scarred him. The story is told through various filters, which could mean that the story is not 100% correct. Dick is more ruthless and a more natural killer, Perry seems a lot calmer until something snaps. Dick got exited when he had control over them.  Herb 'couldn't' have suspected that him and his family were going to be killed, because then Herb would have fought for his wife and kids. When perry explains the killings, he says that he was a polite, nice person towards the Clutters. Perry makes the Clutters feel comfortable, before he killed them. Capote describes the killing of the Clutters, instead of Perry.

Crime scene

Where- The murders took place in the quiet desolate house of Herb clutter, he had a wife and four children,two of which were at home. 

Weapon- pump action shotgun


Why/Motive- Herb's money, even though it turned out there was none.


Who- Dick Hickok and Perry Smith.


When- November 14th, 1959

Storyline review

In 1959, Truman Capote, a popular writer for The New Yorker, reads about the horrific and bloody murder of a family in Holcomb, Kansas. he is taken back by the story, which Capote and his partner, Harper Lee (the author of 'To Kill a Mockingbird'), traveled the town to research for an article. However, as Capote digs deeper and deeper into his article, he is inspired to expand the project into what would be his greatest work, the first of it's kind, a non- fiction novel, In Cold Blood.


I think that this is a phenomenal story which is fuelled by passion and desire, which is created after the killers are found. The novel change from 'Who did it?' to 'Why did they do it?". in this novel these questions are answered, one very early on ad the other near the end of the novel. Truman has to dig very deep into to Perry, who he has a connection with, to find out what made him squeeze the trigger, all four times.


This Story consumes Capote entirely, it even drives him to alcoholism, which leads him to death. The story is said to have taken seven lives, the four Clutters, the murderers and the writer.

Perry's story of his murder

Perry asks Capote what the name of his book is; Capote lies to Perry and says that he didn’t choose the title, ‘In Cold Blood’. Capote then shows him a picture he got from his sister and uses this as a turning point. These pictures make Perry believe that Truman is on his side.

Perry then tells him. Perry tells him how they went in there for money, Dick was very angry when he found out that there was no money. Perry tried to keep them alive, but Dick was persistent. Perry looked into Herb and Herb was petrified. Perry said that he felt ashamed when he killed him; he thought that he was very nice. Perry said ‘I didn’t know what I did until I heard the sound’.

Capote is taken back by the explanation. Capote asks Perry how much money they stole from the Clutters that night, it was $40-$50. Capote then takes everything he told him and leaves Perry to grieve over his own killings.

Before Perry is hung he sends Capote and Harper Lee a telegram to say thank you and good-bye. 

How the criminals are portrayed in the film

This is the film about how everything happened before and after he read the article, this was not the film to accompany the book 'In Cold Blood'

Unworried by their convictions, their death sentences. They also don’t seem very bothered by Capote, even though he takes pictures and thoroughly interviews them. When Perry is in prison he refuses to eat to try and kill himself.

Dick then thanks Capote for his new lawyer. But Dick wasn’t the one who interested Capote. Dick is shown as a one-dimensional figure. They both try and make Capote write about them ‘in a good light’.

Perry finds a copy of ‘in Cold Blood’ and reads it. This proves to him that Capote has been lying to him as Capote told him that he hadn’t started yet.

When Capote goes to meet the killers Dick is hateful towards Capote but Perry is deeply thankful and happy to see him again. Perry asks Capote to be at the Hanging, so that he can have a friend there when he is killed. 

How the film follows the book at the opening

This is the film about how everything happened before and after he read the article, this was not the film to accompany the book 'In Cold Blood'

The start of the film follows closely to the book. It shows the wheat plains, the drive up to house and the interior of the house. The film shows the contrast of Holcomb and New York, this also explains how different the two places are.

Capote is shown as the center of the many people’s lives. Many people, suck up, to him and ‘hang on his every word’. He is shown as a God-like figure, someone everyone wants to be and be close to.

How Truman Capote is portrayed in the film

This is the film about how everything happened before and after he read the article, this was not the film to accompany the book 'In Cold Blood'

He is portrayed as a very high-up figure in his celebrity community. He is very shocked when he reads the article and leaves as soon as possible to write his book. The article ‘stuck a chord’ with Capote. He goes to Kansas with Harper Lee. He also has a huge ego; an example of this is when he pays the train warden to ‘big up’ his books and Truman work. He is also very impatient and is not used to waiting to get what he wants. At first no one knows who he is and no one wants him to get involved in his or her case. Capote is disrespected and treated like the rest of the reporters. Capote is very nosey and goes to look at the coffins of the Clutter family.

