Truman Capote in his novel, “In Cold Blood” seemingly aims at presenting various themes for readers to ponder upon. Most prominently is that the novel uses contrasts to achieve the intended objective of the author. Just to give an example, Perry is a man but his actions resemble that of a woman. Perry’s actions are a sharp contrast to that of Dick who is presented as relatively rough (Capote, 2018). Through the portrayal of Perry as a woman, the reader can see the distinction between Dick and Perry. Such a contrast also guides the author in developing the plot of the story; arguments arise among various characters because of the difference in their traits. Nevertheless, this article aims to describe the theme of the American rural environment as variously depicted by Capote.
Before analyzing the theme of rural America, it is imperative to present the major tenets of the novel. The story is definitely a crime story where the Clutters are murdered in cold blood in their rural home in a village known as Holcomb (Capote, 2013). Four members of the Clutter family are shot using four bullets but the author says that with ‘four bullets, six lives were lost’. Capote deliberately says so because he knows that the killers would sooner or later be caught and killed too. The four members of the clutter family who were killed were Mr. and Mrs. Clutter, their daughter Nancy, and their son, Kenyon. The killers were Dick and Perry. The novel also states that the killers shot the Clutters with no apparent reason. Also, there was seemingly no connection between the killers and the Clutters family. Perhaps Capote wanted to show the difference in moral values between the killers and the Clutters.
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To begin with, Holcomb represents the rural America. Capote in all his description about Holcomb aims to elicit positive aspects of the American rural environment. The description perhaps seeks to convince the Americans that rural homes also form part of the so-called American dream. By using the example of Mr. Clutter’s farm, the author intended to show that all Americans have an equal right to happiness and success, provided they work hard (Helten, 2013). And that they can achieve anything even in the rural areas. Most people especially in the contemporary US tend to migrate to urban areas where they think life is better and that there are more opportunities.
In the beginning of the book, the author presents Holcomb as a village that is popularly referred by people as ‘out there’. If people acknowdged Holcomb to be outside then they were perhaps ‘inside’. The inside represents the busy lifestyle they had in town. Holcomb is also a suburb of a town. People were engaged in various activities and probably had little time to rest. They also most likely longed to be ‘out there’. Therefore, referring to Holcomb as ‘out there’ in the beginning of the novel has many connotations. The most prominent one is that it represents a sense of freedom (Helten, 2013). Just like people in prison who long to get freedom and interact with the outside world, people in town also have a longing of being free only that they are held by the busy lifestyle. Holcomb also has ‘hard blue skies and desert clear air’. That description in itself is a revelation of the relative peace that the rural life held. It was an atmosphere that enabled people to relax and perhaps meditate. It is unlike the urban life where people constantly think about what they ought to do to make their lives better.
The most prominent aspect about rural America is that it is productive. The first chapter titled, “The last to see them alive” begins by highlighting that Holcomb lies on the ‘high wheat plains of western Kansas’ (Capote, 2013). That means that everyone associates the area with its prominence in wheat production. People not only grow wheat by they also rear animals such as cattle, sheep and horses. The author emphasizes on the word ‘herds’ to show that they were reared in large numbers. It is a deliberate demonstration that people were living their dreams in rural America. The author even intentionally points out that the rural folks were having a better life than the urban people.
Most rural areas are characterized by abandonment. Most buildings are dilapidated and uncared for. Perhaps it is because young people move to urban areas and leave older adults behind who sometimes are weak to maintain their surroundings. A similar description, that is typical of rural America, is described in the novel. The roads leading to the village are described as ‘unnamed and unpaved’. When it does not rain the roads are dusty but during rainfall, the roads have the thickest mud. One imagines how the roads and paths look like considering that the herds of animals also share them with the villagers. A building that still has the sign of ‘HOLCOMB BANK’ is no longer a bank but instead, it has been converted into apartments (Capote, 2013). Individuals who had probably lived in the village when the bank was operational and had gone out for a long time would most likely have feelings of nostalgia. Such individuals could be the cause of the failure of institutions in their village. That is because they failed to invest in their places of birth but instead opted to move elsewhere.
