TOW #16 - IRB #2 "In Cold Blood" By Truman Capote

"In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote, although a work of nonfiction retelling of the Clutter family murder, has meaning to it as well. The message of "In Cold Blood" is essentially life has happened before you, and life will happen after you; it's looking at the bigger picture rather than viewing the murder as a world-stopping tragedy. This message the author portrays with his twist on the events is shown strongly through his symbolism and his tone. This is clear because the ending scene of the book is completely fabricated by the author, which means it is not to recount history but to actually tie in a message. The tone as Dewey departs the cemetery is wistful, as "she disappeared down the past, a pretty girl in a hurry... Then, starting home, he walked toward the trees, and under them, leaving behind him the big sky, the whisper of wind voices in the wind-bent wheat" (343 Capote). The path the girl takes is symbolic of the future, and the sky behind him is symbolic of the past. The author specifically makes note of these two symbols, rather than ignoring them which would have giving the message "the past and future don't matter." Instead, they symbolism tied in with the wistful and thoughtful tone portrays the message "we must acknowledge and learn from the past, and think about and strive for the future, and life may keep moving but every second is important." Symbolism is used yet again to enforce this message with Nancy's diary. In her diary on the final day of her life, she wrote about the seemingly trivial events of her day. However, the facts that these were her last words in her diary enforces the idea that even the most trivial moments are important enough to pay attention to as if every day were your final day. Capote utilizes strong symbols and tone in order to relay the message that every moment of life, whether it be past, present or future, is never too small to pay attention to and appreciate.