Gordon

Please break your essay up into the following component parts, highlighting the various parts of each paragraph as follows:

Thesis: dark blue Topic sentence: red Opinion/analysis: light blue Supporting detail:purple Commentary: green Transitions: pink

Introduction: For someone who has never been to Kansas, Capote's description of this small town inside of Kansas is something unique and different. Capote views this town as gritty and old-fashioned, and he conveys this opinion using elements of literature throughout his passage. Body Paragraphs: Throughout the passage, Capote suggests various things about the people of Holcomb. For one, he suggests that all the town's people are generally conformed as they all seem to wear just about the same thing. From his passage, one can conclude that he sees the town's inhabitants as old-fashioned and lacking in excitement. Also, through Capote's educated and sophisticated diction, he subtly suggests superiority over the people of the small town of Holcomb, Kansas. Capote has somewhat of a sarcastic tone when describing this town. He sort of makes fun of the town and its people without directly saying anything rude. One example of this would be the "ranch-hand nasalness" the townspeople have, according to Capote. Nasally voices are normally associated with ones of annoyance and irritation. A second example includes Capote's description of the school which he states is "otherwise camouflaged" by the appearance of the community "that the parents who send their children to this modern and ably staffed consolidated school." Capote's sarcastic tone also contributes to his subtle suggestions of superiority that he presents himself to have over Holcomb, Kansas residents. Capote's view of the town itself is similar to his view of the people. From the way Capote describes the few buildings of the town, and the homes that are generally only one-story, it is clear that he sees the town as small and underdeveloped. This may have something to do with the population Holcomb has of only about a few hundred people that Capote mentions. He also describes the land of Holcomb, Kansas; he talks about the wheat fields and prarie lands, and the horses and cattle. From Capote's descriptions, it is safe to say that this town is a country farm land area. Conclusion: In conclusion, Capote's view of Holcomb, Kansas is made apparent in his text through his use of diction, imagery, and structure. Overall, Capote views this town as small, old-fashioned, gritty, very country, under-developed, and inferior to his personal tastes. Through his writing style he also suggests that he feels this way about not only the town, but also its inhabitants.