Diction:
· “This hitherto peaceful congregation of neighbors and old friends had suddenly to endure the unique experience of distrusting each other; understandably, they believed that the murderer was among themselves”(88).
After the murder occurred, the citizens of Holcomb held a congregation. The words peaceful congregation juxtaposes the word murderer. Opposites occur throughout this sentence. For example the words understandably and distrusting, peaceful and murderer juxtapose each other. This creates a tone of suspense and tension. The dull town of Holcomb is now losing its innocence and starting to gnaw at the residents’ minds. The residents are now becoming fearful of one another.
· “I didn’t want to harm the man. I thought he was a very nice gentleman. Soft-spoken. I thought so right up to the moment I cut his throat”(244).
As Perry recounts his murder, he notes that he never had a grudge against the family. Yet why did he kill them? He killed them because they represented the values he did not agree to. This sentence is ironic because although Perry thought “he was a very nice gentlemen” he still “cut his throat.” The two opposing mindsets are evident in this sentence; the mindset of a killer and the mindset of a average human being. Yet the fact that he killed the man creates a sense of horror and fear. This creates a tone of irony and horror.
I agree with your analysis of Capote's word choice in your first example listed above. Opposites can definitely be found throughout the sentence, which mirrors the tension being witnessed by the citizens of Holcomb. The words "murderer" and "old friend" exemplify this. However, you may want to include how the connotation and formality of the words also affect the atmosphere presented in the novel. Words like "suddenly," "distrustful," and "endure" all portray the suspenseful tone because the characters in the novel did not know what was going to happen next - same as the reader. These words, although simple, have a negative connotation. The simplicity of the words may also represent the beginning of the problems before they get worse later on.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, I disagree with your commentary regarding your second quote. I do not believe Perry committed the crime because "they represented the values he did not agree to" but rather, as the title suggest, he killed them in cold blood (without a motive). Also, although the sentence is ironic, you may want to focus on the specific word choice of the author (connotations, level of diction, etc...) and how those are the main components the author implements to develop the tone.