Capote changes his clothes to try and get noticed by the people. He said that he tested the amount of words he can remember from a conversation. He receives comfort from one of Herb’s friends, Alvin. Capote and Alvin comfort each other. Capote looks at the pictures of the Clutters after they are killed. On January 6^th the killer were found in Las Vegas and taken to Kansas. 

Capote immediately becomes interested in Perry Smith. But Perry doesn’t like him. Then Capote offers him a ‘serious’ lawyer and to put him on the visitors list so Capote can visit him.

Capote buys the right to have full access to all of the prison whenever he wants. This means that he can interview them and see them alive. He would prefer to see Perry rather than Dick. Capote tries to force friendship between himself and Perry. Capote tries to gain Perry’s trust by finding similar, moral ground to try and get answers from Perry. He makes them seem like they have something in common.

Capote’s lawyer gets the murderers a hearing.

Capote takes advantage of the information Perry gives him; he calls Perry a ‘goldmine’. He wants to ‘dig deeply’ into Perry to try and get something valuable.

Capote is sad because his case fails and they are still on death row, waiting to be killed. When Capote next sees Perry he apologizes for leaving him and being away.

Capote lies to Perry many times as he tells him that he has not started the book yet when he has almost finished. Capote then has one last chance to squeeze the last drips of information from him, and Capote tells him that he wants to know about the killings.

After Capote interviews Perry about the killings he says that he wants to be done with it because at that time he had spent four out of the six years on the book. The killers plead for a new lawyer otherwise they face certain death.

Capote is soon back in New York to finish up his book, but his mind is not clear.

When Perry tells Capote that he has two ore weeks, and is going down to holding. Capote hoes to visit Perry one last time before he is killed. He is extremely saddened by the hangings.

Capote tells them that he tried everything he could to get them out. Capote bursts into tears when Perry asks for a friend to be there with him when he is hung. Capote and Perry look into each others eyes before Perry is dropped. 

Creative response 3

Nancy clutter always kept her self cleansed and would simply shiver at the thought of any type of deformity or scar on the skin. She would always look down on others if they had a problem with them, she was unlike the good smarten in the bible. However she was very holy, never did her necklace with a cross on it leave her neck, she considered it an insult if other weren't holy and would refuse to talk.

This was very much unlike her husband, Herb. Herb was a very smiley man, he thought a frown was a deformity, but he would never have the courage and disrespect to ignore them. his big, muscly figure wouldn't have been able to tell you that though, he hand't changed one bit since he had left his high school. he was always kept cleaned and holy when he was under the eye of his wife though.

Physical descriptions of Dick and Perry to give us a sense of their character

Sometimes the way people look is used to describe what they are like and who they are.

Dick hickok has a different personality to what he physically looks like. From the outside he looks thin and scrawny, but he is actually very toned and is quite athletic. Dick has lots of tattoos all over his torso, Truman describes it as a 'inky gallery'. If anyone were to look at him they would think that he didn't respect his body but to Dick all the tattoos serve a purpose. There are some in memory of his parents, his first wife and many more. However many of the tattoos juxtapose each other such as a dragon with a skull in it's jaw and holy rays of light.

Dick also has some deformities due to his motorcycle crash, his face is described as an apple which has been cut in half at put back together, unevenly. He is very much the character Richard III, deformed on the outside and the inside.

Perry has also suffered from a car crash, but his injuries were much worse than Dick's. Perry spent about a week in hospital recovering. after this disaster he was left physical and emotional scarred. Perry, like Dick has a lot of 'emotional baggage' which has sedimented in him, this makes him feel broken and misplaced where ever he goes.

How does Capote forebodes at the start of 'In Cold Blood'

Capote's description of Holcomb is extremely dull, bleak and miserable. It is implied that Holcomb is lifeless and past it's prime and even irrelevant.

Truman also uses words such as 'Until' and 'But' to implicate a change in story. This change is obviously about the death of the Clutter family. He reinforces the non-fictionness by stating specific facts and evidence, he also supplies the date at place of the murder.

He says that the you shotgun blasts 'break the silence', and that they are 'the sound of terror'. The deaths of the clutters spread 'fires of mistrust', which is an extended metaphor, in the community. this metaphor explains how rapidly and ferociously the fire is spreading.

Even though only four people were killed on that day, it is said that seven lives were ended, the Clutters, the killers; Perry Smith and Dick Hickok, and Truman's life.

Creative response 2

How much can we tell of a person's character from their posessions?

