Historical Insights in Devil in the White City Essay example

Devil in the White City written by Erik Larson is a true story based on the building of the most important fair in the United States of America, the 1893 Columbian Exposition World’s Fair in Chicago. Erik Larson also told the story of the psychopathic murderer; H.H. Holmes used his World’s Fair Hotel as an evil castle to lure in young women who came to see the fair. The story starts off with Larson describing that Chicago won the Congressional vote to host the World’s Fair and beat out its competition New York City. In only two short years, the White City was built. The fair brought in an estimated 40 million visitors in the only six months it was open. Daniel Burnham was the chief architect of the World’s Fair. Burnham had the staggering

The attachment “Murder, magic, and madness at the fair that changed america” to the title hardly does the novel justice. Erik Larson’s The Devil in the White City, a nonfiction novel that surrounds the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, also known as The World’s Columbian Exposition. The novel follows the lives of two real men, Daniel Burnham, the architect who builds the 1893 Chicago World's Fair and H.H. Holmes, the serial killer who exploits the fair to find his victims. Many new inventions were introduced at the fair, such as Juicy Fruit gum, the Ferris Wheel, and many other novel ideas that impacted the lives of many people for generations. The beautiful fair Burnham creates provides the perfect distraction and lure for Holmes’ activities. In his novel The Devil in the White City, Erik Larson suggests that good and evil coexist in the world by using charged language, imagery and juxtaposition to show although people view the fair as a perfect dreamland immune to evil, it still lurks outside in the dark, influencing the rest of the world.

The 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, more formally known as the Columbian Exposition, was a fair constructed to celebrate Columbus’ arrival in the New World. Chicago was known as the White City, but did not appear as pure and spotless as its name suggested. For instance, there were many ways one could get killed. “Fire took a dozen lives a day...There was diphtheria, typhus, cholera, influenza. And there was murder.” (Larson 12). These unstoppable causes of death was one of the reasons Chicago’s reputation was tarnished. Furthermore, the Panic of 1893 struck and greatly affected the city of Chicago. The Panic’s effects included “financial crises”, “bankruptcy”, and “high rates of unemployment and homelessness”. (Panic of 1893). Because of the city’s economic depression, the fair would decide whether Chicago’s circumstances would improve or deteriorate. Eventually, the 1893 Chicago’s World Fair displayed what America would soon become in an industrial, military, and economic perspective.

Although it faced many obstacles in construction, time, and many other aspects, the Chicago World’s fair was immensely successful and served as a great boast of American pride. The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson is a nonfiction novel, taking place during the building of the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893, also known as The World’s Columbian Exposition. Each chapter of the novel alternates to show the lives of the two real men during this time: the main architect of the fair, Daniel Burnham, and the charming behind the scenes serial killer, H. H. Holmes. In The Devil in the White City, Erik Larson effectively utilizes juxtaposition between “the Black City” and “the White City,” metaphorical figurative language, and detailed imagery in order to portray the dreamlike qualities of the White City.

To describe the 1933 Chicago World's Fair in a word, one might choose, "modern" or "dazzling," perhaps even "outrageous." The fair experimented with modern architecture, dazzling electric illumination, and a daring color scheme meant to reflect the scientific content of the fair's exhibits. The

Larson uses figurative language to compare the exposition to a “hurricane.” The use of a metaphor to explain the similarities between how immense and deranged the fair has become to a natural disaster that literally destroys everything in its path shows just how important and extravagant this event is for the town of Chicago and the United States as a whole. Readers get insight into how overwhelming and chaotic the making of the World’s Fair is especially for the people directly involved. Readers acquire a feel for how a seemingly amazing event can have an exhausting and draining impact on the people who have to put it together. The World’s fair presents a challenge

During a period known as the Gilded Age, one city sets out to create an exposition that would secure them dominance in an ever-expanding society. Chicago was set to be the home of the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, an attraction meant to showcase the success and prosperity of the nation. This historical event showcased the prosperity and light of the city as well as the poor and dark parts that came with the building of this fair through two essential characters: Daniel Burnham and H.H. Holmes. Burnham’s determination to build the fair despite many challenges reveals the light of the windy city while Holmes’ and his deceptive evil brings awareness to the dark parts of the city during an economic depression.

