Nonfiction novels are a genre of books that employ all the devices of a piece of fiction, yet all the information is completely factual. Although legitimate, the writer's integrity can still be called into question, depending on the representation of facts. Truman Capote, being the first author to use this style of writing, was the first to turn a true story into his own. He was able to do this in In Cold Blood thanks to his use of bias. Truman Capote displays biases in In Cold Blood through his selective characterization and attention to detail, but these biases result in an overall fairer narrative. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay One way Capote shows his biases in the novel is his clear favor for Perry over Dick. Capote characterizes Perry very positively compared to Dick, making readers feel sympathy for him. From the beginning, readers are led to believe that Perry is subservient to Dick. Perry follows what Dick tells him and rarely bothers to say what he thinks. This, combined with the contrasting tones Capote uses between the two of them, makes readers see Perry in a more positive light. For example, using a sympathetic tone while talking about Perry's childhood (98) and at the same time using a calm, yet funny tone a few hours before Dick's execution to make him seem like a sociopath (339). Additionally, Capote highlights a scene during the murder where Perry responds to Dick, “Uh-huh. But first you will have to kill me” after Dick proposes the idea of ​​raping Nancy (243). This makes readers see Perry as a hero for stopping Dick. The fact that Capote prefers Perry to Dick is one of the main ways he shows bias in In Cold Blood and also leads readers to question the integrity of his writing. Specific details shown in the novel influence readers' opinions of who the criminals really are. Capote uses these details to instill his prejudices in others. One detail of the murder that makes readers question the criminals' motives is the way pillows are placed under the victims' heads (64). This detail makes readers wonder why a murderer would deal with the issue of comfort if he didn't care about the victim. This gives the impression that Dick and Perry have compassion. Another thing that makes readers feel sympathy for the murderers is the explanation of their harsh childhoods. Perry in particular has had a tough life. He was in and out of orphanages, his mother was a drunk, and his father was shaky (132). This, combined with suggestions of their mental instability, for example, Dick's “emotional abnormality” (294) and Perry's “signs of serious mental illness” (296), elicit an emotional response from readers. It makes readers pity the killers, which is typically not the natural response in a situation like this. This distortion of classical roles makes the novel fairer to both parties. The bias in favor of criminals makes In Cold Blood a more accurate representation of both sides of the story. In most murder mystery stories, readers are led to feel more sympathy towards the victims of the crime. The difference in In Cold Blood is that readers not only sympathize with the Clutter family, but also relate and hurt along with Dick and Perry. He does this to get readers to think on a deeper level about capital punishment. Capote evokes these emotions in readers in several ways. One way he does this is by focusing.