The Clutters epitomize a vision of American life that many idealized in the mid-20th century. Herb Clutter is a self-made man who began his career as the assistant to an agricultural agent, only to become one of the most prosperous farmers in the region. Nevertheless, he is not so wealthy as to seem out-of-touch and leads a distinctly middle-class existence in small town, rural Kansas. His personal life also reflects the American ideal; he and his family are churchgoing, Protestant Christians who play an active role in their community. His youngest daughter in particular embodies a form of American femininity associated in the 1950s with white, middle-class, stay-at-home wives and mothers. Despite possessing a seemingly endless array of talents, Nancy is sweet and down-to-earth, turning her skills to the benefit of others “without ‘brag,’ with, rather, merely a radiant jauntiness” (20). Only Bonnie Clutter, with her bouts of clinical depression, deviates in any way from the American norm, and as the novel opens, there’s hope that even this may be a thing of the past, thanks to a new treatment her doctor advises.

For all of these reasons, the murder of the Clutters represents a fundamental shattering of the American Dream.