Research On The Creation Of Truman Capote's Novels

The first Non-fiction Novel In Cold Blood was written by the famous contemporary American writer Truman Capote in the middle of 1960 s, which established Capote's status in literature. Throughout Capote's life, he has created many unique and meaningful novels with diverse themes. His five decade writing career can be roughly divided into four stages, which are discussed in details in the present dissertation, namely the early phase, the middle phase, the peak phase and the late phase. Based on a close reading of the text, the dissertation is aimed to make analysis of the characteristics of each phase focusing on the development and changes of Capote's writing in different theoretical perspectives, such as theory of Ethics,Psychology, Narratology, New Historicism Criticism, Consumerism, and so on.The dissertation consists of six parts, including a preface, a conclusion and the body with four chapters as the core of the research.The preface is divided into three sections. The first one is a presentation of Capote's life and his achievements, as well as the value and significance of the dissertation. Tidying of the researches on Capote in China and aboard is the task of the second section. The fact that there has been no dissertation on Capote yet in China reveals the importance and necessity of the study. The third section is an introduction to the reasons to choose this topic, the main ideas and the outline, together with the research methods and the innovations in this dissertation.The body of the dissertation includes four parallel chapters.Chapter One is the analysis of the characteristics of Capote's writing in the early phase(1940s) when Capote mainly wrote the Dark Novels. The characteristics of this phase are hunting for dreams in the dark and looking for self in the process of protagonist's growth. After a main introduction of the Dark Novels, it focuses on the common theme of the hunting for dreams in darkness in four Dark Novels which are all about the writing about New York. Then it makes an analysis of the theme of a Dark Novel Other Voices, Other Rooms which makes the research on the process ofprotagonist's growth, with Freud's theory of Personality Structure.Chapter Two is the analysis about the characteristics of Capote's writing in the middle phase(1950s) when Capote mainly wrote the Bright Novels. Capote's writing in this period shows a striking contrast to the previous one, which is featured with romantic and happy emotion. After a main introduction of the Bright Novels, the dissertation makes the analysis of one of the Bright Novels The Grass Harp, which is as a romantic song with the charming melody. Then it discusses another Bright Novel Breakfast at Tiffany's. The meaning of Holly's happiness is explained with the theory of Consumerism.Chapter Three is the analysis about the characteristics of Capote's writing in1960 s, the peak phase. The characteristics are finding the truth and writing about the cognition. The first part is the analysis about the main novel In Cold Blood, which is the first Non-fiction Novel. The true complex causes behind the murder should be emphasized from the content and narrative of In Cold Blood. The second part focuses on another children-theme-fiction A Christmas Memory with the theory of Cognitive Psychology, mainly in three aspects of Buddy's cognitive progress.Chapter Four is the analysis about the characteristics of Capote's writing in the late phase(1970s and 1980s). The characteristics of this phase are the challenging the upper class and displaying the customs and local conditions of places. In this phase,Capote continues his writing style of the Non-fiction in his major novels Answered Prayers and The Dogs Bark. It exposes the degradation of upper class, which is regarded as a challenge to the upper class in Answered Prayers with the theory of Ethics. Then it analyses how Non-fiction writing techniques are applied in The Dogs Bark.The conclusion argues the distinct characteristics of Capote's novels in the four phases. It points out that Capote is such a diversified writer that besides his main contribution to the Non-fiction Novels, he also writes other kinds of novels. His novels reflect his own experience in different phases and the social situation at that time. At the end of the dissertation, it is also highlighted what the value and the significance of the research and the potential research on Capote's novels in thefuture.