“I want to overhear passionate arguments about what we are and what we are doing and what we ought to do. I want to feel that art is an utterance made in good faith by one human being to another. I want to believe there are geniuses scheming to astonish the rest of us, just for the pleasure of it.” -Marilynne Robinson
Thursday, June 28, 2012
In Cold Blood - Last Line(s)
Pay attention
to the last lines of the sections before the narrative perspective
switches from the Dick and Perry story to the Clutter story. What do you
notice about them? Choose one or two different "last lines" and discuss
their importance.
As Capote transitions from recounting the actions of Dick and Perry to the goings on of Holcomb, Kansas, he gives the reader interesting insight in the last lines of each section. As I looked at each one specifically, I noticed something that had not appeared to me before. In quite a few of the “last lines,” something happens that builds a small amount of sympathy for Perry. Many of them end with a direct quote from Perry in which he sounds reluctant or hesitant to continue with Dick’s diabolical plan. For example, on page 55, Perry goes into the bathroom of a service station outside of Garden City to nurse the excruciating pain in his legs. Dick waits for a few minutes, but eventually grows impatient and storms into the bathroom, yelling at Perry to come out. Capote describes the pain in Perry’s legs as so strong that it “made him perspire.” After wiping his face with a paper towel, Perry says, “O.K. Let’s go.” This statement sounds almost reluctant. It makes Dick seem as though he is manipulating Perry into helping him kill the Clutters. It is ironic that so many of the “last lines” are devoted to creating sympathy for Perry because, as we discover later in the novel, Perry murdered the entire Clutter family single handedly. Perry is just as despicable, if not more so, than Dick, but Capote insists on faintly evoking sympathy for Perry in the reader. In my opinion, one of the more important “last lines” appears on page 174. In this scene, Dick and Perry were hitchhiking and had planned to kill the driver who picked them up in order to steal his car. As the moment when Perry was supposed to strike his victim drew near, another hitchhiker appeared on the side of the road. Perry described this event as a “goddam miracle.” Although Capote never blatantly says it, it is clear from the passage that Perry did not want to kill the driver. This instance evokes even more sympathy by forcing the reader to see Perry in a situation where does not want to kill. The cold irony is that Perry was very willing to kill; he proved it when he murdered the Clutters.
After looking at around ten or so ending paragraphs of the sections, I have found some similarities. The passage will almost always end with Dick or Perry speaking. It also usually will end with some type of foreshadowing that will indicate the next step in Dick and Perry’s adventures. When the passage is ending, most is said rather bluntly, meaning there is little variation in the emotion between the characters or the author.
I will first include examples and then discuss their importance. I tried to locate relatable quotes from different sections in the book. My first set is in The Last To See Them Alive. This section can be found on page 55 where (note at this point the reader doesn’t know this yet) Perry and Dick have just killed the Clutter family. Perry, feeling sick, has locked himself in the washroom. Dick shows anger in his speech, and Perry is visibly shaken from the crime they have just committed. The two murderers are angrily talking, something completely normal, as even though they are best friends, they are quick and direct to the point, even if that means snapping. Dick appears rather heartless in this scene. The final sentence shows them leaving but does not tell where they are going.
My second example is located on page 195. In this section, the two men are on the run and have returned to the hometown. Perry, who is doing laundry, realizes that Dick rather late picking him up. Perry begins to worry, and even feel sick when he imagines many horrible potential situations, such as the police picking Dick up. Dick jovially pulls up next to him and kids around with Perry. As the passage comes to a close the reader learns of Dick newest low, to “rob a buddy.” This passage ends with the men scheming to how they will earn (steal, cheat, and lie that is) money and where they will travel to next.
In both of these examples, as well as in different passages, Dick is commonly addressing Perry. Dick’s tone varies, but his purpose, to manipulate Perry, is the same. In both examples, after pushing Perry too far, Dick attempts to reconcile, explicitly by trying to direct the focus onto their next adventure. This is helpful to the reader though, as the end of these passages prove to hold some of the best foreshadowing hints. The first shows, although less revealing about their next steps, them leaving a gas station rather hurriedly, pointing towards their guilt in the upcoming scene of the locals discovering the recently murdered Clutter family. The second tells that they will be spending Christmas in Florida, after “hitting” several places on the way there.
The first and possibly most poignant pair of "last lines" are on pages 12 and 13. These last lines start with Mr. Clutter encountering some pheasant hunters. Although this men were armed on private property, Mr. Clutter had no problem with allowing them to freely roam across his land, bagging as many pheasant as they pleased. This is very ironic in that that very night men would venture on his land armed in the same way with a shotgun. Mr. Clutter's willingness to let the men hunt shows the lack of danger and feeling of security he had. It is ironic that such a slaughter would occur in an environment that seemed so tranquil and peaceful to its inhabitants. Then Capote foreshadows the death of Mr. Clutter by saying he was "unaware that [this day] would be his last". This device creates great suspense and hints to the reader what is sure to come. On the next page, introducing Perry Smith, Capote comments that "Like Mr. Clutter, the young man... never drank coffee." Let it also be pointed out that Perry smokes, while it is beginning to seem like Mr. Clutter has began to partake in the use of tobacco. Why does he relate the two men together with this statement? Something about this statement relating the killer and the victim is interesting.