The possibility of the achievement of the American dream in rural America is presented by Mr. Clutter. First, his rural upbringing influences the career he takes in college. He definitely studies agriculture with the aim of making Holcomb, an American rural home productive. While many people opt to move to the urban centers he sees an opportunity of achieving his dreams in Holcomb. The author introduces Mr. Clutter as a manager and a man who is in control by first describing his physique; ‘His shoulders were broad, his hair had held its dark color, his square-jawed, confident face retained a healthy-hued youthfulness, and his teeth, unstained and strong enough to shatter walnuts, were still intact.’ Although Mr. Clutter was not as rich as Mr. Taylor Jones (the richest man in Holcomb), he was the most widely known person in the community (Capote, 2018). He also held several influential positions in the community. He had first been the chairman of the building committee when the first Methodist Church was built in the village. He currently was chairman of the Kansas Conference on Farm Organizations. Additionally, he had also been a member of the Federal Farm Board.
Though Mr. Clutter was not the richest man in Holcomb, the author uses him to present various attributes of rural America. First, people in rural America value family life and are often contended. Mr. Clutter lived with the person she wished to marry, Bonnie Fox and Bonnie had also admitted in the novel that she had loved Clutter. Mrs. Clutter had seen Mr. Clutter several times when still growing up and had perhaps known him better (Capote, 2018). It is a demonstration that people in rural America often establish long relations before engagement and hence tend to stick together longer than those in the urban centers. They had four children; three daughters and a son. It is also mentioned that their eldest daughter, Eveanna had married and had a boy who was ten months old. The way Eveanna is portrayed shows that Mr. Clutter was happy that her daughter had set an example for the others. He wanted her children to live a normal life and settle in their marriage. The family was also expecting Eveanna to visit them so that they could have a Thanksgiving reunion of the Clutter clan. The clan seemingly had its roots in Germany and still took great pride in practicing their traditions.
The most noticeable thing in rural America through Mr. Clutter is that people in the rural areas seem to be conservative. Mr. Clutter is mentioned as being a Republican, a political party that is popularly associated with individuals who hold conservative ideals (Helten, 2013). Perhaps the conservative ideals are evident in Mr. Clutter’s character and actions. First, he does not take coffee but takes milk in the morning most of the time. Secondly, he abhors beer or alcohol and even requires that his employees ought not to drink. He even makes them sign a document so that when they are caught, they face the implications. Mr. Clutter is also an ardent church-goer and by virtue of his reputation, he ensures that every member of the family goes to church too. He also rises at six O’clock every members to start working on his farm. Additionally, Mr. Clutter also takes his children to the local schools and believes that the education is good enough to impart requisite skills in his children.
Seemingly, rural America achieves success in instilling in children good morals. Mr. Clutter at one point catches his daughter Nancy, kissing Bobby, her boyfriend. He does not take stern action but Nancy consciously realizes that her father detests such behavior. Nancy also stuck to only one boyfriend and listened to her father’s advice. When she converses with Susan, a friend that the Clutters had adopted, she tells her that she realizes that her father’s mood had changed. Perhaps she realized that her father did not approve of her relationship with Bobby but promised that she would do whatever her father wished for her (Capote, 2013). Nancy is also always helpful and her teacher once says that she is always in a hurry but with time for everything. When Mrs. Katz, Jolene’s mother asks her to show her daughter how to bake a cherry pie, she does not turn down the request even though she is engaged. Instead, she squeezes some time and even notes that it was her responsibility to train as many young girls as possible on various culinary skills. People in the rural areas often have time and kind words for one another. Mrs. Clutter, though sick, interacts with the young Jolene and even gives her a little present, a paper fan. Mrs. Katz over the phone also has kind words for Nancy over the phone and even compliments her for her good reputation.
To conclude, the theme of rural America, presents positive aspects about rural areas in contrast to urbanization. The most prominent aspect is that people in rural areas thrive even better in all areas. One is that there is plenty of food as described by the presence of huge tracts of wheat and herds of animals. Secondly, the rural America instills good moral values in citizens. People living in the rural areas seem to be more satisfied with life and have time for each other. Because there is plenty in rural America, people such as Mr. Clutter are generous and can afford to pay his employees better wages. It is evident in the novel that the American dream can be achieved in rural America.
References
Capote, T. (2013). In cold blood . Random House Digital, Inc..
Capote. (2018). YouTube . Retrieved 30 March 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjvBYqp8b6U
Helten, M. (2013). Truman Capote’s Nonfiction Novel" In Cold Blood" and Bennett Miller’s Biopic" Capote".
