Thursday, November 29, 2012

New Interpretations


On my last blog I was wondering on why Capote gave the family such a big importance. And then BANG and answer popped into my head. We all know that six people are going to die. So far we have the Clutter´s family that sum up to six doesn’t it? Right there we have a connection: the Clutter family is going to die. What Capote probably wants is for us to connect and to relate to the family. This way we will get attached to them and sympathy for them. At the same time, I believe, he wants us to realize on the little things that pass right through us on a daily basis. I look back to my life and I realize that I don’t appreciate the things that I have, I’m not always grateful for all I have. Capote made me realize this when he states, “Now, on this final day of her life, Mrs. Clutter hung in the closet the calico housedress she had been wearing, and put on one of her trailing nightgowns and a fresh set of white socks” (30). Right there he wants us to feel pity for her and at the same time have us reflect about life. How do we know we are going to wake up tomorrow morning? How do we know we are not going to get in a car accident? We don’t. We can’t predict the future and that’s probably what Capote wants to tell us so far. If Mrs. Clutter would have known she was going to die next morning, would she had lived her day differently? I’m pretty sure she would have.

As I was reading this book I couldn’t keep thinking about Amish Grace, a novel by Donald B. Kraybill, Steven M. Nolt, and David L. Weaver-Zercher that I read during the summer. It´s the story of a man that comes into a small school in Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania and kills five innocent young girls. Not only did he kill the girls, but later took away his own life. What’s interesting about this novel is that it starts right away with the shooting. The authors don’t want us to sympathy with the families, yet more important they want to tell us the role this incidents play in our society.
We can see that they both have a similar topic, just a different way of approaching to them. Can’t wait to finish In Cold Blood to be able to determine which tactic I prefer.

New vocabulary:
Reticent: not revealing one's thoughts or feelings readily.



Summon: authoritatively or urgently call on.



Ludicrous: so foolish, unreasonable, or out of place as to be amusing; ridiculous.



Pheasant: a large long-tailed game bird native to Asia, the male of which typically has very showy plumage.



Sheaf: a bundle of grain stalks laid lengthwise and tied together after reaping.



Protégé: person who is guided and supported by an older and more experienced or influential person.



Gewgaw: a showy thing, esp. one that is useless or worthless.



Despondency: a state of low spirits caused by loss of hope or courage.


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