Another interesting sequence "last lines" is present on page 22. While Nancy is talking to her friend, she was about to explain that she thought her father was smoking. It's interesting that she didn't get it out because that would prove to be her last conversation with Susan. As the scene shifts to Perry getting into Dick's car, among a guitar and other things, Dick had a shotgun in the backseat. Ironically, pheasants are "etched into the stock", and like the hunters, the men would trespass on the Clutter property, but with a different motive.
The poignant closings of the brief glimpses into the perspectives of either the chaotic, capricious lives of Dick and Perry or the kindhearted and simple souls Holcomb, Kansas who are involved with or fear the Clutter tragedy, are are strong sentences that both highlight what happened in the preceding section but also often leaves hints in what is to come. Each ending is both unique and similar in that though they're bringing a section to a close, they're also leaving something lingering to be finished later.
Numerous last lines throughout the novel were memorable and imperative to the progression of the plot, however there were a couple to me that were particularly striking, and both in the first half of the book. On page 74, there is a significant ending to a short yet important passage: regarding to Dick's father being surprised at his sleepiness, it reads, "But, of course, he did not understand how very tired Dick was, did not know that his dozing son had, among other things, driven other eight hundred miles in the past twenty-four hours." This passage takes place at Dick's parents' house the very same evening of his murdering of the Clutter family. The mere fact that Dick can comfortably sit down for a nice meal with his parents with the knowledge that he had just conducted a family massacre is striking and says a lot about what kind of person Dick is and his morals. The last line, though seemingly innocent in speaking of the number of miles he has driven in a short period of time, in reality is a heavy one dripping with fault and blood. Though one would think that the murder, or the "other things" mentioned in the sentence, would be the primary source of exhaustion, Capote takes Dick's shamelessness further by putting the focus primarily on the driving, and implying the other activities along the way.
On page 117, Mrs. Ashida, who just announced on the previous page that she and her family and are moving to Nebraska, is expressing her undying admiration for Mr. Clutter and how his death promulgated her decision to leave. She's apparently still in a state of disbelief and awe that the murder could happen and especially, of all people, to Herb Clutter who she spoke with just hours before his tragic fate. In the final line of the passage Mrs. Ashida states, "'Funny, but yhou know, Bess, I'll bet he wasn't afraid. I mean, however it happened, I'll bet right up to the last he didn't believe it would. Because it couldn't. Not to him." This statement of incredulity undoubtedly represents the feelings of the entire population of Finney County by displaying that he is the least likely person to have been murdered due to his impeccable good nature, true hard work, and kindness, in turn causing the reality of the murder to be all the more terrifying, suspicious, utterly immoral, and also leaving the reader to really wonder why it is that Dick and Perry went through with it.
Throughout the novel, the author aims to evoke an emotional reaction from the reader in response to the intricately crafted last lines of each section. For example, in the book’s opening pages, Capote often uses the chapters’ conclusions to establish a connection between the dueling narratives, heightening the novel’s suspense, thereby imparting the reader with a sense of foreboding. The author continues to employ this technique in the story’s later sections, shifting focus from the Clutters to the town of Holcombe once the family is murdered. Inciting pathos on behalf of those affected by the crime, Capote aptly accomplishes his poignant objective by means of the diction and tone utilized in each passage’s final lines.
Perhaps the novel’s most haunting last line, the hymn found on pg. 48 elicits intense emotion in the reader and amplifies the story’s tension when paired with the first sentences of the next passage. A section ironically outlining Mr. Clutter’s fateful purchase of life insurance concludes with the lyrics of “In the Garden,” a well-known religious song detailing one’s experience in heaven. The subsequent section, following Dick and Perry’s advance to the Clutter home, begins with the musically inclined Perry strumming a similar tune. The fact that the narratives of the killers and their imminent victims depict parallel subjects increases the reader’s apprehension as we wait for the crime to be committed. Furthermore, the psalm that signals the conclusion of the Clutter’s chapter emphasizes the family’s purity, educing sympathy from the reader for the fate we know will soon befall the Clutters.
