The Devil In The White City Analysis

Superior Essays
In Erik Larson’s The Devil in The White City, the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, also known as the World’s Columbian Exposition had a groundbreaking effect on people all over the world. During the Chicago World’s Fair there was a notorious and psychotic murderer that exploited the fair by reeling in young women and killing them. Aside from the murderer, the reader saw that the fair turned out to be one of the most beautiful and extraordinary events for the people that had the opportunity to attend. In this novel, Larson’s use of literary techniques such as vivid imagery, descriptive word choice, and diverse tone throughout the entire novel creates a picture for the reader of the fair, Chicago, and H.H. Holmes, the murderer. Throughout the novel, …show more content…
The author then continues with an “alluring range... as the sun traveled the sky.” The reader pictures different shades and tones on the buildings created from the sun when it moves throughout the day. At the end of the sentence, Larson uses “the sun traveled the sky” which implies that it was clear and cloudless making it seem like it was a beautiful day. Imagery has a big impact because it makes the reader envision what everything looked like within the fair and Chicago.
Descriptive word choice in The Devil in The White City make a huge impact on the novel because it transformed the reader into the world of Chicago, the fair, and the personality of Holmes. In Chicago, before the fair, the “cab drivers cursed and gentled their horses” (17). Larson’s word choice creates a contrast about the city life. The word “cursed” establishes a negative connotation making the cab drivers seem like they are aggressive and bitter. On the other hand, Larson uses juxtaposition with the word “gentle” to show a positive connotation making the cab drivers seem sympathetic and caring. The author uses these two words to give the reader an idea and to show a display of contrasting

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