The themes of failed communication, misdirected love, insecurity, and isolation of the individual are reminiscent of Carson McCullers' fiction, and the physically grotesque characters who combine caricature and pathos may reflect the additional influence of Erskine Caldwell. The oratorical diction and dense syntax remind the reader of other Southern novelists such as William Faulkner and Thomas Wolfe. The extensive symbolism resembles the symbolic naturalism of Stephen Crane; and both the extensive use of surreal dream imagery and the manipulation of point of view suggests James Joyce. Although Capote never credited any of these influences, critics and other novelists have pointed out the distinct parallels.