Similarly, the last line of a section concluding on pg. 123 arouses confusion and intrigue within the reader, emotions crucial in the reading of an effective thriller. Because the reader is already well acquainted with those guilty of the Clutter murders, the discovery made in the chapter of a suspect seemingly culpable for the same crime is a baffling one. When the excerpt ends suddenly with the revelation that the suspicious party is in possession of the murder weapons, we are left on the edge of our seats, curious as to why the man is carrying these weapons and doubting the liability of Dick and Perry. The feelings brought about by these final sentences signify Capote’s mastery of the emotion-evoking technique.
Another notable last line can be found on pg. 198. Upon hearing the news that Dick and Perry are nearby, Agent Dewey laments the unlikelihood that the elusive criminals will ever be apprehended. This section ends with a sentence reflecting Dewey’s resignation that the pair will remain at large forever: “They were invulnerable.” The bluntness of this statement mirrors the despondency that the investigator is experiencing, the phrase echoing forlornly in the reader’s mind at the passage’s close. The terse diction underscores the investigator’s desperation to arrest the men responsible for terrorizing the town of Holcombe and conveys a quiet sadness also present in Agent Dewey’s outlook.
The last lines of the Dick and Perry narratives can arguably be seen as the most important in their story. They play two significant roles. The first is that the lines almost always drive the plot forward. They include some tidbit that makes the interested in continuing the story. Secondly, they are presented so that, in a way, they seem to be the most important of that section. The last lines posses similar qualities throughout, such as a dialogue is usually included from either Dick or Perry, recount the criminals’ recent movements, and often a hint is presented as to what will happen next.
A first example can be seen on page 195. In this Dick and Perry had just robbed some of their old acquaintances in a last bad check scheme. At the end of the passage Dick discusses “Christmas in Florida”. This foreshadows their movement to Miami, one that took place right when the police had been hot on their trail in Kansas. This suggestion is interesting because it makes the reader interested in the criminals’ next step, for if they do escape from Kansas it would be extremely difficult. The passage also summarized their recent movements throughout the city, and included all of the other elements common to a “last line” section. This section is extremely important for it allows the reader to know that they would soon again be on the run, right after the police had finally gotten close to capturing the criminals.
On page 215 a second example occurs. The police finally spot Dick and Perry, and the patrol car casually pulls up next to the criminals. Their exact final movements throughout the city were also provided in tremendous detail. Dick once again speaks during this final line, simply asking Perry if they were in the correct place. It didn’t matter, though for they were soon to be arrested. In a way they were definitely not in the “right” place, for they were about to be caught. These lines are extremely important for throughout the novel we had been tracking the criminals, and at last we know their capture is imminent. They are within sight of the officers, and it would be nearly impossible for them to evade the law again.
Overall, the last lines of the narratives show an apt description of what is to come. They have many similarities, and often contain many of the same aspects, such as dialogue or foreshadowing. Capote may have employed this technique to keep his readers interested as to what was going to happen the next time the Dick and Perry narrative convened.
Through out the book some of the most important information is saved for the end of the chapter leaving the reader with some foreshadowing or a cliff hanger edging the captive audience to dive into the next chapter with as much if not more vigor than before.
On page 48 some of the last lines of the previous chapter said by Mr. Johnson to Mr. Clutter are "Why Herb, You are a young man. Forty-eight. And from the looks of you, from what the medical report tells us, we're likely to have you around a couple weeks more." Until recently I had not realized the uncanny foreshadowing from the sneaky Capote. The statement is well hidden in a conversation between Mr. Johnson and Mr. Clutter in which they are discussing what would happen if Mr. Clutter would die, and who would receive the deeds to his property. The irony emanates from Mr. Johnson's words because the two men had no inkling Herb Clutter in fact had much less than a few weeks to live. The irony increases when in the beginning of the next chapter we see Dick and Perry "doing a steady sixty mile an hour" towards the Clutter home.
The second last line on page 198 states "They were invulnerable." Prior to this quote said by the beaten Agent Dewey, the Agent gets a call informing him of Dick and Perry being so tauntingly close. In fact the officer who calls says they are in Kansas city. After the initial celebration of discovering the criminals Agent Dewey silently reflects on the likelihood of catching the two men his life has revolved around for countless day, weeks, and months. It ends with Dewey beaten and defeated and accepting the fact that his two criminals would remain elusive to his grasp. The terse sentence reflects upon his depletion of vigor. "They were invulnerable."
Last lines can be some of the most powerful parts of books. They can be the most memorable and are often the last chance for an author to get his message across to the reader. The style of how this book is told (dual perceptively told) lends itself to more opportunities for “last lines” than in many other books. Obviously, a great author like Capote will capitalize on these boundless opportunities, and for the most part he did even hindered by the restraints of this being a nonfiction book (which obviously crippled his creative license). However, boundless last lines presented can abate their effect just because there are so many (quantity over quality), but as discussed in the previous “transitions” blog, Capote is a master at linking the two stories, which does enhance the effect of his last lines. Personally, I don’t think the last lines are as good as everyone is making them out to be, they are good, but going through marks made in my book, I found many more powerful lines in the middle of chapters and paragraphs than the last lines.
