In Cold Blood by Truman Capote tells the story of the murder of a family in Kansas in the 1950s as a nonfiction novel or narrative journalism. The Wall Street Journal article undermines the novel, saying that Capote would not have been able to write the novel if it were not for his fruitful collaboration with detective Alvin Dewey and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. Even if the author portrayed the KBI in a slightly more favorable light than he might have otherwise done, I think the author gives a full picture with enough points of view to justify any minor subjectivity. The story takes the perspectives of the townspeople, criminals, family members, detectives and lawyers. Violence emerges out of nowhere -- two criminals murder four complete strangers, an entire family, in cold blood without a solid motive, seeking money but not finding it. However, the narrative begs the question: does violence really emerge out of nowhere? Do criminals seek to punish complete strangers for violence they had experienced in childhood? What is the cycle of violence in society? What are the psychological,
interpersonal, famililal, societal and environmental influences for
violence? Does capital punishment deter crime? Is capital punishment
justice or revenge? Life feels incredibly short and valuable.