H.T. Miller: she uses is disposable clothing, had steel gray hair, short and casually waved.

He
wore no cosmetics; her features were plain on his face. Emotional aspects, she was a widow for 61
years and had no active social relationship, since not left his house and did not talk about with
anyone.

Miriam: She is a girl of around 10 or 12 years old, his physical appearance was the most striking
of his eyes, possessed a caramel color, his features were in their general outline of a girl child

Representing each character.

Truman Capote reflected in each character some feelings in his time were very difficult to
overcome, in the case of Mrs. Hiller, Capote represented a woman who was afraid and hid the
truth of their reality, did not like to know the ’cause of created things and situations to avoid that.
Also, some critics say it was the representation of the breast or the very life of Truman Capote

About the small Miriam, is said to be the representation or the death or the same loneliness that
had Mrs. Hiller, was a girl who always appeared in some specific occasion where Mrs. Hiller faced
some truth.

SETTING (Historical Context)

About the historical context in which certain actions are reflected in the reading, you can round
issues such as the Second World War, the attack on the naval base at Pearl Harbor and
participation of EU wars mainly in Japan.

Truman was based apart from these historical facts, largely real life issues such as loneliness, in
those times people, especially women were widowed because their husbands were to participate
in the wars in the United States participating

THESIS

The reading covers many topics, considering that are part of a specific times where the author
(Truman Capote) introduces and identifies with these to make known their feelings, realities and
truths of his own being.

The feels, techniques and some make reading arguments take different paths, taking into account
that the reader can cover some of these and assume the outcome of the story. Because it is a very
short read, the author proves to the reality of their world, discloses various facets and recreates
two different characters in a world that is unique to him, it is true, is true and maybe a picture of
your own life.

Literary elements present in "Miriam"

Theme – The consciousness of people
Characters - Mrs. Miller, Miriam.
Characterization – The story has two types of characterization; on the
one hand, direct characterization as seen in Miriam’s first description:.

 “Her hair was the longest and strangest Mrs. Miller had ever seen;
absolutely silver-white, like an albino’s. It flowed waist-length in
smooth, loose lines. She was a simple, special elegance in the way
she stood with her thumbs in the pockets of a tailored plum-velvet
coat” (Capote, 38)
The other type of characterization is indirect, which means a description of
the character’s personality or information through actions, words,
thoughts, etc.

 “Her activities were seldom spontaneous: she kept the two rooms
immaculate, smoked an occasional cigarette, prepared her own
meals and tended a canary” (Capote,37)

Plot –

 Introduction: Mrs. Miller lives alone in a house, where she has a

routinely life. She had plans for every day; it was the same plan for
each week.

 Conflict: Someday, Mrs. Miller goes to the movies where she finds a
little girl that calls her attention, asking her if she could buy a ticket
for her.

 Climax: Since that day in the movies, Miriam starts visiting Mrs.
Miller; she arrives at Mrs. Millers’s house and from that day on,
Miriam appears to Mrs. Miller every day, making her become tired of
those visits because they break with her routine.

 Anticlimax: This happens when Mrs. Miller tells Miriam to go away

from her house, letting her alone for her to continue with the routine.

 End: It seems that Miriam disappeared and she wouldn’t come back,
but when Mrs. Miller was already calm down, Miriam reappears.

Causality – The permanent visits of Miriam lead to Mrs. Miller’s

desperation

Foreshadowing – Miriam appears

Mood - Suspense

Resolution/Denouement – Mrs. Miller finds herself again, her identity

 “… For the only thing she had lost to Miriam was her identity, but
now she knew she had found again the person who lived in this
room, who cooked her own meals, who owned a canary, who was
someone she could trust and believe in: Mrs. H. T. Miller” (Capote,
49)

Setting – Mainly, Mrs. Miller’s house:

  “Mrs. Miler entered her apartment softly; she walked to the center of
the room and stood quite still. No, in a sense it had not changed: the
roses, the cake, and the cherries were in place. But this was an
empty room, emptier than if the furnishings and familiars were not
present, lifeless and petrified as a funeral parlor. The sofa loomed
before her with a new strangeness: its vacancy had a meaning that
would have been less penetrating and terrible had Miriam been
curled on it” (Capote, 4 9)

Point of View – third person

Narrator – Limited omniscient: All-knowing narrator about one or two

characters, but not all

Personification - Miriam

Symbolism – Miriam symbolizes death

Truman Capote Name(s)

“Miriam”

1. Describe what Mrs. Miller’s life was like before young Miriam enters the
story. Make sure you support what you say.

2. From the time Mrs. Miller meets Miriam, many things happen that are
out of the ordinary. List two things that Mrs. Miller does that are, for
her, unusual.

3. Throughout the story Capote uses realistic details to build the mood.
How do his descriptions of the weather reinforce the overall mood?
4. Describe what sort of a person young Miriam is. How would you
characterize her?

5. What is Mrs. Miller’s reaction to Miriam as the story progresses?

Explain why she feels this way.

6. What “verdict” do you think the man and woman downstairs are
“delivering” upon Mrs. Miller? What is her state of mind upon returning
upstairs? What’s your verdict?

7. Who or what does Miriam represent in this story? Why do you think
this?

8. Interpret the dream. What purpose does the dream serve?