I noticed that as Capote transitioned from the scenes with the murders to Holcome, he tended to end on a note that left the reader desperately wondering what is to come. This is obviously an effect any author is striving to create: to grasp the reader’s attention and refuse to let it go. One way he did this was by ending on a quote. Many times the quote would be a character signifying their readiness to begin something; for example: “Sorry, Susie. I’ve got to go. Mrs. Katz is here,” “Scrubbed, combed, as tidy as two dudes setting off on a double date, they went out to the car,” “Okay, let’s go,” and “Presently, the car crept forward.” Using these phrases created an interesting effect as they very clearly propelled the plot forward and established a sense of constant action; it was as though the events leading up to the murder of the Clutter family were all rushed. One “last line” that caught my eye is found on page 46. Here Perry and Dick debate whether or not to ask nuns for their black stockings, a debate that results in the pair leaving empty handed with Perry finally remarking “Maybe it’s just as well. Nuns are a bad-luck bunch.” I found this an interesting quote as it reveals a lot about Perry’s superstitious ways while at the same time showing him as having keen common sense. Though I am not condoning their actions, if I were to commit a crime I would have thought along the same lines as Perry; finding a mask would be on the top of my priorities. The fact that they didn’t attempt to hide their identities comes back later in the novel during the court processions which proves that Perry was right to have worried about the stocking masks. Capote added this detail to again establish Perry as the victimized innocence snagged into the crime of the decade.
The ending lines of each section served to interweave the two differently toned storylines. The quiet and calm setting of Holcomb is contrasted with the deviant and rushed nature of the dialogue between the two killers.
On page 13 the first transition ends with the ominous words “, he headed for home and the day’s work, unaware that it would be his last.’’ These are the first lines that hint at what lie ahead. It changes swiftly from the tone of a sleepy little town to the tone of a murder scene. This juxtaposition is a jolt to the reader that grabs our attention.
Throughout the other ending lines they all seem to be dialogue between Dick and Perry, this may be building sympathy toward the killers but I don’t believe so. I believe that the usual conversations, like the thing about the socks, show the chilling capabilities of man. The conversations turn the unstoppable murderers we have imagined in our mind into just a couple of regular guys with misguided motivations.
Each "last line" ends the chapter usually foreshadowing some event or leaving the reader on the edge of his seat.
I believe the most important "last lines of the novel are on page 12. Capote foreshadows the way the two killers enter Mr. Clutter's land. The two supposedly were going pheasant hunting and ended up killing the Clutters. The willingness of Mr. Clutter to allowed armed men to hunt on his property shows that Mr. Clutter feels safe on his own property and is unawares that his killers would enter his property in the same way. Capote then adds suspense to the novel by telling the reader that Mr. Clutter was "unaware that [this day] would be his last".
Capote again uses foreshadowing on page 48, "Why Herb, You are a young man. Forty-eight. And from the looks of you, from what the medical report tells us, we're likely to have you around a couple weeks more." Little did Mr. Clutter nor the doctor that Mr. Clutter was very close to death.
I believe that the "last lines" that are conversation between Dick and Perry serve to add a human aspect to the novel, like Max said. Sometimes throughout the novel I need not think of Dick and Perry as normal people, but as a couple of crazy guys that are not mentally stable, putting a distinction between the two. The "last lines" served to remind me that even though they are indeed mentally unstable, they are still people that talk to a friend just like I do with my friends.
Like a few other people, I liked the first "last lines" on page 13. It serves to foreshadow the tragedy of the Clutter family and encourages the reader to read on and find out what exactly happens.
Capote wanted the story to flow smoothly even though he was using two different stories: The story of the clutters and the story of Perry and Dick. He did this by rotating to both point of view and connecting them by the last and first lines of the stories. An example, “ Arthur Clutter, a brother of the deceased, who, while talking to journalist in the lobby of a Garden City hotel on November 17, had said, “ When this is cleared up, I’ll wager whoever did it is someone within ten miles of where we stand now.” Approximately Four Hundred Miles east of where Arthur Clutter then stood” He joined the two stories by playing off Arthur’s words. This helps the reader transition into the other story smoothly without thinking about what a nuisance having to switch between the stories are. The reader is seeing what the characters can’t. Arthur and the town’s folk believe the murderers are near but we, the reader, know that the culprits are far away. Another way to connect the stories is foretelling by an event that happens. Before Mrs. Clutter goes to sleep she opens the bible and reads” Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when time is.” A foreshadow to what is to come. When the police were looking for the culprits, the readers knew how close on the trail they were and how sneaky they were about bringing Perry and Dick in with False pretenses. Thus, combining the stories kept the readers informed and heightened the excitement. It always seems that we’re one step ahead of the murderers .
