Analysis Of Erik Larson's The Devil In The White City

Erik Larson brings the murdering H. H. Holmes alive again with The Devil In The White City. He illustrates the harrowing story of the 1893 murders along. However, that is not all the books tells, it expresses the ignorance of consumers and sellers alike. People continued to go to the World’s Fair even though they knew about the murders and the World Fair continued despite the murders. It equivalates to people not thinking about consequences of buying materials and not thinking about how it got there or where it will go after. By using both informational and narrative writing styles, Larson expresses his beliefs effectively if not in a slightly muddled way. He is able to include the message subtly; as he does not have to explicitly say it in order for some people to understand it. This book is definitely a book for very analytical people and not just anyone.
Throughout the book, Larson changes the point of view between two different characters and time periods. He uses the two different views to show the contrast in personality of the characters, as well as showing the different relationship each narrator had with characters. The first character we meet is the protagonist, Daniel Hudson Burnham. Burnham was one of the builders of the Chicago World Fair. A chapter or two later, we meet the antagonist, H. H.

While it might not have been comforting that Holmes was originally caught for insurance fraud, it ended up working out because the investigation found out about Holmes’ past and the sketchiness of it. The resolution and the way the author shared what happened brought back his previous message that everything has consequences. Larson believed that consumers must stay aware and be careful about what they buy and what they do with it after. This ties into his message because Holmes killed people, and even though he was careful about leaving evidence, it still caught up to him and he ended up in