Devil in the White City

¶ … Devil in the White City

The purpose of this paper is to introduce and analyze the book "The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America" by Erik Larson. Specifically it will contain a book report of the book. "The Devil in the White City" is an interesting book that looks at two real historical figures, architect Daniel Burnham and Henry H. Holmes, America's first serial killer. The book reads partially like a history book, and partially like a novel, which makes it an interesting and compelling read. The reader wants to turn the page to find out what happens next, even though they really already know the outcome of the story - Homes gets caught and makes history as the first serial killer ever uncovered in America.

The two men come together at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, which is the historical backdrop for the story. In a sense, the World's Fair is the impetus for the book, but really, the story is about America in the Gilded Age and the public pride that helped Chicago create a dazzling World's Fair in a relatively short amount of time. It shows something that is lacking in our society today - the "civic honor" that existed in Chicago at the time that gave people pride in their city and how it appeared to the outside world. It does not seem like that civic pride continues today, and it is doubtful that such a massive civic undertaking would even be considered today. Therefore, in a sense, this book is a historic look back, but it is also a look at what America has given up throughout the ages, including the ability to create, develop, and imagine things that seem impossible, and then make them a dazzling reality. We can still do that, but it is difficult to imagine modern Americans engaging in these activities with any gusto, unless they thought they would benefit themselves in some way.