As Capote transitions from recounting the actions of Dick and Perry to the goings on of Holcomb, Kansas, he gives the reader interesting insight in the last lines of each section. As I looked at each one specifically, I noticed something that had not appeared to me before. In quite a few of the “last lines,” something happens that builds a small amount of sympathy for Perry. Many of them end with a direct quote from Perry in which he sounds reluctant or hesitant to continue with Dick’s diabolical plan. For example, on page 55, Perry goes into the bathroom of a service station outside of Garden City to nurse the excruciating pain in his legs. Dick waits for a few minutes, but eventually grows impatient and storms into the bathroom, yelling at Perry to come out. Capote describes the pain in Perry’s legs as so strong that it “made him perspire.” After wiping his face with a paper towel, Perry says, “O.K. Let’s go.” This statement sounds almost reluctant. It makes Dick seem as though he is manipulating Perry into helping him kill the Clutters. It is ironic that so many of the “last lines” are devoted to creating sympathy for Perry because, as we discover later in the novel, Perry murdered the entire Clutter family single handedly. Perry is just as despicable, if not more so, than Dick, but Capote insists on faintly evoking sympathy for Perry in the reader. In my opinion, one of the more important “last lines” appears on page 174. In this scene, Dick and Perry were hitchhiking and had planned to kill the driver who picked them up in order to steal his car. As the moment when Perry was supposed to strike his victim drew near, another hitchhiker appeared on the side of the road. Perry described this event as a “goddam miracle.” Although Capote never blatantly says it, it is clear from the passage that Perry did not want to kill the driver. This instance evokes even more sympathy by forcing the reader to see Perry in a situation where does not want to kill. The cold irony is that Perry was very willing to kill; he proved it when he murdered the Clutters.
ReplyDeleteAfter looking at around ten or so ending paragraphs of the sections, I have found some similarities. The passage will almost always end with Dick or Perry speaking. It also usually will end with some type of foreshadowing that will indicate the next step in Dick and Perry’s adventures. When the passage is ending, most is said rather bluntly, meaning there is little variation in the emotion between the characters or the author.
ReplyDeleteI will first include examples and then discuss their importance. I tried to locate relatable quotes from different sections in the book. My first set is in The Last To See Them Alive. This section can be found on page 55 where (note at this point the reader doesn’t know this yet) Perry and Dick have just killed the Clutter family. Perry, feeling sick, has locked himself in the washroom. Dick shows anger in his speech, and Perry is visibly shaken from the crime they have just committed. The two murderers are angrily talking, something completely normal, as even though they are best friends, they are quick and direct to the point, even if that means snapping. Dick appears rather heartless in this scene. The final sentence shows them leaving but does not tell where they are going.
My second example is located on page 195. In this section, the two men are on the run and have returned to the hometown. Perry, who is doing laundry, realizes that Dick rather late picking him up. Perry begins to worry, and even feel sick when he imagines many horrible potential situations, such as the police picking Dick up. Dick jovially pulls up next to him and kids around with Perry. As the passage comes to a close the reader learns of Dick newest low, to “rob a buddy.” This passage ends with the men scheming to how they will earn (steal, cheat, and lie that is) money and where they will travel to next.
In both of these examples, as well as in different passages, Dick is commonly addressing Perry. Dick’s tone varies, but his purpose, to manipulate Perry, is the same. In both examples, after pushing Perry too far, Dick attempts to reconcile, explicitly by trying to direct the focus onto their next adventure. This is helpful to the reader though, as the end of these passages prove to hold some of the best foreshadowing hints. The first shows, although less revealing about their next steps, them leaving a gas station rather hurriedly, pointing towards their guilt in the upcoming scene of the locals discovering the recently murdered Clutter family. The second tells that they will be spending Christmas in Florida, after “hitting” several places on the way there.
The first and possibly most poignant pair of "last lines" are on pages 12 and 13. These last lines start with Mr. Clutter encountering some pheasant hunters. Although this men were armed on private property, Mr. Clutter had no problem with allowing them to freely roam across his land, bagging as many pheasant as they pleased. This is very ironic in that that very night men would venture on his land armed in the same way with a shotgun. Mr. Clutter's willingness to let the men hunt shows the lack of danger and feeling of security he had. It is ironic that such a slaughter would occur in an environment that seemed so tranquil and peaceful to its inhabitants. Then Capote foreshadows the death of Mr. Clutter by saying he was "unaware that [this day] would be his last". This device creates great suspense and hints to the reader what is sure to come. On the next page, introducing Perry Smith, Capote comments that "Like Mr. Clutter, the young man... never drank coffee." Let it also be pointed out that Perry smokes, while it is beginning to seem like Mr. Clutter has began to partake in the use of tobacco. Why does he relate the two men together with this statement? Something about this statement relating the killer and the victim is interesting.
