The Clutter killings wreak havoc on the security of Holcomb, fragmenting the community and sowing the first seeds of doubt and suspicion.
“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.” pg. Here, also, Capote compares the landscape to that of ancient Greece, indicating that the story contained in these pages has larger significance as an examination of timeless human themes. The book starts by taking the “long view” of its subjects, outlining them from a distance before eventually zooming in to probe the microscopic details of the case, a trajectory that reflects Capote's own dealings with the residents of Holcomb and Garden City. The book begins and ends with descriptions of the landscape the serenity of the plains is an unlikely setting for a tragedy, which makes it all the more disturbing when one does occur. The land is flat, the views are awesomely extensive horses, herds of cattle, a white cluster of grain elevators rising as gracefully as Greek temples are visible long before a traveler reaches them.” pg. “The village of Holcomb stands on the high wheat plains of western Kansas, a lonesome area that other Kansans call ‘out there.’.
