Sunday, March 6, 2011

Syntax

"The Garden City representative of New York Life Insurance smiled as he watched Mr. Clutter uncap a Parker pen and open a checkbook" (46). Versus, "Among Garden City's animals are two gray tomcats who are always together--thin, dirty strays with strange and clever habits" (246). 


It is apparent that Capote switches from the past tense to the present tense during section III, The Answer. This syntactical move helps the reader see that Capote is revealing the climax of the novel. This volta is effective in emphasizing the importance of this chapter. The chapter is called the answer due to the fact that Perry and Dick finally reveal their wrongdoings and intentions along with all of the long awaited details. 


"The furniture of the den, a cement-floored room that ran the length of the house, consisted almost entirely of examples of his carpentry (shelves, tables, stools, a ping-pong table) and Nancy's needlework (chintz slip covers that rejuvenated a decrepit couch, curtain, pillows bearing legends: Happy? and You Don't Have To Be Crazy To Live Here But It Helps)" (38). 


In this passage, Capote utilizes parenthetical phrases in order to better develop his characters' behaviors or lifestyles. This interesting sentence structure brings outside information that is not necessarily needed, but it adds somewhat of a humorous tone. The development of the Clutters is vital due to the fact that the entire novel revolves around their murder. The reader can sympathize for this family by learning that they are of a kind nature and were not deserving of their tragic deaths. 


"And myself... In Juneau, my father as making bootleg hooch" (273). 


Within Perry's letter of confessions, he went off to describe himself as who truly was. Within the letter, his use of ellipses displays the doubt and hesitation in his thought process. He did not feel comfortable revealing that not only he, Perry, engaged in illegal activities, but his father did as well. It also shows pain due to the fact that Perry lost most of his family at a young age. 


"Gone. And Bonnie, too." (121).


These telegraphic sentences serve the purpose of creating a sad, depressing tone. Bonnie Clutter was a mother who was killed by Perry and Dick. This frankness on Capote's part hits the reader hard. We immediately feel worry which is what the author was trying to achieve. 

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