ReplyDeleteAnother interesting sequence "last lines" is present on page 22. While Nancy is talking to her friend, she was about to explain that she thought her father was smoking. It's interesting that she didn't get it out because that would prove to be her last conversation with Susan. As the scene shifts to Perry getting into Dick's car, among a guitar and other things, Dick had a shotgun in the backseat. Ironically, pheasants are "etched into the stock", and like the hunters, the men would trespass on the Clutter property, but with a different motive.
The poignant closings of the brief glimpses into the perspectives of either the chaotic, capricious lives of Dick and Perry or the kindhearted and simple souls Holcomb, Kansas who are involved with or fear the Clutter tragedy, are are strong sentences that both highlight what happened in the preceding section but also often leaves hints in what is to come. Each ending is both unique and similar in that though they're bringing a section to a close, they're also leaving something lingering to be finished later.
ReplyDeleteNumerous last lines throughout the novel were memorable and imperative to the progression of the plot, however there were a couple to me that were particularly striking, and both in the first half of the book. On page 74, there is a significant ending to a short yet important passage: regarding to Dick's father being surprised at his sleepiness, it reads, "But, of course, he did not understand how very tired Dick was, did not know that his dozing son had, among other things, driven other eight hundred miles in the past twenty-four hours." This passage takes place at Dick's parents' house the very same evening of his murdering of the Clutter family. The mere fact that Dick can comfortably sit down for a nice meal with his parents with the knowledge that he had just conducted a family massacre is striking and says a lot about what kind of person Dick is and his morals. The last line, though seemingly innocent in speaking of the number of miles he has driven in a short period of time, in reality is a heavy one dripping with fault and blood. Though one would think that the murder, or the "other things" mentioned in the sentence, would be the primary source of exhaustion, Capote takes Dick's shamelessness further by putting the focus primarily on the driving, and implying the other activities along the way.
On page 117, Mrs. Ashida, who just announced on the previous page that she and her family and are moving to Nebraska, is expressing her undying admiration for Mr. Clutter and how his death promulgated her decision to leave. She's apparently still in a state of disbelief and awe that the murder could happen and especially, of all people, to Herb Clutter who she spoke with just hours before his tragic fate. In the final line of the passage Mrs. Ashida states, "'Funny, but yhou know, Bess, I'll bet he wasn't afraid. I mean, however it happened, I'll bet right up to the last he didn't believe it would. Because it couldn't. Not to him." This statement of incredulity undoubtedly represents the feelings of the entire population of Finney County by displaying that he is the least likely person to have been murdered due to his impeccable good nature, true hard work, and kindness, in turn causing the reality of the murder to be all the more terrifying, suspicious, utterly immoral, and also leaving the reader to really wonder why it is that Dick and Perry went through with it.
Throughout the novel, the author aims to evoke an emotional reaction from the reader in response to the intricately crafted last lines of each section. For example, in the book’s opening pages, Capote often uses the chapters’ conclusions to establish a connection between the dueling narratives, heightening the novel’s suspense, thereby imparting the reader with a sense of foreboding. The author continues to employ this technique in the story’s later sections, shifting focus from the Clutters to the town of Holcombe once the family is murdered. Inciting pathos on behalf of those affected by the crime, Capote aptly accomplishes his poignant objective by means of the diction and tone utilized in each passage’s final lines.
ReplyDeletePerhaps the novel’s most haunting last line, the hymn found on pg. 48 elicits intense emotion in the reader and amplifies the story’s tension when paired with the first sentences of the next passage. A section ironically outlining Mr. Clutter’s fateful purchase of life insurance concludes with the lyrics of “In the Garden,” a well-known religious song detailing one’s experience in heaven. The subsequent section, following Dick and Perry’s advance to the Clutter home, begins with the musically inclined Perry strumming a similar tune. The fact that the narratives of the killers and their imminent victims depict parallel subjects increases the reader’s apprehension as we wait for the crime to be committed. Furthermore, the psalm that signals the conclusion of the Clutter’s chapter emphasizes the family’s purity, educing sympathy from the reader for the fate we know will soon befall the Clutters.
Similarly, the last line of a section concluding on pg. 123 arouses confusion and intrigue within the reader, emotions crucial in the reading of an effective thriller. Because the reader is already well acquainted with those guilty of the Clutter murders, the discovery made in the chapter of a suspect seemingly culpable for the same crime is a baffling one. When the excerpt ends suddenly with the revelation that the suspicious party is in possession of the murder weapons, we are left on the edge of our seats, curious as to why the man is carrying these weapons and doubting the liability of Dick and Perry. The feelings brought about by these final sentences signify Capote’s mastery of the emotion-evoking technique.
