Documentary

http://youtu.be/gtV4LWnc8uw

Varying Diction

Garner (p. 143): gather or collect.

 

Fester (p. 143): (of a negative feeling or a problem) intensify, especially through neglect.

 

Prognosis (p. 145): a forecast, especially of the likely course of a disease or ailment.

Prerogative (p. 147): a right or privilege exclusive to a particular individual or class.

Acquiesce (p. 147): accept or consent to something without protest.

Stout (p. 149): rather fat or heavily built.

Ascetic (p. 149): characterized by the practice of severe self-discipline.

Quarry (p. 150): a person or thing being chased or sought.

Rascal (p. 151): a mischievous or impudent person, especially a child.

Forlornly (p. 153): pitifully sad and lonely.

Studying Perry’s Past

            Capote returns to talking about Perry and Dick, the two first suspects of the murder. However, he does not talk about their present situation or their whereabouts. Instead, he begins to describe Perry’s past in a very organized and precise manner. Capote depicts the main characteristics of Perry’s life that probably led to make the actions he might have committed. This is exemplified when the narrator explains, “The other children were put in homes as I could not manage to take them all in my home and them being part indian blood and welfare took care of them as I requested” (Capote 127). I realized Perry had a very difficult life and this probably affected his way of thinking. I found it very interesting to see the detail in which Perry’s father descried his son. It seemed as if he had been there for him his entire life and had never left him. Also, Perry did appreciate this manuscript as he thought it was the only valuable thing his father had actually done for him.

            Perry’s experience in jail affected every single member of his family, from his father to his siblings and their families. It is impressive to see the way in which Perry talked in a harmful way about his father. This is evidenced in the letter written to Perry while he was in jail saying the following: “Dad has lived & you show ignorance in calling him uneducated and unable to understand ´the scientific meaning etc´ of life’s problems” (Capote 141). Even though his father had always loved him and cared a lot for him, Perry never actually valued him and felt him close. On the other hand, he felt very close to Willie-Jay, a man who he met in jail and wrote some critics and analyzed the letter from his father. Perry value more a person who he just met and did not know him nearly as much as his father than his father who had given him all his attention throughout most of his life. Although this way another sharp change in style in the book, I believe it was completely necessary, since knowing some background information about the characters allows the reader to understand the actions in the literary present.

A Hurt City and Sudden Changes

             After Reading the next portion of In Cold Blood, it is important to highlight that Capote spends a lot of time describing the consequences of the murders and how they impacted the community. The death of the Clutters not only affected the close friends of the family, but the entire town. The whole neighborhood had changed. The trust that reigned over that community had shattered, since they suspected the assassin was among them. A community that does not work together and trust each other will go nowhere and will experience no progress at all. Therefore, Garden City was doomed to live without any activity for quite a long period of time. To avoid this from happening, Mr. Howard Fox, Bonnie Clutter’s brother wrote, “The deed is done and taking another life cannot change it. Instead, let us forgive as God would have us do” (Capote 107). The people of the city probably believed Fox and started to return to live a normal life, but the fear still remained.

            I found it very interesting to observe how Capote kept us thinking all the way through that Perry and Dick were the murderers. Through their insights and their thoughts, I had no doubt that they were the murders. However, suddenly, another character, Jonathan Daniel Adrian, appears and is now considered the main suspect of the crime. This sudden shift in attention by the audience from Perry and Dick to Adrian also causes a total shift in focus by the book. The narrative reaches a point of very high suspense when the narrator states, “Because, inside the car, what they’d found was a .12-gauge shotgun. And a hunting knife” (Capote 123). This has to be the killer! However, I am now more hesitant to take this fact for certain since last time I took such a stance I was proved wrong. The authorities have solid clues now that are expected to lead them to the criminal(s). 

 

 

The Other Side of the Story

             After thoroughly describing the whole Clutter family and their relationships both among them and with their community, Capote now turns to describe the other face of the event. This occurs in a very sudden manner. It is a jump from one extreme to the other. I found it very surprising to see the instant change of location and atmosphere when the narrator states, “Approximately four hundred miles east of where Arthur Clutter then stood, two young men were sharing a booth in Eagle Buffet, a Kansas City diner” (p. 89). At first, this seems like a random comment, but further on in the reading, I could connect several points. First, it is important to highlight that Capote introduces Arthur Clutter, at least in this part of the book, in order to link what he said about the murderers being very close to where they were standing and the story of the murderers. He does this in a way which is very sudden and unexpected by the reader, but at the same time it still is connected to the trajectory of the book.

            As I kept on reading, I learned through Capote’s detailed descriptions about the two murderers and their chains of thought. I found it impressive to observe can give such a great amount of information in only a sentence. For example, when Perry says, “Anyway, I don’t believe it. Neither do you. Own up, Dick. Be honest. You don’t believe this no-clue stuff?” (p. 89). Here, one can see that Perry is the dominant individual of the two. He assumes and almost forces Dick to think the same as he does. Also, I can infer that they are both very nervous about being caught, but are trying to disguise this anxiety by reassuring each other that the police of the town is not that intelligent in order to find out it was them. However, the main question still remains unanswered: Why were the Clutters murdered? Hopefully, with the opposite perspective of the murderers some clues will be given out.

 

   

Don Juan: A Rhetorical Masterpiece

                Yesterday I went to see the play Don Juan in school. I did not know what to expect, since I had never heard of it and was not familiarized with it. It turned out to be a great performance with very good actors and props. I truly enjoyed it and laughed a lot all throughout it. In addition to the entertainment the play provided, it is also very important to analyze the rhetoric behind the play. I found it very interesting to observe how most of the characters manipulated pathos in the audience. For example, the people at the Mexican beach, through their gestures and facial expressions, demonstrated their disgust toward the excited lifeguard. Also, the woman with the baby in the beach demonstrated her emotions of frustration toward Don Juan in a way that she transmitted the feelings to the audience and manipulated their emotions. Finally, Don Juan’s servants portrayed fear and lack of bravery on several occasions.

            Ethos was another one of the modes of rhetoric manipulated throughout the play. Don Juan’s mother from the very beginning established her character as an authoritarian and furious person. This allowed her to set her stance and to transmit her lines in a way that the audience would realize the certainty and directness with which she delivered her arguments. On the other hand, Don Juan’s servant established his character as a rather fearful and humble individual. This contributed to enhancing his character not only through his lines, but through his personality. It was impressive to see the last scene of the play, where Don Juan was devoured by all of the people he had dealt with. This might show how you are responsible for all your actions and sometime you will pay for all that you have done.