The Devil in the White City written by Erik Larson explains how the 1893 World’s Fair created an interest in Chicago and the story of the smart, charming, conniving H.H. Holmes. Larson uses the assembly and the difficulty faced during the World’s Fair in Chicago to connect two stories. Erik Larson used extensive detail to explain the complexity of the construction of the buildings for the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago. He uses detail to depict how H.H. Holmes was able to use his charm and knowledge to execute each of his tasks with finesse. Larson points out that the city of Chicago was extremely dangerous, even though “things were changing”(Larson 12) the city was still a place of wonder.

In the book “The Devil in the White City” the author Erik Larson argues that the Industrial Revolution causes the people of the U.S to want to flaunt the upcoming world fair that led to the urbanization of tourists and the multiple murders caused by H.H. Holmes.

Hundreds of people crowded the streets of Chicago in late October of 1892, eager to hear the official announcement of where the World's Fair would be held. Although other nicer looking and cleaner cities were up for consideration when it came to where the fair would be held, the passion and excitement that surrounded Chicago’s local residents was enough to convince representatives of the fair to pick Chicago to host the remarkable event that would forever change America. The Chicago World's Fair had an astounding impact on Americans, both from Chicago and in other parts of the country as well. The exhibition showed many that times were changing and the country was on the verge of revolution in a variety of fashions. In essence, the 1893 Chicago World's Fair set new industrial, military, and economic standards that would serve as vital roles in America’s passage into the twentieth century.

 Midway was a part of the Fair that provided visitors with fun and educational world history lessons on developing countries and how far humanity has come(www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org).  The racism and sexism specifically at the Chicago World’s Fair was very significant.  There were days set aside for only white people and far less days for black people; women could not put their exhibits in the same buildings as the men’s exhibits.  “Multiple tragedies marked the end of the fair. A smallpox epidemic that originated at the fair in midsummer spread throughout the city by early autumn.

The Spectacular Marvel of the Chicago World’s Fair The Chicago World’s Fair, otherwise known as the World’s Columbian Exposition was a monumental event in history that has left an impact in many areas of life. The effect that the World’s Fair has had in areas such as culture, science, humanities, and much more is astounding. The residue from the Fair has resulted in such socially accepted forms of culture, architecture, and technology. Much was created in preparation for the grandiose fair, creations were prepared to be presented, and the lasting impact has produced much.

The World's Columbian Exposition, or Chicago World's Fair of 1893 as it came to be known, was the "fair that changed America" (Larson). It ushered in a period of great achievements and a sense of patriotism, as well as civic pride. However, amidst the glorious celebration, there was an evil lurking; from the murderous Dr. H.H. Holmes to the delusional Patrick Eugene Prendergast. Erik Larson tells the story of 1893's Chicago World's Fair, touching upon the lives of those who were affected, and successfully conveying to the reader an image of a time period that changed the course of America.

It all began in 1890 when Chicago won the bid for the World's Fair of 1893. The purpose of the Fair was to celebrate the four hundredth anniversary of Columbus' landing in America, therefore it was called “The World's Columbian Exposition”. Chicago enthusiastically looked forward to the event because the Fair was a dream and it would bring a positive global reputation for the city. Daniel Burnham and John Root were the famous architects that were named directors of the works. Burnham dreamed of surpassing the 1889 Paris World's Fair that produced the enormous Eiffel Tower, so engineers needed to get on top of making something more thrilling. After the dreadful death of Root, Burnham was left alone and faced many obstacles as there was much

The Chicago World Fair of 1893, or “The World Columbian Exposition”, was a watershed event in American history and influenced many of the technological and cultural changes of the early 20th century. When establishing whether the Fair was a turning point in American society, one must assess the extent to which society was changed by the event. Industrially, The World Fair added 200 new buildings to the city’s skyline, including the famous Ferris Wheel. Economically, the fair brought in an over 1 million dollar surplus for stockholders, making it the standard to which all other fairs would be compared to. And socially, the fair brought the community together through music and shows and with inventions like Aunt Jemima’s syrup and Juicy Fruit gum. Thus, The World Columbian Expo did, in fact, influence the 20th century industrially, economically and culturally.