Another notable last line can be found on pg. 198. Upon hearing the news that Dick and Perry are nearby, Agent Dewey laments the unlikelihood that the elusive criminals will ever be apprehended. This section ends with a sentence reflecting Dewey’s resignation that the pair will remain at large forever: “They were invulnerable.” The bluntness of this statement mirrors the despondency that the investigator is experiencing, the phrase echoing forlornly in the reader’s mind at the passage’s close. The terse diction underscores the investigator’s desperation to arrest the men responsible for terrorizing the town of Holcombe and conveys a quiet sadness also present in Agent Dewey’s outlook.
The last lines of the Dick and Perry narratives can arguably be seen as the most important in their story. They play two significant roles. The first is that the lines almost always drive the plot forward. They include some tidbit that makes the interested in continuing the story. Secondly, they are presented so that, in a way, they seem to be the most important of that section. The last lines posses similar qualities throughout, such as a dialogue is usually included from either Dick or Perry, recount the criminals’ recent movements, and often a hint is presented as to what will happen next.
ReplyDeleteA first example can be seen on page 195. In this Dick and Perry had just robbed some of their old acquaintances in a last bad check scheme. At the end of the passage Dick discusses “Christmas in Florida”. This foreshadows their movement to Miami, one that took place right when the police had been hot on their trail in Kansas. This suggestion is interesting because it makes the reader interested in the criminals’ next step, for if they do escape from Kansas it would be extremely difficult. The passage also summarized their recent movements throughout the city, and included all of the other elements common to a “last line” section. This section is extremely important for it allows the reader to know that they would soon again be on the run, right after the police had finally gotten close to capturing the criminals.
On page 215 a second example occurs. The police finally spot Dick and Perry, and the patrol car casually pulls up next to the criminals. Their exact final movements throughout the city were also provided in tremendous detail. Dick once again speaks during this final line, simply asking Perry if they were in the correct place. It didn’t matter, though for they were soon to be arrested. In a way they were definitely not in the “right” place, for they were about to be caught. These lines are extremely important for throughout the novel we had been tracking the criminals, and at last we know their capture is imminent. They are within sight of the officers, and it would be nearly impossible for them to evade the law again.
Overall, the last lines of the narratives show an apt description of what is to come. They have many similarities, and often contain many of the same aspects, such as dialogue or foreshadowing. Capote may have employed this technique to keep his readers interested as to what was going to happen the next time the Dick and Perry narrative convened.
Through out the book some of the most important information is saved for the end of the chapter leaving the reader with some foreshadowing or a cliff hanger edging the captive audience to dive into the next chapter with as much if not more vigor than before.
ReplyDeleteOn page 48 some of the last lines of the previous chapter said by Mr. Johnson to Mr. Clutter are "Why Herb, You are a young man. Forty-eight. And from the looks of you, from what the medical report tells us, we're likely to have you around a couple weeks more." Until recently I had not realized the uncanny foreshadowing from the sneaky Capote. The statement is well hidden in a conversation between Mr. Johnson and Mr. Clutter in which they are discussing what would happen if Mr. Clutter would die, and who would receive the deeds to his property. The irony emanates from Mr. Johnson's words because the two men had no inkling Herb Clutter in fact had much less than a few weeks to live. The irony increases when in the beginning of the next chapter we see Dick and Perry "doing a steady sixty mile an hour" towards the Clutter home.
The second last line on page 198 states "They were invulnerable." Prior to this quote said by the beaten Agent Dewey, the Agent gets a call informing him of Dick and Perry being so tauntingly close. In fact the officer who calls says they are in Kansas city. After the initial celebration of discovering the criminals Agent Dewey silently reflects on the likelihood of catching the two men his life has revolved around for countless day, weeks, and months. It ends with Dewey beaten and defeated and accepting the fact that his two criminals would remain elusive to his grasp. The terse sentence reflects upon his depletion of vigor. "They were invulnerable."
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ReplyDeleteLast lines can be some of the most powerful parts of books. They can be the most memorable and are often the last chance for an author to get his message across to the reader. The style of how this book is told (dual perceptively told) lends itself to more opportunities for “last lines” than in many other books. Obviously, a great author like Capote will capitalize on these boundless opportunities, and for the most part he did even hindered by the restraints of this being a nonfiction book (which obviously crippled his creative license). However, boundless last lines presented can abate their effect just because there are so many (quantity over quality), but as discussed in the previous “transitions” blog, Capote is a master at linking the two stories, which does enhance the effect of his last lines. Personally, I don’t think the last lines are as good as everyone is making them out to be, they are good, but going through marks made in my book, I found many more powerful lines in the middle of chapters and paragraphs than the last lines.
