Erik Larson

The Devil in the White City is a true crime novel written by Erik Larson. The novel takes place during the late 19th century in Chicago, Illinois. The United States decided to host the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, also known as the World’s Fair, in honor of the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ voyage to the new world. St. Louis, New York, Washington DC, and Chicago all submitted bids to be the host city for the fair. By popular vote, Chicago was chosen to host the 1983 World’s…

The Devil in the White City is written by Erik Larson, an author that takes historical events but instead of just explaining the events, he leaves his readers at the edge of their seats, wanting more, and explains gaps that are left in history regarding the events of this book. This book is set during the World's Columbian Exposition or better known as the World’s Fair of 1893. The book is based on two men that are on the opposite side of the spectrum in society: Daniel Burnham, the architect of…

Final Exam: Distractedness Erik Larson is the author of the book In the Garden of Beasts. In this book, he has let us witness the very beginning of Hitler’s Germany through the American ambassador to Germany and his family. In 1933 president Franklin Roosevelt was on the look for a new ambassador to Germany. He received many declines to the office and finally got someone to fill the office. He was a professor who had a passion for a book he was writing entitled Old South. Though reluctant to…

In the non-fiction text The Devil in the White City, written by Erik Larson, several arguments are made throughout the book. In order to support these arguments, Erik Larson describes in detail the lives of those who impacted society while in Chicago, as well as using direct quotes from these characters who ranged in different ages, backgrounds, and careers. Throughout this nonfiction book, there was one prevalent argument being asserted, that the construction of the World's Fair distracted the…

During the summer of the years 1133 to 1855 a famous fair came into London, most commonly known as the Bartholomew Fair. Hosted in Smithfield, otherwise known as the location popular for slaughterhouses and public executions, the fair was a trading event that attracted Londoners of all classes. Ben Jonson uses this factor to his advantage with his play entitled, “Bartholomew Fair.” The type of people, activities, and crimes that occur at the fair gives Jonson the opportunity to reflect on his…

‘Chicago’ Carl Sandburg The poem ‘Chicago’ by Carl Sandburg describes the city of Chicago in the United States of America, presumably at the time of writing, 1914. Sandburg is first speaking to the city, then speaking to the people who is reading the poem. Sandburg has described Chicago as a city of the big shoulders, busy and brawling. Sandburg’s deep affection for his city arises, in spite of the outsiders staring at the hard working people who colonise the city. He makes us imagine Chicago…

their own skulls. Because the Midway had a variety of intriguing exhibits and different forms of entertainment, such as hydrogen filled balloons that could carry visitors into the sky and the Ferris wheel it had a pull that the White City did not (Larson 267). As fascinating and intriguing the Midway had been in exposing the “barbarism” of ethnic cultures from around the world. The true manifestation of barbarism was only a train ride away from the populated…

Book Review Killer Clown: The John Wayne Gacy Murders Criminal Justice 370 Cornada McLester Mercer University Abstract This is a book review on killer clown. The John Wayne Gacy Murders. The author this book is Terry Sullivan with Peter T. Maiken and this book was published by Pinnacle Publishing Corp. they are located on 119 west 40th street New York, New York. Killer clown the John Wayne Gacy Murders was first copyright in 1983 and then again in 2013. Updated with the latest DNA…

Carl Sandburg’s Chicago may be widely interpreted as one man’s visualization of his city. The author’s use of a sort of ordered free verse reflects the controlled chaos within the city itself. One must be well familiarized with Chicago and all of its parts and citizens to truly understand the order of the city’s work, play, and crime. Sandburg also uses numerous adjectives and similes, which applies a sort of personal, human-like aura to this city. In the first half of the poem, Sandburg…

careers were inspired by the 1893 World’s Fair. For instance, “Walt Disney’s father, Elias, helped build the White City; Walt’s Magic Kingdom might well be a descendant” (Larson 373), and “the writer L. Frank Baum and his artist-partner William Wallace Denslow visited the fair; its grandeur informed their creation of Oz” (Larson 373). These two statements alone are just a couple of examples of how many people were in awe of what they saw at the fair in Chicago that year, and many of these…