Truman Capote Nonfiction Essay

Truman Capote is credited with originating the “nonfiction novel” with In Cold Blood. Nonfiction is defined as “writing that is about facts or real events” (Merriam-Webster). Capote was the first person to write a novel with it being nonfiction. He based the whole novel on true facts and real events occurring in Holcomb Kansas. An interview done with Capote revealed, “the decision was based on a theory I’ve harbored since I first began to write professionally, which is well over 20 years ago. It seemed to me that journalism, reportage, could be forced to yield a serious new art form: the ‘nonfiction novel’” (Ny Times). Capote wanted to take reporting and journalism to the next level and create a new form of writing. He struggled to figure
He is best known as a French poet during the middle ages. Villon wrote about many of his experiences and problems with the law and his criminal behavior. Truman Capote borrows the four lines from Francois Villon’s poem, “Ballade des pendus” which translates to “Ballad of the Hanged Man”. In the epigraph the four lines translate to, “Brothers, men who live after us, Let no your hearts be hardened against us, Because, if you have pity for us poor men, God will have more mercy toward you” (Pop Matters). Another translation of the epigraph is, “Men my brothers who live after us, have your hearts not hardened against us. For, if on poor us you take pity, God will sooner show you mercy.” (Shmoop). Out of these two translations, I prefer the second one. Both translations are very similar but yet different. The second translation is easier to read and easier to comprehend. When I read the second it made more sense of why Capote specifically chose these for lines. This specific poem relates to men being hanged like Dick and Perry. It makes the reader question if the death penalty is justified for what they did. Using these four lines creates suspense for the reader of what might happen in the