The Devil In The White City Analysis

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Erik Larson’s nonfiction novel, The Devil in the White City, focuses on the building of the World’s Columbian Exposition, also known as the Chicago World’s Fair, to celebrate the 400 year anniversary of Columbus’s discovery of the United States. Larson throughout the book demonstrates that where there is good there is evil between two characters: Daniel Burnham and H.H. Holmes. When people of America were given the task to build an architectural masterpiece for the Chicago World’s Fair, there were bright visions to make the celebration well known but also a brilliant man commits to some very dark deeds which effected American history.
Daniel Burnham was a very talented architect that was put in charge of the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. He was partners with John Root and he gave ideas on how to increase the fair’s attendance. Burnham always wanted the best for his country so he knew that “failure was unthinkable. If the fair failed, the nation’s honor would be tarnished, Chicago humiliated and his own firm dealt a crushing blow.” (Larson pg.33) On the other hand, at the beginning …show more content…

The fair and Ferris wheel open to the public in 1893. The Ferris wheel was “built in the face of every obstacle [and] it is an achievement which reflects so much credit upon the inventor.”(Larson pg.280) The fair became a financial success due to all the people attending and the news that went around the world about the entertainment present at the Chicago World’s Fair. As the fair went on, Holmes “did not seem at all concerned when now and then a guest checked out without advance notice and leaving their bills unpaid.” (Larson pg.245) He was very busy making sure that no one had any suspicions and all the murders he committed were a secret. Holmes just had the enjoyment of hearing pain and screams; therefore knew if people left more people would come along due to the

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