Regret, Remorse and Reality: Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood Contributions to Societyâ

in the way he did (Potok 3). After the painting was discovered by his community, Asher faced criticism for various reasons. Some argued that his actions contradicted the expected behaviors of a Jew, including having devotion to God and religion, respecting one's parents, oneself, and fellow Jewish community members.

Asher shares information about his parents, Aryeh and Rivkeh. Rivkeh is particularly affected by her son's paintings and scolds him, expressing that she does not want him to behave like a non-Jew or someone evil from the Other Side. These harsh words make Asher feel ignored and disliked within the community. Despite this, he continues his "disrespectful" artwork as it is his only way of self-expression. Whether it is the characters' illegal activities or the community's disappointment in someone disrespecting their religion, both situations bring a certain kind of satisfaction or happiness.

Once Perry and Dick completed the murder, they felt a sense of gratification for successfully getting away with killing an entire family. In contrast, Asher experienced happiness in a different, more optimistic manner. Because of the disapproval from the community towards Asher's artwork and their disappointment in him as a fellow Jew, he developed a mindset that allowed him to ignore most of what he had been taught and solely focus on his art. Jacob Kahn, a talented artist and member of the Ladover Jewish community, not only had a significant impact on Asher's paintings but also influenced his way of thinking and his attitude towards those in the community who viewed him unfavorably, including his father. Asher and Kahn had a deep fondness for each other and treated each other with great respect. On several

occasions, Kahn would advise Asher on how to handle situations brought about by others to discourage him and his artwork.

The suggested approach would be to ignore the insulting remarks and channel the built-up energy into his paintings, which is precisely what Asher did on a specific occasion. Throughout that day, he kept hearing his father's words, encouraging him to fight against it. Outraged and filled with this anger, Asher went into his room and used reds and browns to draw a picture of his angry father shouting. This picture turned out to be remarkable (Potok 177). In the book, Dick appeared to revel more in their risky murder escapade compared to Perry. Capote described Perry as someone who could adopt Dick's ethics during their time together but consistently find a way to suppress his own conscience by embracing Dick's ideas, all in an attempt to avoid guilt and regret for committing the murder. The reader can always sense Perry's nervousness before engaging in any illegal actions with Dick.

Perry experiences anxiety due to his uncertain emotions, causing him to imagine various scenarios, like Dick being caught by the police for writing a fake check or committing a minor traffic violation while driving a stolen car. These situations could easily lead to their arrest. On the other hand, it is evident that Dick never seemed to encounter any difficulties throughout their journey of attempting to get away with murder. This lack of struggle may have contributed to his carefree attitude. This attitude not only led to his straightforward confession of killing the Cuttler family but also demonstrated his indifference towards death, which became their punishment after being

found guilty. Grief and despair affected not only Dick, Perry, and the Clutters' community but also Asher Lev's community, particularly his parents. As Asher solely expressed himself through his artwork and disregarded others' opinions, he rarely considered which of his paintings might eventually cause controversy, whether big or small.Asher's train of thought led him to create his famous nude paintings, which were seen as unique and captivating masterpieces by some, especially those outside of the Jewish community. However, within the Ladover community, these paintings were considered a significant insult, particularly by Asher's father. This is evident when Asher tries to justify his "absurd" paintings by expressing his inner desire to draw, saying, "'I have a will, Papa. It makes me want to draw'...".

'You will resist it. You will not spend your life on non-Jewish foolishness. No, it is no longer mere foolishness. It is something worse than foolishness....

According to Potok (176), Asher is troubled by the angry rage he detects in Aryeh's voice when he brings drawings of nude girls into the house. This leads to his own internal struggle of trying to balance the happiness of his parents, community, and himself.

These continuous struggles soon turn into failures, causing Asher to hesitate. However, he ultimately decides to agree and showcase his "greatest masterpiece" in a well-known public art show. This masterpiece is a painting of his mother, who becomes the central object and character. The painting depicts a crucifixion. Asher's whole family is present when they catch a glimpse of the crucifixion. He is aware that they would not approve, as he had anticipated previously, particularly his father. Asher vividly remembers the expression on his

father's face, which conveyed a mix of awe, rage, bewilderment, and sadness.

Who are you? the expression said. Are you truly my son? My father had not spoken to me at that time. He did not speak to me presently” (Potok 361). The transformation in the Ladover community was affecting every aspect. Preserving and valuing individuality is crucial within any community as it has the power to build or destroy a home, a family, a relationship, and, undoubtedly, a community.

The characters Dick Hancock and Perry Smith from Truman Capote's In Cold Blood and Jacob Kahn and Asher Lev from Chaim Potok's My Name Is Asher Lev share several similarities. Upon comparing the two novels, it becomes evident that Dick Hancock is akin to Perry, while Jacob Kahn is comparable to Asher. Both Dick and Kahn, who exert more control in their respective relationships, succeed in persuading Perry and Asher to act against their own judgment and conscience. Consequently, both Perry and Asher find themselves alone – Perry having been killed for committing a murder and Asher being rejected by his previously loving family due to his crucifixion painting. In addition, Rebbe Krinsky of the Ladover Jewish community asks Asher to leave, as others threaten to leave if he remains. This leads to significant changes within the Ladover community.

Bibliography

1. Capote, Truman. In Cold Blood.New York: Random House, Inc. , 1965 Potok, Chaim. My Name Is Asher Lev. New York: Random House, Inc. , 1972