Herman Webster Mudgett became H.H. Holmes not only to hide his identity, but to become someone else, someone different from the weak-minded Herman that got abused by his parents and bullied in school. Because of the grisly childhood memories, Holmes led a life of crime and murder. He was a product or “brutal father” of his parents or his “brutal father”. This further proves that H.H. Holmes was not completely at fault for his crimes. He was a just a victim of his past and could not control the “monster” he has…
The World’s Fair in Chicago brought in extraordinary depth to the United States. The atmosphere was filled with magic, madness, heaven—even sin. As the World’s Fair showcased prosperity and affluence, it concealed gruesome secrets of the United States’ first known serial killer: H.H. Holmes. With an estimated 200 murders, Holmes claimed his victims without causing any suspicion, and without any apparent motive. Although Holmes’ motives were never clarified, it is evident that he possessed three goals prominent among a most serial killers: personal satisfaction, utmost power, and financial gain.…
Eric Larson's book, The Devil In The White City, takes place in Chicago during the Gilded age. Big business was on the rise, America was experiencing vast economic expansion, however, poverty still affected millions of Americans. Larson communicates the essential features of the Gilded age through his novel by showing the struggle that the architects and investors faced to make the world fair a success in the struggling economy, while also using the story of H.H Holmes as an analogy to depict the false perception of what America was during the Gilded age. The 1893 Chicago world's fair was a risky venture even by today's standards.…
Erik Larson, the author of The Devil in the White City, was born on January 3, 1954 in Brooklyn, New York. He studied Russian history at the University of Pennsylvania, where he graduated at the top of his class. One year later, Larson enrolled at another Ivy League School, the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, where he graduated in 1978. After starting his career as a journalist for The Bucks County Courier Times in Pennsylvania, he worked for The Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine, The New Yorker, The Atlantic Monthly, and Harper’s. Clearly, Erik Larson is a highly decorated and accomplished writer.…
Although the police were sometimes involved in matter concerning Holmes, no legal action was actually taken against him. Matters concerning the rich and the upcoming exposition overshadowed any reports of disappearances and possible murders . But for the police of Chicago, this was the everyday norm. Most officers with any type of power were the result of the spoils system, and even with years and years of experience still lacked the skill to investigate and prove the guilt of a man like Holmes. “His techniques were too new, his skills too great…” to be captured by men who were “…too naïve…,” like the police.…
Holmes also added a kiln to his basement to burn the bodies of his victims. Throughout the duration of the fair Holmes would kill many people that he came into contact with, he would also marry a few women but later take their lives. Holmes accumulated a large amount of debt, but he would commit several acts of insurance fraud to gain the money. When Holmes was on the brink of being discovered he fled Chicago and traveled city to city until he was finally caught in Philadelphia on insurance fraud charges. Detective Frank Geyer would be Holmes’ capturer, however, Geyer did much more research than the insurance fraud charges.…
On November 17, 1894, the notorious H. H. Holmes was arrested for the murder of B.F. Perry (Cipriani 1). What was first thought to be a case of insurance fraud quickly spiraled into a murder investigation, prompting the discovery of Holmes’ “Murder Castle” and the numerous bodies found within its walls. To this day, it is still unknown how many murders Holmes is responsible for. After his arrest, he confessed to the murders of 29 people; however, authorities believe that he may be responsible for dozens or even hundreds more (Brown). Holmes is credited with being America’s first and most horrific serial killer in its history; furthermore, the study of Holmes and his murders have helped shape criminal investigations in today’s society.…
While introducing one of the main characters, the prologue sets the stage for the book. It describes evil that migrated its way into a period of greatness and of “the forces of change that…. convulsed Chicago”. The prologue sets the stage for all the gruesome details to come and paves the way for good and evil. The author, Erik Larson, describes Chicago, a big, chaotic city, as a place where one could easily disappear.…
John Watson, who is the main character and narrator of The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, faces many obstacles during his time collecting facts and studying the Baskervilles’ case. At the beginning of the story, readers discover that the Baskerville family was seemingly cursed. When Sir Charles, the last resident of Baskerville Hall, mysteriously perishes at the paws of an ominous, seemingly supernatural hound, Sherlock and Watson take on the case. Watson agrees to travel to the Baskerville family home with the last known family heir, Sir Henry Baskerville, to gather facts on the case and provide companionship and protection to Sir Henry. During his time at Baskerville Hall, all of his conflicts and difficulties can be…
"Sherlock, you are addicted to heroin, again." Mycroft said calmly. "I do not have an addiction!" Sherlock replied, his voice struggling to stay even, his body shaking. " Oh brother dear, look at yourself."…
When reading old books, you expect some things to be different. Descriptions of people are written with slightly different words, “to-day” is used instead of “today”, dialogue may go on for pages with no reminder of who is saying what, and women always stay in the background. When you read books from the 1800s, you expects sexism, but what surprised (and frustrated) me was how subtle it often was. The Hound of the Baskervilles is one of the four sherlock Holmes novels, and it tells the tale of Sherlock Holmes and his companion Dr. Watson as they investigate a terrible curse that has apparently been visiting the Baskerville family and killing them.…
In A Study in Scarlet, by Sir Author Conan Doyle, he uses a witty and brilliant detective named Sherlock Holmes to show the audience how investigators solved crime back then during that time period and the different technology they used to solve them and how it is different today’s technology. In the show series Sherlock, the episode “A Study in Pink”, gives a little bit of a modern take on A Study in Scarlet and shows how technology advancements can make the better. Having these modern twists strengthens the story, A Study in Scarlet. In A Study in Scarlet, Sherlock Holmes, a “consulting” detective, is called on by the police to help the other detectives and try to figure out a very strenuous inconclusive murder trial.…
Libertucci 1 According to the FBI, “serial murder can be defined as a series of three or more killings, not less than one of which was committed within the United States, having common characteristics such as to suggest the reasonable possibility that the crime was committed by the same actor or actors” (Federal Bureau of Investigation). Killers such as Henry Howard Holmes often display similar traits that can also identify them as serial assassins. These people are often master manipulators who take advantage of their victims’ weaknesses. Similarly, they typically have above average intelligence and have a remarkable IQ compared to their peers (Woollaston).…
In the short story “A Study in Scarlet”, Watson first meets Sherlock Holmes and is surprised because Sherlock knows Watson has been to Afghanistan. This shows how observant Holmes can be since he never met Watson before, but he easily knew facts about him. Another example of Holmes…
However, “The Dying Detective” had its own exclusive concepts that did not exist in “Invitation to a Murder.” The initial mood of this story was sorrowful, as Dr. Watson and Mrs. Hudson believed Holmes was on the brink of death. In opposition, Mrs. Abbott’s glee as to killing her husband created a rather happy mood for that tale. Furthermore, to please his dear friend, the loyal Dr. Watson obeyed each of Holmes’ instructions, despite their eccentric qualities. The twelve law enforcers did not act quite the same, as they attempted to prevent Mrs. Abbott’s murder, regardless of her desires.…