Devil In The White City Essay

Erik Larson researched profusely, to create the literary nonfiction novel, and developing a movie, Devil in the White City, published and copyrighted in 2003. The book is entirely based on the Chicago World’s Fair of 1893. The book set in Chicago through 1890-93, and then, during the latter part of the book, in Philadelphia 1895. This book follows two main plots, each pertaining its own main character. One plot follows Daniel Burnham, the architecture lead and main visionary of the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. The other plot follows H. H. Holmes, a serial killer, who became America’s first serial killer, paving the way for some to sadly follow, who was utterly and completely mad, being a killer and all. Using the Fair’s guests and young, vulnerable

women as his prey, he killed many without remorse. These plots happen simultaneously and are a little hard to follow if one is not paying close attention. The two characters were never connected, at least not in the book, except for the gravitation of the World's Fair and they were highly important people during that time, therefore, it was odd that the two characters were subsequent to each other, instead of having books of their own. However, it was not entirely strange that he did this because it did feel as though the Larson used his research well, which showed in quotes he used from the character and, because of the fact that the book is nonfiction, actual people that came in contact with the two main characters. There was a third plot which seemed random, and was only made necessary in the ending to the plot following Burnham, due to the sad ending of the World’s Fair, but the possibility of leaving it out was left to be desired.

The plot that follows Daniel Burnham describes his building and creating of the Chicago World’s Fair of 1893 and the struggles that pertained in it.These included the hope of outdoing the, then recent, Paris Fair and it’s grand Eiffel Tower, creating a realistic and beautiful atmosphere, including the Fair’s paint, architecture, flower beds and overall aesthetic appearance, while overcoming the let downs of his original vision, as it was too grand and needed revision, which for most of the struggles, there was a triumphant ending. Also, this plot favors Burnham and rarely mentions any bad or wrong doings to those that he might have done to those worked for him or that just might have occurred. Larson also shares details of Burnham’s personal life, such as the loss of people close to him, his illnesses and deformities, his foot, which caused him much trouble, along with the possible inner workings and thought processes of his mind. Likewise, the plot that follows H. H. Holmes, also known as Herman Webster Mudgett, Henry W. Howard, Dr. Henry Howard Holmes, Henry Gordon, and Alexander Bond, shares his schemes and plans that unfold chronologically, as in real life, being that the book is nonfiction. Larson uses many statements from Holmes himself, along with those who know him, both before and after his execution. This plot, however, does not share a large amount of great things that Holmes did, because there was not very many, rather it shares the multitude of horrific things that he managed to accomplish during his appalling life. It does, as in Burnham’s, share personal feelings and relationships, such as his many wives, who he murdered many of, both in Holmes perspective and those who meet him, along with his many business endeavors, the foreboding tone Larson uses throughout these passages suggest the unspeakable things that Holmes did.

The Devil in the White City shows a large amount of migration and immigration throughout the building and maintaining of the Fair.

During the Fair’s building, workers came from all over America in hope that they could find a job in the Black city, in building of the White City [referring to the name of Chicago before and after the Fair, the Black City, of crime and corruption, verse the White city, Chicago during the Fair, in that all the buildings had been white. While both were still unsafe, they varied in levels of dangerousness, oddly enough the Evil and Good, Black and White, made one think that the White City was safer than the Black, however, it was not]. The people migrating came for jobs, and while some found them, many came all that way for nothing. Another migration that occurred came from the needs of the Fair while it was open, an example being Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show, and while it was not officially a part of the Fair, it did pay a major role during its opening. The immigrants came because of the demand of the Fair’s different themes, one being the Streets of Cairo, which demanded the need for Egyptians to work the fair to create this theme. Also, immigrants came to work in other parts of the fair or to come see the fair and stay in America to find work elsewhere. While the exact intent of these immigrants was uncertain, it is most likely that this was the case for

many.

This book also follows the theme of American’s identity in the World. The nationalism and nativism seen in this book, especially in the beginning, when Congress is trying to decide where the Fair will be held, New York, Chicago, St. Louis, or somewhere else, is almost overwhelming, especially to someone who lives in an age where there is not much communalism and commandery. The Chicago World's Fair, also known as the World’s Columbian Exposition, would change the World's view of America, whether it’s Fair was a disaster or a success. The hope for success and the burdens that came with it were laid on the shoulders of Daniel Burnham, after Congress decided that Chicago should house the Fair, along with Chicago deciding that Burnham should create the Fair. These decisions marked the fate of the Fair, and the standing of it in the minds of the people of America and the people of the world, and not to mention the generations not yet born, along with their opinions. The trials and tribulations that the Fair faced, lead many nations to root for its demise, but it's seemingly impossible success lead to those nations realizing America’s true power, leading to later fears, seen in America's arrival in both World Wars.