



Some critics argue that her views change the meaning of the novels. Rowling’s Harry Potter books in light of her political views. In recent years, many fans have criticized J.K. For more on this “The Death of the Author” theory, watch the video below. French literary theorist Roland Barthes said that “text” can only speak for itself and that the thoughts and feelings of the author should have no impact on its merit. So, for us to say their testimonies are veracious would be irresponsible, considering the context through which it was written.Įlsewhere, critics argue that we can only judge a piece of art based on the merit of the art itself, not the context it was created in. Their testimony is admitted in the novel, but filtered by Capote. The two convicted murderers in the novel, Perry Smith and Dick Hickock, were interviewed by Capote through the writing process. Capote started writing about the murders in earnest before expanding his research into a full-fledged novel - the end result speaks for itself - not only is Capote’s prose considered some of the greatest of all-time, but it also pioneered true-crime writing.īut when In Cold Blood is viewed through the context of the man who wrote it, the setting it took place in, and the precedence of its writing, the meaning is liable to change. In Cold Blood is an investigative novel about the murder of a family of four in Holcomb, Kansas. Take Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood for example: when we learn of the circumstances outside of the subject matter, it’s impossible for us to feel the same way about the story. Non-narrative context is everything outside the story that influences our thoughts and opinions on the subject matter. But it’s important that we also consider how information outside of the narrative may influence our feelings on the story. In a sense, out of context moments have become a type of humor in and of themselves.
