Famous novelist Truman Capote, in his non-fiction book, In Cold Blood, recounts the Clutter family murders committed by Perry Smith and Dick Hickock. Although this book is considered nonfiction, critics have questioned the authenticity of Capote's story over the years. Specifically, in two segments of text found on pages 107-113, Capote contrasts the two characters as they narrate the same day from each of their perspectives. He manages to distort the reader's perception of the two main characters in order to support his personal opinions about them. The placement and distortion of juxtaposing texts allows Capote to manipulate his readers into seeing Hickock and Smith as he wishes them to be perceived. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Capote confronts Smith's difficult upbringing throughout the book. By emphasizing the tribulations that Smith faced, Capote appeals to the sympathetic emotions of his readers. "It was 'painful' to imagine that we could 'not be right' - especially if what was wrong was not our fault, but 'perhaps something we was born”” ​​(Capote 110). It is undoubtedly Capote's own interjections that lead the audience to associate Smith's actions with his family and childhood experiences. The quotation marks indicate that he was directly quoting Smith, while the other words may have been mixed with his own thoughts. Capote continues to appeal to his readers' emotions 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 reinforces the narrative voice and personal connection one feels with Smith. He claims guilt for Smith's current lifestyle as a child, 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 own interjections rather than simply narrating the scene. The reader becomes aware of this and unconsciously agrees with Capote. This tactic continues to arouse the sympathy of its readers. In contrast, Hickock is not portrayed as someone who suffered as a child. The immediate contrast between these two characters allows Capote to elicit compassion from readers and allow them to understand Smith's actions. Dick expresses his normalcy several times, stating, “'I'm a normal person” (108). His claims convince readers that he is ordinary compared to Smith and that he experienced no tribulation that caused his actions. “And Dick meant what he said. He believed himself to be as balanced and sane as anyone” (108). Capote intervenes again, expressing his opinion of Hickock, markedly different from Smith's. As a reader, one's opinion usually coincides with that of the author due to his or her use of rhetorical strategies. Capote's interjections force the reader to become attached to Smith, while disconnecting from Hickock. These two opposing characters contribute to Capote's intention that readers sympathize with Smith. There is no justification for Hickock's actions, but Capote implies a direct correlation between Smith's childhood and his current behavior. In each segment, the characters both tell Smith's story about the murder of King, who was "a negro" (109) friend of Smith. Every point of view.