Herb Clutters barn, from the outside, looked like a couple of sheets of corrugated iron leaning against some more sheets. But the inside was more nurtured than the house, all the corn and wheat together, then came the came all the different shears, shovels and spiked-machinery. Then there was, for Holcomb, the state of the art sit-on-lawnmower, this was kept away from everything else, it was in pristine condition, and he cared for this like a newborn baby. He even had all the separate parts and the correct colored paint incase of scratches or dents.
   
Herb oils up the lawnmower everyday, it moved about smoother than his car, in fact one time he rode it into, what the people of Holcomb call, a town. He has done everything possible, and bought everything possible to get his lawnmower to be the best in the county.
   
Kenyon is very different to his father, his room has no floor, there are piles of clothes, rubbish and unopened, unread mail. however his desk was clear, when he wasnt helping his dad that is where he would be found. He was one of the hardest working people in the town, and he was only fifthteen. Kenyon had huge dreams of escaping Holcomb and heading for New York or just somewhere where he be succesful, be somewhere, doing something which was useful. He was a dreamer and got teased for it.

Creative response 1

Dubai- the creek

Away from the sky-scaring buildings and seven star hotels come the eye-scaring blocks and motels. The buildings mainly painted with dirt and dust, the scaffolding the only thing holding up the building. It seems the whole town is built on that. The sly, stray feline creatures sharing the meals and seats with the residents, they know no difference. The Arabs there at one with the animals, the failed, forgot about half of Dubai.
    The buildings are all mirrors of the others, and there are lots of them. I cant seem to find any residents but I feel like Im being watched from the rooftops and small rusted out holes in the corrugated iron. The rusted out holes can also be used to describe most of the cars. The occasional car untouched by the Arabic traffic, unused.
     It is said it thrived in the older times when the sea was the way of travel, it was the pulse of Dubai but that was in the late 20th century. It is now probably said that it thrives at nighttime buts thats probably because you wont be able to see everything.
     Now the local Arabs survive simply on the hope of tourists wanting a shaky boat ride to the other side, which isnt that much better. It isnt that close the commercialized part of Dubai.

How Capote introduces Perry Smith

Perry is shown to be a drinker and a smoker, both of these can set him on edge and affect his thinking.

He is also very spontanious and ambitious, he wisher to travel the world, after his final 'hit'. One of the reasons he is spontanious is because he has never had a home and is lonely and unstable. He has never found a place to settle.

Perry is also very dangerous and un-trust worthy. he is very rebellious and he isn't afraid of punishment.

Perry is very attached to all of his possesion, the very few he has.

How capote introduces Herb Clutter

Herb is shown as a many who has kept a good figure since high school. he is also extremely healthy for a 48 year old man.

Herb is also very respected in Holcomb and is a very succesful farmer. he is very knowledgable about farming and is widely known for his farming profile.

However he is not as rich as he seems, he has some skeletons in his closet, but he is financially stable.

But this doen't affect his passion towards his farming, or make him any less approachable than he is.

The Clutter's house

The murders were reported at the Cutter's house, which was hand-built (by Herb Clutter), it was built in 1948. The clutter's house is a two story house. the land is known as "Rier Valley Farm".

The land is approximatley 7 acres. It has 5 bedooms and 3 bathrooms and a 1,700 sq feet basement.

The house was sold, after the investigation an book at the staggering price of $275,000.

The Killers- Perry Smith and Dick Hickok

In this quadruple murder there were two killers, Dick Hickock and Perry Smith, but only one of them pulled the trigger. It was never found out what Perry's reason for killing them was, some people think it was to impress Dick (who he liked), or wether he was schizophrenic or had another mental problem.

Perry and Dick were fresh out of prison and lookin for their final 'hit'. Afterwards they were looking to head to Mexico, Perry is a very spontaious character, he wanated to trvel the world and to him four deaths wasn't a reason to stop their version of 'the american dream'.

Introduction to Truman Capote

Truman Capote wrote the book 'In Cold Blood' after he read the article, which appeared in the New York Times, about the quadruple murder which happened in Holcomb, Kansas(KS). He then became obsessed with these murders.

He left his celebrity lifestyle in New York to go and write, the first of it's kind book, 'In Cold Blood'. 'In Cold Blood' was one of the first Non-fiction novels, and possibly one of the most famous. He also brought his childhood friend, author of  'To Kill A Mokingbird', Harper Lee.

They both went to Holcomb to write the book for about six years, they interviewed residents, investigators and even the Killers themselves, Perry Smith and Dick Hickock. During the period of his book it changed from 'who did it?' to 'why did they do it'. 

Truman became deeply interested in the killers and even tried to help campain so that Perry and Dick wouldn't be killed. in the book he even makes us feel compassionate towards the killers, aswell as the killed.