The White Devil

Chicago in 1893: Bright City, Dark Menace In the historical novel “The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America,” author Erik Larson portrays Chicago as both the city of opportunity and simultaneously as a hotbed of crime and human exploitation (Larson). Chicago in the 1890’s was quite rough because jobs and murders have made the city a place of both danger and opportunity. Numerous murders have led to turmoil in the city. In addition, the changes that…

The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson is set during the 1893 World Fair in Chicago, Illinois, celebrating the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s arrival in the Americas. The event, which would cover over 600 acres and bring well over twenty seven million people was developed by the architect Daniel Burnham. Burnham and his partner at the time, John Root, set out to put Chicago onto a stage of positive reputation and honor. They must both overcome a series of delays and obstacles,…

The research question under discussion in this essay is to analyze what are the accounts for the dreamlike quality of the White City in the novel, (written by Erik Larson, The Devil in the White City) and how are these aspects of a negative affect or positive affect on the people and the city where it all takes place? This will help understand the importance of the setting, the 1893 Chicago World's Fair also known as The World's Columbian Exposition, to the storyline of the book. Also because…

time period was not as easy as it seemed either; they were in the midst of a depression. This made it harder to do what was needed to be done. In the book The Devil in the White City gives a wonderful and nonfictional story about the Worlds Fair that will have you at the edge of your seat. Larson, author of The Devil in the White City, uses all the background information he can get to come up with an amazing story about to completely different men, but then oddly connects them to each…

Erik Larson’s “The Devil in the White City…,” focuses on the life of Herman Mudgett who went by the alias H. H. Holmes. Holmes enters the plot fresh off the train “…dressed well, conjuring an impression of wealth and achievement.” The city of Chicago, at the time, was perceived to be the land for those eager and hungry for wealth. To Holmes, Chicago not only presented the opportunity to make money, but it also presented the opportunity to commit murder. Chicago was such an advantageous place…

In Larson’s book The Devil in the White City, Larson portrays Jackson Park, the location of the Chicago World’s Fair, in different ways, based on the characters’ knowledge of the park. He uses three characters’ quotes and thoughts to give the reader an image of the park: Olmsted, Burnham, and the east coast architects. The image he gives the reader is never perfect, but the first impression he gives the reader is acceptable. At first, Larson describes Jackson Park as a place that may not have…

In The Devil in the White City, a novel published in the year 2003, Erik Larson describes the greatness of both the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893 and one of America’s first serial killers, H.H. Holmes. In the novel, Larson uses juxtaposition, imagery, and repetition to emphasize the characteristics of good and evil for the reader. In his implementations of juxtaposition, Larson directly contrasts the characteristics of opposing elements. In his contrast between “the moral” and “the…

The Devil in the White City is a nonfiction book that is divided into four different parts. The last part takes the reader into two perspectives. One perspective is of Daniel Burnham who was the architect that built the 1893 Chicago’s World Fair. The book describes of the obstacles that Daniel and his partner John Root had to overcome. These obstacles include the two of them having to figure out an attraction more spectacular than the Eiffel Tower. Also, Daniel was left building the fair by…

a book review based on a list of novels that Professor Vistain has passed around. I looked around and tried to pick a book and I was not interested in any of them but The Devil in the White City looked interesting as it is mostly based on history of Chicago, and how well written this nonfiction novel is. The Devil in the White City is a nonfiction novel is also divided into four parts, whereas the first three part of the novel is based on Chicago between the years of 1890-1895; meanwhile, the…

The Devil In The White City Essay #1 The majority of people will realize this book is different after just reading the first two chapters of The Devil in The White City. Rather you find out the book is being told from two stories being jumped back in forth between two totally different men in chicago during the world fair, or the interruptions of flashbacks, and little details you come across from Erik Larson's own research. This sounding like chaos Larson still has his book set up with a…