Rhetorical Strategies

Blog Topic #1 Rhetorical Strategies

“Institutional dourness and cheerful domesticity coexist on the fourth floor of the Finney County Courthouse” (251).

This paradox is one of many of Capote’s prime examples of irony. The county jail and the Sheriff’s Residence account for the coexistence. However, a jail cell and a law enforcement center would, without a doubt, be a cause for tension. Capote uses irony all throughout the book which underplays the severity of the murder of the Clutter family. Often, he describes something as beautiful but is found to be shrouded in darkness.

“Confined as he was by the M’Naghten Rule” (298).

To develop ethos, Capote includes many of the formalities found in law. This gives him credibility and adds to his sophistication. Capote creates a formal style in which he uses a variety of sources to further his observations such as including “The American Journal of Psychiatry” (298). Capote truly wants to be taken as a serious observer, tantalizing every detail available to him. This style led to the entitlement of a ‘true crime’ non-fiction book.

“The depot itself, with its peeling sulphur-colored paint, is equally melancholy…Up on the highway, there are two filling stations, one of which doubles as a meagerly supplied grocery store, while the other does extra duty as a café–Hartman’s Café, where Mrs. Hartman, the proprietress, dispenses sandwiches, coffee, soft drinks, and 3.2 beer” (4).

Again, Capote seeks to act professional and keep that crime mentality. The picturesque imagery also serves to make the murder all that more grotesque and horrible. Capote commonly incorporates the scene in his book often remarking the natural beauty and the sometimes frightening serenity.