How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
"We went around to the kitchen door, and of course it wasn't locked; the only person who locked doors around there was Mrs. Helm—the family never did." (1.19)
This detail clues us in to the sense of security that most townspeople felt. When you had so few neighbors and knew them all, you weren't afraid. A "home security system" back then probably consisted of your neighbors noticing anything strange going on. Like we said, sitting ducks. We bet those doors were locked after the murders.
Quote #5
Anyone who has made the coast-to-coast journey across America […] has probably passed through Garden City, but it is reasonable to assume that few travelers remember the event..[…] Not that the inhabitants would tolerate that opinion—perhaps rightly. […] "Look all over the world and you won't find friendlier people or fresher air or sweeter drinking water." […] "I could go to Denver at triple the salary, but I've got five kids and I figure there's no better place to raise kids than right here." (1.106)
The locals are devoted to their town despite it being forgettable to visitors. Capote shows us the trade-off for living in a small town with not much going on. It's safe, unpolluted, and family-friendly. Still, we're moving to Topeka.
Quote #6
[. . . ] strangers, ignorant of the local disaster—were startled by what they saw as they crossed the prairie and passed through Holcomb: windows ablaze, almost every window in almost every house, and, in the brightly lit rooms, fully clothed people, even entire families, who sat the whole night wide awake, watchful, listening. (2.29)
What a vivid image to depict the fear caused by the murders. This kind of description is what makes this book literary journalism. Notice how this imagery contrasts with the first sentence about Holcomb as just a scattering of buildings that you could pass through without noticing. Now, you'd notice it.