Holly Golightly seems to belong to the literary tradition of the picaro or appealing nonconformist who considers society's rules simply not applicable. Her inherent innocence links her to characters like Huckleberry Finn who are not precisely truthful but also not really dishonest. On the other hand, her forthrightness about sexuality parallels that of Tom Jones (Henry Fielding, 1749).

The treatment of police and outlaws resembles that of the popular 1950s musical Guys and Dolls. Because Capote presents Sally Tomato and Father O'shaughnessy almost exclusively from Holly's point of view, they appear to be characters out of Damon Runyon or even the legendary tales of Robin Hood and Friar Tuck.