The Devil In The White City Essay

Deceitful, wicked, and cruel are words that define the “devil.” The devil’s depiction is always that of a tempter, which symbolizes sin and all evil things that are conjured from this world. A total lack of morals is the interpretation that being evil entitles. In The Devil In The White City, H. H. Holmes through the various depictions of deceit, enticement and pre mediated plans he is able to carry out many of his treacherous acts.

One can truly say that Holmes falls under the criterion of being evil and bear resemblance to the devil. Holmes’s claim, “that he was the devil,” creates a sense of disgust, as he regurgitates his confession of the twenty-seven killings without the slightest hint of regret (Larson, 385). Holmes is the epitome of evil, as he fed his blood thirst through the suffering of those he killed. Holmes craving for “screams and pleading,” which “brought him a period of sexual release that seemed to last for hours,” portrayed his perverted and sadistic nature (Larson, 296). He further has the audacity to kill three more children after killing both his unborn child and Pearl (Larson, 2003). His believe of being the devil brought him to feeling no remorse as he ended the lives of innocent children

who had not yet experienced the world. There is no better word to call Holmes other than a devil.
Subsequently, to end a child’s live and boast about it requires a level of evil that is far beyond that of a sane man.

Not all men are inherently evil because many try to live righteous lives through acts of kindness and selflessness, such as those who fight for rights, help the less fortunate and look for a better tomorrow. Circumstances greatly influences whether a man becomes evil. As seen in the bible, Cain killed Abel out of spite, for believing that Abel’s offering was accepted by God rather than his own (Bible). Aggression and envy ate away to Cain’s very core enough to kill his innocent brother and therefore a murderer was born out the premise of evil. Man’s natural instinct lays under being overly aggressive and can make a man falls out of

good.
To coincide with Holmes evil acts, he was successfully able to cast a spell on both man and women due to his grand allure. As illustrated Holmes was a handsome young man with a complexion of that stunned all “striking blue eyes, marvelously small ear,” apart from dressing well and being at his prime age of 26. This master of deceit used words so effectively to do his bidding just like Shakespeare’s mastery over the English language in his plays. In addition “he spoke softly, smiled, listened,” and gave a false sense of sympathy to gain the trust of all. (Larson, 37) There is no doubt, Holmes was a charmer and knew what he was doing.
In respect to his allure, his ability to premeditate everything very carefully shows he had no fear of the consequences. Holmes cold-heartedness may be attributed to his early exposure to Edgar Allen Poe as a young boy, as well as the implied meaning of enjoyment of killing animals very early on (Larson, 2003, 39). Although the major contribution to Holmes macabre acts, was, him suffering from the condition known as psychopathy. It was evident by his manipulative personality and how he was able to assimilate into every situation and yet make no emotional connection. The lack of morals, disregard for laws and tendency to violence are key points in identifying this condition. He sought pleasure and that was all that mattered to Holmes. Through his quest for blood, he rightfully gained the title of “The Devil”.