DeleteI noticed that as Capote transitioned from the scenes with the murders to Holcome, he tended to end on a note that left the reader desperately wondering what is to come. This is obviously an effect any author is striving to create: to grasp the reader’s attention and refuse to let it go. One way he did this was by ending on a quote. Many times the quote would be a character signifying their readiness to begin something; for example: “Sorry, Susie. I’ve got to go. Mrs. Katz is here,” “Scrubbed, combed, as tidy as two dudes setting off on a double date, they went out to the car,” “Okay, let’s go,” and “Presently, the car crept forward.” Using these phrases created an interesting effect as they very clearly propelled the plot forward and established a sense of constant action; it was as though the events leading up to the murder of the Clutter family were all rushed.
ReplyDeleteOne “last line” that caught my eye is found on page 46. Here Perry and Dick debate whether or not to ask nuns for their black stockings, a debate that results in the pair leaving empty handed with Perry finally remarking “Maybe it’s just as well. Nuns are a bad-luck bunch.” I found this an interesting quote as it reveals a lot about Perry’s superstitious ways while at the same time showing him as having keen common sense. Though I am not condoning their actions, if I were to commit a crime I would have thought along the same lines as Perry; finding a mask would be on the top of my priorities. The fact that they didn’t attempt to hide their identities comes back later in the novel during the court processions which proves that Perry was right to have worried about the stocking masks. Capote added this detail to again establish Perry as the victimized innocence snagged into the crime of the decade.
The ending lines of each section served to interweave the two differently toned storylines. The quiet and calm setting of Holcomb is contrasted with the deviant and rushed nature of the dialogue between the two killers.
ReplyDeleteOn page 13 the first transition ends with the ominous words “, he headed for home and the day’s work, unaware that it would be his last.’’ These are the first lines that hint at what lie ahead. It changes swiftly from the tone of a sleepy little town to the tone of a murder scene. This juxtaposition is a jolt to the reader that grabs our attention.
Throughout the other ending lines they all seem to be dialogue between Dick and Perry, this may be building sympathy toward the killers but I don’t believe so. I believe that the usual conversations, like the thing about the socks, show the chilling capabilities of man. The conversations turn the unstoppable murderers we have imagined in our mind into just a couple of regular guys with misguided motivations.
Each "last line" ends the chapter usually foreshadowing some event or leaving the reader on the edge of his seat.
ReplyDeleteI believe the most important "last lines of the novel are on page 12. Capote foreshadows the way the two killers enter Mr. Clutter's land. The two supposedly were going pheasant hunting and ended up killing the Clutters. The willingness of Mr. Clutter to allowed armed men to hunt on his property shows that Mr. Clutter feels safe on his own property and is unawares that his killers would enter his property in the same way. Capote then adds suspense to the novel by telling the reader that Mr. Clutter was "unaware that [this day] would be his last".
Capote again uses foreshadowing on page 48, "Why Herb, You are a young man. Forty-eight. And from the looks of you, from what the medical report tells us, we're likely to have you around a couple weeks more." Little did Mr. Clutter nor the doctor that Mr. Clutter was very close to death.
I believe that the "last lines" that are conversation between Dick and Perry serve to add a human aspect to the novel, like Max said. Sometimes throughout the novel I need not think of Dick and Perry as normal people, but as a couple of crazy guys that are not mentally stable, putting a distinction between the two. The "last lines" served to remind me that even though they are indeed mentally unstable, they are still people that talk to a friend just like I do with my friends.
ReplyDeleteLike a few other people, I liked the first "last lines" on page 13. It serves to foreshadow the tragedy of the Clutter family and encourages the reader to read on and find out what exactly happens.
Capote wanted the story to flow smoothly even though he was using two different stories: The story of the clutters and the story of Perry and Dick. He did this by rotating to both point of view and connecting them by the last and first lines of the stories. An example, “ Arthur Clutter, a brother of the deceased, who, while talking to journalist in the lobby of a Garden City hotel on November 17, had said, “ When this is cleared up, I’ll wager whoever did it is someone within ten miles of where we stand now.” Approximately Four Hundred Miles east of where Arthur Clutter then stood” He joined the two stories by playing off Arthur’s words. This helps the reader transition into the other story smoothly without thinking about what a nuisance having to switch between the stories are. The reader is seeing what the characters can’t. Arthur and the town’s folk believe the murderers are near but we, the reader, know that the culprits are far away. Another way to connect the stories is foretelling by an event that happens. Before Mrs. Clutter goes to sleep she opens the bible and reads” Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when time is.” A foreshadow to what is to come. When the police were looking for the culprits, the readers knew how close on the trail they were and how sneaky they were about bringing Perry and Dick in with False pretenses. Thus, combining the stories kept the readers informed and heightened the excitement. It always seems that we’re one step ahead of the murderers .
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