“ I was born with the devil in me. I could not help the fact that I was a murderer, no more than the poet can help the inspiration to sing”(Larson, 109). Those were the exact words of the American serial killer Herman Webster Mudgett also known as H.H.Holmes. The FBI states that a serial killer is any one who kills three or more people with an premeditated murder (Morton). It is nearly impossible to find two serial killers with similar characteristics since all of them have distinct methods in ending the lives of their victims. Even though each serial killer differs in many ways, they all crave for power, control and dominance because of their need to kill and punish is much greater than any rule or law. They do not kill for money, but for the trill and excitement they get and to feel superior from everyone else. Eric Harris, a seventeen year-old who committed the Columbine High School massacre next to his companion Dylan Klebold, wrote “I have a goal to destroy as much as possible… I want to burn the world. Kill mankind, no one should survive” (Cullen). Klebold was said to be suicidal and depressive and would always blame himself for the problems he encountered. On the other hand adults described Harris as a nice sweet-faced young boy, but they didn’t see the cold and calculating person he truly was. Both teenagers have been bullied all through out high school and had an intention to make everyone suffer as much as they did. For Harris the victims meant nothing to him, same feeling as someone who cuts the turkey for Thanksgiving. They both wanted a revenge and control so powerful that it would be assumed to be the greatest massacre in the history of the US, which made that their horrifying motiv... ... middle of paper ... ...superior just as a god. The United States is said to have approximately 600 serial killers making it the leading country. Infamous killers such as Richard Trenton Chase, Ted Bundy Jeffrey Dahmer and Dennis Rader have permanently smasher fear in masses all around the world. “Practice makes perfect”. Works Cited Larson, Erik. The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America. New York: Crown, 2003. Print. Morton, Robert J. "FBI- Serial Murder." FBI- Serial Murder. FBI, 21 May 2010. Web. 24 Apr. 2014. Cullen, Dave. "What A Killer Thinks." Newsweek 160.6 (2012): 30-34. OmniFile Full Text Mega (H.W. Wilson). Web. 2 Apr. 2014. Rubinstein, William D. "THE HUNT FOR Jack The Ripper." History Today 50.5 (2000): 10. Academic Search Complete. Web. 25 Apr. 2014.
The Devil in the White City is a literary nonfiction novel that is centered around the World’s Fair in Chicago. The subtitle of The Devil in the White City is “Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America.” As Erik Larson describes so vividly, the fair did just that. From the way electricity is distributed through homes, to the length of our working hours or days in a week, to cultural icons, and amusement parks. There is a brief but fascinating link between the Fair and other inventions today. The White City, as some would call it, was described as the scenery of the gleaming white colored buildings that soared into the sky and its majestic beauty. The book has the inspiration to combine two distantly related late-19th century stories into a narrative that is anything but bizarre.
In the late 1800’s America began to take on its own individual identity as a country. The Chicago World's Fair was a great influence for that notion. In Erik Larson’s The Devil in the White City he tells a duel nonfictional storyline of one of the fair’s architects and a serial killer living just outside the fair. By using imagery, juxtaposition, and syntax Larson is able to enchant the reader and make the novel read like a fiction.
Larson, Erik. The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America. New York: Crown, 2003. Print.
Harris was “the callously brutal mastermind” while Klebold was the “quivering depressive who journaled obsessively about love and attended the Columbine prom three days before opening fire” (Columbine High School, History). On an article published by Cullen on Slate.com, it reveals the true motivation and meaning behind the actions of Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold.
Larson, Daniel. "Serial Murderers: The Construction." Serial Murderers: The Construction. University of Iowa, n.d. Web. 06 May 2014.
Library, CNN. "Manson Family Murders Fast Facts." CNN. Cable News Network, 01 Jan. 1970. Web. 28 Apr. 2014.
Taking the life of another person is one of the worst infractions of the law to commit. The Bureau of Justice defines serial killing as “[involving] the killing of several victims in three or more separate events” (“Michigan” 1). Serial killers often commit extremely violent crimes; they usually become infamous for these crimes. The first recorded serial killers are probably Jack the Ripper in 1888 and Fritz Haarmann in 1924 (“Michigan” 1). Jack the Ripper is also one of the most well-known criminals, almost everyone knows who he is or has at least heard of him. Most people know what he is famous for and associate him with being a bad person. Serial killers are typically sadistic and sociopathic, meaning that they are unable to feel empathy for people who are suffering (“Michigan” 1). Whimsical sociopaths who have sadistic tendencies are very dangerous. They inflict pain because they do not care that someone else is suffering, they only care that it makes t...
Berns, Walter. "Getting Away With Murder." Commentary 97.4 (1994): 25. MAS Ultra - School Edition. Web. 14
Langman, Peter F. “Grasping for Answers.” Why Kids Kill: Inside The Minds of School Shooters. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2009. 15. Print.
As years go on so will the research on serial killers and hopefully we as a society will fully understand them and one day be able to cure whatever inside that makes them have the urge to kill. Works Cited The Electronic Journal of Sociology, published by the University of Guelph, Ontario. http://www.scribd.com/doc/167086215/How-Serial-Killers-Work. According to the article “10 Most Common Traits of Potential Serial Killers By Hestie Barnard Gerber. According to Comrade Chikatilo: The Psychopathology of Russia's Notorious Serial Killer.
Serial killers have many frightening facets. The most frightening thing about them is that experts still do not know what makes a human become a serial killer. Many experts believe serial killers become what they are because they have a genetic disposition or brain abnormality while other experts believe that a serial killer is created by childhood abuse; and some other experts believe that it is a combination of both brain abnormalities and abusive childhood experiences that creates a serial killer. A murderer is considered a serial killer when they “murder three or more persons in at least three separate events with a “cooling off period” between kills” (Mitchell and Aamodt 40). When defining a serial killer, their background, genes, and brain are not mentioned; perhaps one day those aspects of the serial killer can be included.
Mass Murderers and Serial Killers are nothing new to today’s society. These vicious killers are all violent, brutal monsters and have an abnormal urge to kill. What gives people these urges to kill? What motivates them to keep killing? Do these killers get satisfaction from killing? Is there a difference between mass murderers and serial killers or are they the same. How do they choose their victims and what are some of their characteristics? These questions and many more are reasons why I was eager to write my paper on mass murderers and serial killers. However, the most interesting and sought after questions are the ones that have always been controversial. One example is; what goes on inside the mind of a killer? In this paper I will try to develop a better understanding of these driven killers and their motives.
Tucker, William. "Society Needs the Death Penalty to Deter Murderers." Opposing Viewpoints. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Shenendehowa Public Library. 24 Nov. 2003
Serial killers are usually young, white males who are quite intelligent and often come from broken homes. They may have been abused either physically or sexually during childhood and they have serious personality defects, such as low self-esteem and a lifelong sense of loneliness. Although no two serial killers are alike, they all fit this description somewhat. In the sixth edition of Crime and Criminality by Sue Titus Reid, a serial killer is defined as a person who commits more than one murder but at different times (Reid, p. 134).
Tucker, William. "The Death Penalty Deters Murder." Crime and Criminals: Opposing Viewpoints. Ed. James D. Torr. San Diego: Greenhaven, 2004. 167-70. Print.