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In Cold Blood Theme Essay

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In Cold Blood Theme Essay
In Truman Capote’s, “In Cold Blood”, the theme of an “American Dream” is promoted by the settings in the book. As displayed in the book, the two factors, the American dream and setting, intertwine; revealing a more deeper connection. The American dream is fragile and with the introduction of different settings throughout the book, it is evident on how it can be impossible to reach under difficult circumstances.

Agent Dewey fantasizes about one day living his version of the American dream. “Dewey was fifty-one, four years older than when he supervised the Clutter investigation… The dream of settling on his farm had not come true, for his wife’s fear of living in that sort of isolation has never lessened.” (pg. 341) He had plan to live on
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“Without exception, Garden Citians deny that population of the town can be socially graded… but of course, class distinctives are clearly observed, and as clearly observable, as in any other human hive.” (pg. 34) The city can be easily observed as segregated by social class by any outsider. In other words, Garden City represents the obliteration of the American dream. Holcomb is a sparsely populated town in Kansas, which renders the fact that everyone is familiar with one another. The text states, “This hitherto peaceful congregation of neighbors and old friends had suddenly to endure the unique experience of distrusting each other understandably, they believed that the murderer was among themselves.” (pg. 88) After the murder of the Clutters, old neighbors started distrusting one another, leading to paranoia which spoiled the American dream. If the murder would have happen in another place more densely populated, there would have been a better chance of the survival of the American dream.

The backdrops in “In Cold Blood” is interconnected with the theme of the fragile American dream. The time and place where an event occurs can easily alter one’s aspirations. The book reveals the prominent fact that once one is affected by this “outside force”, it can be impossible to experience what we hold

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