Truman Capote’s "Breakfast at Tiffany’s" Summary

This short novella by American writer Truman Capote, written in 1958, quickly earned critical acclaim for its lyrical atmosphere and vivid heroine. The story of a young woman named Holly Golightly is told by an aspiring writer, reminiscing about the war years in New York. This book is an observation of human loneliness, escape from the past, and the relentless search for peace of mind.

In 1961, the story was successfully adapted for the screen by director Blake Edwards, starring Audrey Hepburn. The film won two Oscars for Henry Mancini’s score and the song "Moon River." The story was written as a standalone work and is not part of a series.

Strange news from distant lands

The narrative begins with autobiographical recollections. The unnamed narrator recalls a dark house on the East Side where he lived at the beginning of World War II. A conversation with bartender Joe Bell, who runs a bar on Lexington Avenue, prompts him to recall the events of past years and the image of a former neighbor.

Joe Bell invites the writer to a bar to show him photographs sent by photographer I.Y. Yunioshi. In 1956, Yunioshi was traveling in Africa and saw a wooden carving of a girl’s head, made by a local artist, in the village of Tokokool. The sculpture bears a striking resemblance to Holly Golightly.

The carver recounted that three white men had come to visit them in the spring, and that a young woman had stayed in his cabin before leaving on horseback. Joe Bell and the writer speculate about Holly’s fate, wondering if she is still alive.

Meeting in an old house

In 1943, the writer rented a modest room. A card appeared on the drawer of apartment number two with the stern inscription: "Miss Holiday Golightly. Traveling." Holly is a nineteen-year-old girl with bleached hair, large eyes behind dark glasses, and a fresh, rustic glow.

She wears a tight black dress, a pearl necklace, and leads a chaotic lifestyle. She often loses her keys and rings her neighbors’ doorbells late at night. The writer watches her from the sidelines. On the fire escape, she sings prairie songs, plays the guitar, and cares for an unnamed ginger cat.

Conversations after midnight

The characters’ rapprochement occurs in early autumn. After escaping from yet another suitor via the fire escape, Holly sneaks through the window into the writer’s room. She speaks frankly about herself and suggests calling him Fred, after her beloved brother serving in the army.

Holly describes how she goes to Sing Sing prison every Thursday to visit inmate Sally Tomato. Attorney O’Shaughnessy pays her a hundred dollars per visit and to transmit encrypted messages disguised as "weather reports." The writer is wary of this scheme, but the girl sees no danger.

The guest is genuinely interested in literature and listens to the author’s story about two teachers. The girl criticizes the work for its lack of real-life truth and offers to help him find useful connections. The next day, she sends the author a basket of treats.

Guests and flight from fear

Soon, the writer visits Holly. Her apartment is littered with unpacked suitcases and boxes. There, he meets O.D. Berman, a Hollywood agent. Berman explains that he found the girl in California, taught her manners, and tried to get her a role in film. However, she unexpectedly flew to New York, abandoning her audition.

Among Holly’s admirers is the wealthy bachelor Rutherford (Rusty) Trowler, a capricious man with childish habits. Holly confesses to the writer that she is sometimes overcome by bouts of unreasonable fear and melancholy. She finds relief from this state at Tiffany’s jewelry store, where the atmosphere of order and luxury restores her peace.

Soon, Meg Wildwood, a tall fashion model from Arkansas with a distinctive stutter, moves into the apartment. Later, the dark-skinned Brazilian diplomat José Ibarra-Egar joins their company, lending a more respectable air to the group.

Autumn walks and modest joys

In October 1943, the narrator learns that his story has been accepted for publication in a small magazine. Holly happily accepts the news and takes a celebratory stroll down Fifth Avenue. Stopping at Woolworth’s, they steal two carnival masks for fun.

For Christmas, Holly gave the writer a $350 antique bamboo birdcage, something he’d long coveted. In return, he gave her a St. Christopher medal he’d bought at Tiffany’s.

The group’s February vacation in Florida and Cuba ends in discord. Upon returning, Holly relays Berman’s negative comments about the writer’s work. A quarrel breaks out between the friends. Insulted, the author breaks off communication and takes the cage out the door, though he later takes it back.

The Mystery of Lulamay Barnes

In the spring, an elderly Texan in a shabby hat appears at the door. It’s Doc Golightly, a veterinarian and farmer from Tulip. He informs the writer that Holly is his legal wife, Lulamae Barnes.

At fourteen, the orphaned Lulamay and her brother Fred came to his farm. Doc warmed and nursed the emaciated children, then married the girl. Having read a lot of illustrated magazines, Lulamay began wandering further and further down the road until she finally ran away completely.

Holly greets Doc warmly, hugs him, but firmly refuses to return to Texas. She explains that she can’t go back to being the wild bird she once was. The next morning, Doc leaves on the bus alone.

Changes and dreams of a family hearth

The summer of 1944 brings news: Meg Wildwood marries Rusty Trowler. José Ibarra-Egar moves in with Holly. Holly changes, announces she’s pregnant, learns Portuguese, masters complex recipes, and prepares for the wedding and departure to Rio de Janeiro.

Holly sincerely expresses her love for José and dreams of having children. However, the news of her brother Fred’s death at the front plunges her into profound shock. She destroys her apartment, sinking into a severe depression, from which the writer helps her escape.

A race in the park and a high-profile arrest

On September 30, 1944, the writer’s birthday, Holly invites him to go horseback riding in Central Park. On the path, teenagers start throwing stones at the animals. The writer’s frightened mare bolts at full speed toward Fifth Avenue.

Holly and a mounted policeman struggle to stop the lathered horse, saving their friend from certain death. The resulting fright causes the writer to lose consciousness.

That evening, newspapers are filled with headlines about a high-profile arrest. It turns out that Sally Tomato, using "weather reports," was running an international drug trafficking syndicate. Police arrest her right in the writer’s apartment while she’s caring for her injured friend.

Betrayal and escape overseas

Due to the arrest, Holly suffers a miscarriage. In the hospital, the writer visits his friend and gives her a letter from José. The Brazilian diplomat, fearing scandal and damage to his career, cowardly abandons Holly and leaves hastily.

Despite the impending trial and the ten-thousand-dollar bail posted by O.D. Berman, Holly decides to fly to South America. On Saturday, Joe Bell rents a limousine, and the writer packs the girl’s belongings into a suitcase and paper bags.

On the way to Idlewild Airport, the car stops in Spanish Harlem. Holly releases a nameless cat into a strange trashy alley. Almost immediately, she regrets it, runs through the streets, calling for it, but the cat disappears. The writer promises to find the animal. Holly boards a plane and flies away.

Memory and new traces

Sally Tomato dies in prison of a heart attack. Sometime later, the writer receives a single postcard from Holly from Buenos Aires. In it, she writes about a new gentleman and promises to send his address once she’s settled in, but no further news arrives.

The writer keeps his word and searches for the ginger cat in Spanish Harlem for a long time. One winter, he spots him in the window of a cozy house, among the curtains and flower pots. The cat has found a name and a home of its own. The narrator expresses the hope that Holly Golightly has also found her place.