Students,
Here is your first 'weekly response'. Please construct a paragraph in response to the following:
Read the passage from the section “The Last to See Them Alive” from Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood that begins, “The master of River Valley Farm, Herbert William Clutter...” and ends several pages later with, “...had small reason to complain.”
Then, write a well-organized response in which you analyze how Capote uses the Clutter family to represent the rising middle- class in 1950s America. Be certain to ground all of your assertions firmly in the text.
Be sure to write you name in the comment box so I know who responded and follow the instructions for responding provided in the study guide.
Remember, this is an English class and points will be taken off for incorrect use of the English language, and any other spelling and grammatical errors.
Due date: Friday November 4
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ReplyDeleteLiterary Response#1;RH:
ReplyDeleteThe Clutter family represents the rising middle class because they have a farm,a family(4 kids),a car, and he was a methodist. He achieved this by graduating from college, getting married, and getting his degree in agriculture. The middle class essentially are neither rich nor poor. The Clutter family has enough money to survive & perhaps you can even say that they're fairly wealthy. The middle class in the 1950's were the advancing social class. The Clutter family started from nothing & became fairly prosperous. The Clutters own some land, have a farm,a good family,& Mr. Clutter is widely known throughout the community. The Clutters are located in the middle class. The Clutters associates with the middle class because they are living the American dream due to Capote's quote: "Mr. Clutter had in large measure obtained it." Capote uses the Clutters position in society & their wealth to show the growing middle class.
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ReplyDeleteTruman Capote uses the Clutter family to represent the rising middle class in 1950’s America by describing their way of life. The Clutter family is the perfect and typical family living the American Dream. The American Dream is to own a house, have a car and have enough money to live comfortable and buy everything your family needs. The Clutters have it all, although it wasn’t always like this. Mr. Clutter went from having nothing to have what he has now, threw hard work and determination. In the 1950’s this “American Dream became more accesble to the middle class
ReplyDeleteLiterary Response #1;RH:
ReplyDeleteThe middle class is the social class that is neither rich, which means you can waste whatever amount of money and still be okay, or poor, which is the social class that barely has any money to survive. The middle class is where you and your family live comfortably and peacefully with the money you have. They are living the American dream which is to own a house, a car, have some riches(like owning a tv or some land property), and have a enjoyable family. It wasn't always like this, though. Mr. Clutter didn't really start from anything at all. He actually had to work really hard to get where he got. He had to go to school, get his diploma, and then farm his field to get into the middle class. He is even known widely throughout the Holcomb community. He's known to be a fearless, honorable, kind, and a respectful person in Holcomb. His church even likes him. By analyizing the Clutter family's social position in the middle class, you can see how the Clutter's are living and represnt the American dream.
anonymouskim:
ReplyDeleteThe clutters represent the rising middle class by Herb's background and their lifestyle in general. The fact that he got to go to college at all had set his future on a bright course, since he did major in Agriculture. Dick and Perry didn't have that choice for an education. Stealing and re-writing checks was way to get by in life with money. Herb wasn't the richest man but he was the most widely known in the community. He was the chairman of the Kansas conference of Farm Organizations for his prominent position in Garden City. It was close-by County seat, he headed the building committee for the Newly completed Methodist church an $800,000 edifice. He was always certain of what he wanted and obtained it in most cases. His relations with the community were good he was an active man in the community so that must have been a natural hook up to his success as well. This shows that the American Dream was partially accessible to some people in the 1950's.
gz:
ReplyDeletethe clutters represent a rising middle class by them being well respected in having to earn so much land with such, as to be a successful and in being a very average family. Mr. Clutter also had a very high positinal job in garden city the nearest town in holcomb. He was also a methodist including his family wich made their family very indpent with each other. Another fact making them a rising midd class family was the pubicity that the people of holcomb had with the clutters. Mr. clutters children were also as respected as their father, having high tallented and sraight-A children represesened the family as a prosperous family. This passage shows that in the mid years of the 20th century there had been many opportunities of living the "american dream" than it had been in the early years of the 1900s.
I'm not sure if I agree with everyone that keeps mentioning their economic status. I might be wrong, but in my point of view, this means the American Dream is accessible without necessarily being sickly rich. The American Dream was not exactly about being economically overly successful. While your economic status was part of it, it did not cover all its points. What people saw it as was having a full, loving family. That is what the Clutters were. Aside from Mrs. Clutter's medical condition which complicated life a bit for her family members. Everything else in their life was perfect. Mr. Clutter was his own boss, and quite generous to those who depended on him. Nancy, the perfect, young lady any girl her age in those times would've loved to be. They all loved each other, so picture perfect. Like any person, Mr. Clutter did have his strict points, only one though. He absolutely did not tolerate drinking to his employees, it was mentioned if he caught one of them inhering alcohol. They'd go out no matter if their family was starving. But as I already mentioned, aside from that he was very generous, the father or husband anyone wished for.
ReplyDeleteHello, Im Anthony and here is my response. The middle class is a class of people intermediate between the classes of higher and lower social rank or standing, Which means people that are not poor and people who aren't rich, so they belong in the middle. Here is a description of the family members who were murdered.Herbert Clutter - The father of the Clutter family. His wife is Bonnie. He has four children: two older daughters who have moved out, and Nancy and Kenyon. His large property, River Valley Farm, keeps him moderately wealthy. Starting with little, he has built up a large, successful farm. He is a community leader, involved with many organizations. He is a gentle man, a strict Methodist. He served on the Federal Farm Credit Board under President Eisenhower.
ReplyDeleteBonnie Clutter - Herbert's wife, Bonnie, cannot keep up with his public image as a leader, and she withdraws into the home. Suffering depressive mental disorders, she spends a great deal of time in bed.
Nancy Clutter - Along with Kenyon, one of the two youngest Clutter children. They both still live at home. She is "the darling" of the town, a class president and future prom queen. Like her father, she is very organized.
Kenyon Clutter - An awkward 15-year-old, Kenyon loves to tinker with carpentry and machines.This Family was very beloved and when the town heard about this they were shocked, surprised, and sad.
I think that the clutter family belong in middle class because Mr.Clutter owns a farm and that his fruit trees bring him money and wealth. So, I think that the family belongs in the middle class. Thank you.
Truman Capote uses the Clutter family to represent the uprising middle-class in the 1950’s in America by describing how they life, what they have, how they are treated. He also shows by describing the family that they are in fact living the American Dream. The American Dream is to have a comfortable life for example having your own house or business and having money. The American Dream also means that you are dependent and that you don’t need to rely on anyone to live a good life and that you don’t need help from others to live a well and comfortable life. The Clutter family is a perfect example.
ReplyDeleteThe Clutter family represents the rising middle class because the Clutter family are not too “rich” and not too “poor”. They are considered a middle class family because they have a farm, a typical house that some won’t have and a car. The America Dream states that every American in the United States should have a house, a car, and be able to maintain ones family. I believe that the Clutters correspond to this category because they have a car, house, and are able to maintain their family. Plus Mr. Clutter sells him farm products so that he can make money. In their time, not many people would at least have what the Clutter family has.
ReplyDeleteRevell:
ReplyDeleteEvening my lovelies!
I have just finished grading your responses. For everyone that posted, great first internet response. Stay tuned in class tomorrow for feedback, grading rubrics and expectations moving forward.
I'd like to take special thanks to America for reading the other responses and trying to engage other students in dialogue and discussion. That's what this is all about, guys! So good job.