· English 221 – Survey of American Literature II · Grant T.
Smith, Ph. D. · Discussion Questions: In Cold Blood · John
Hellman, in “Postmodern Journalism,” claims that Americans have
private myths by which they make sense of their lives. How is
this true of the characters/families in In Cold Blood? If you do
not know the myths of the American Dream and the Garden of Eden,
do some research to become familiar with them. · According to
Hellman, postmodern journalists mirror the conventions of modern
journalism. The author is “invisible.” The author’s style is
“styleless.” The point of view is objective. Is this true of In
Cold Blood? Is the book journalism or is it literature? Would it
be a better text in a sociology class or a psychology class than
a literature class? If it is literature, what literary
conventions did you pick up on in the book? · Capote uses a
quote from Francois Villon as an epigraph for In Cold Blood. My
French isn’t great, but in essence the quote is about “brothers
in humanity” and it insi