The famous novelist Truman Capote, in his non-fiction book, In Cold Blood, recounts the murders of the Clutter family committed by Perry Smith and Dick Hickok. Although this book is considered nonfiction, over the years critics have questioned the authenticity of Capote's story. Specifically, in two segments of text found on pages 107-113, Capote compares the two characters as they recount the same day from each of their perspectives. He manages to distort the reader's perception of the two main characters to support his personal opinions about them. The positioning and distortion of the juxtaposed texts allows Capote to manipulate his readers into seeing Hickock and Smith as he intends them to be perceived. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Capote confronts Smith's harsh upbringing throughout the book. By highlighting the tribulations faced by Smith, Capote appeals to the sympathetic emotions of his readers. “It was 'painful' to imagine that one might be 'not quite right,' particularly if whatever was wrong was not your fault, but 'maybe something you were born with'” (Capete 110). It is undoubtedly Capote's own interjections that lead the audience to associate Smith's actions with his family and his childhood experiences. The quotation marks indicate that he was quoting Smith directly, while the other words may have been mixed in with his thoughts. Capote continues to appeal to the emotions of his readers by deliberately breaking the fourth wall by directly addressing the readers and Smith in this text, allowing them to connect directly with Smith. Capote not only conveys his thoughts to the reader, but also to Smith. This effectively strengthens the narrative voice and personal connection one feels with Smith. He claims guilt for Smith's current lifestyle during his childhood, referring to his sister and alcoholic mother who had both committed suicide: “Look at his family! Look what happened there!” (110). Capote continues to make his interjections rather than purely narrating the scene. The reader becomes aware of this and unconsciously agrees with Capote. This tactic continues to arouse the sympathy of his readers. In contrast, Hickock is not portrayed as someone who suffered as a child. The immediate contrast between these two characters allows Capote to evoke compassion in readers and make them understand Smith's actions. Dick repeatedly expresses his normality, stating, “I'm a normal” (108). His statements convince readers that he is normal compared to Smith and has not experienced tribulations that caused his actions. “And Dick meant what he said. He thought he was as balanced and sane as anyone else” (108). Capote intervenes again, expressing his opinion on Hickock, which is clearly different from that of Smith. As a reader, one's opinion typically coincides with that of the author due to his use of rhetorical strategies. Capote's interjections force the reader to become attached to Smith, while disconnecting from Hickock. These two contrasting characters contribute to Capote's intention for readers to sympathize with Smith. There is no logic behind Hickock's actions, but Capote implies a direct correlation between Smith's childhood and his current behavior. In each segment, both characters tell Smith's story about killing King, who was "a nigger" (109) who was Smith's friend. Each point of view allows readers to understand the story from each perspective and how the character's personality develops. Dick remembers the.