As you are reading you already know the outcome of the novel. How does Capote still build suspense for his reader?
In the story In Cold Blood, by Truman Capote, the audience is already aware that a murder will occur. It is likely that a reader is already aware that a murder will take place, as this story is based off of a nonfictional murder that actually occurred in Holcomb, Kansas. Even if a reader did not have this prior knowledge, he/ she would probably assume that a murder will take place in the book as its title is very suggestive. However, although many readers already anticipate a murder in this story, Capote does an excellent job with building suspense for his readers. He is able to effectively build suspense through the strong usage of imagery and juxtaposition in the opening passages, as well as an anticipating tone throughout the book.
Capote’s usage of imagery throughout his story helps captivate his audience, and build the suspense. By providing detailed information about the murder scene and the characters involved in it, Capote is able to hint at the different aspects that help contribute to the eventual tragedy. For instance, in the beginning of the book Capote portrays Holcomb- the location of the murder- as isolated and abandoned. Capote begins his book by stating: “The village of Holcomb stands on the high wheat plains of western Kansas, a lonesome area that other Kansans call ‘out there’.” Just by reading this, the audience already views Kansas as a sort of ghost town- abandoned and isolated, a good setting for a crime scene. Capote continues to build the suspense as he makes Holcomb’s condition seem even worse: “ “At one end of the town stands a stark old stucco structure, the roof of which supports an electric sign- dance- but the dancing has ceased and the advertisement has been dark for several years.” By using adjectives such as “stark”, “old”, and “dark” to describe the building, Capote does a thorough job in depicting a run down building. Also by stating that the dancing has ceased, a reader immediately comes to the conclusion that this town no longer thrives like it used to.
The suspense surrounding the crime scene builds as Capote contrasts the original depiction of Holcomb, as an abandoned an isolated town, with a different depiction of Holcomb. He claims that although Holcomb is a small town and is isolated, it is still prosperous. Apparently there are good educational programs in Holcomb and many opportunities for farmers to thrive. According to Capote: “The farm ranchers in Finney county, of which Holocomb is a part, have done well: money has been made not from farming alone but also from the exploitation of plentiful natural-gas resources, and its acquisition is reflected in the new school, the comfortable interiors of the farmhouses, the steep and swollen grain elevators.” Through this statement, readers get an entirely different view of the Holocomb that was described in the opening paragraphs of the book. By describing the grain elevators as “steep and swollen” and the natural resources as “plentiful”, Capote depicts Holcomb as a prosperous town. This tends to build suspense, as it strikes the reader’s curiosity and desire to learn why the author depicts the scene in both ways.
As the book continues, it becomes apparent what Capote’s intentions are for using juxtapositional techniques. Capote ultimately stages Holcomb as a small, yet prosperous town, that is relatively safe. A place where no one would suspect a crime scene to take place, as it has been abandoned by most people, and left to the farmers and their families- for the most part. Therefore, it is suspenseful when Capote suggests that a murder is about to take place. Capote builds the suspense, as he takes on an anticipating tone. For instance, in the beginning of the book Capote reveals: “At the time not a soul in sleeping Holcomb heard them- four shotgun blasts that, all told, ended six human lives.” After reading this, the audience generally wishes to learn more about this event, however Capote keeps the audience in suspense as he launches into the backgrounds of each of the characters involved in the story. But after introducing Mr. Clutter, Capote states: “Then, touching the brim of his cap, he headed for home and the day's work, unaware that it would be his last”. This builds the audience’s anticipation as they become more interested in what is able to take place. Ultimately, Capote is able to grab the audience’s interest by revealing information and building up to the climax of the story.
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