“I was born with the devil in me. I could not help the fact that I was a murderer, no more than the poet can help the inspiration to sing.”
-H.H. Holmes
“Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men’s blood.” 
-Daniel H. Burnham
Two quotes, from two seemingly very different men. The novel “Devil in the White City” by Erik Larson juxtaposes the lives of these two unlike men, which takes readers on a journey through the 1800s, but most importantly, the planning and construction of the Chicago World’s Fair, or Colombian Exposition, and the orchestration of a bone-chilling scheme by a murderous mind. On the surface, the plot seems to be a non-fictitious memoir of an architect, Daniel Burnham, and a charming serial killer, H. H. Holmes. However, it reveals an in-depth analysis of the “ineluctable conflict between good and evil” and the perhaps dark, inner-workings of two brilliant men, no matter how terrifying they might be.
Throughout this novel, there is a stark contrast of good and evil, or “the ineluctable conflict between good and evil," if you may. One of the most significant, and blatant conflicts of dark and light, good and evil, is the layout of the book itself. It roughly alternates chapters of Burnham and Holmes; examining the planning and constructing of the Colombian exposition to appease the world in the view of Daniel Burnham and; examining the construction of a murderous castle and murderous personality by H.H. Holmes. Various symbolic notions appeared throughout the book, such as the contrast of the very gloomy, plain, and dark, street taken up by Holmes’ castle and the Chicago streets around it that were bright and full of life.
The book also shows a conflicting good and evil within the men themselves. Burnham set out to be the head architect of the Chicago World’s Fair, an attraction to bring happiness to fair-goers; however the journey there becomes tedious and difficult. Burnham struggles to keep his head on tight, cycling through follies, disasters, and the looming darkness that contributes to the recipe for the expo. Every day, Burnham saw men dying from the building process, and felt extreme pressure in finding someone who could “out-Eiffel Eiffel.” Yet, his vision of an amazing expo still stood through all of the dust and dark. Furthermore, the color that was decided on to paint the city was white, a symbol of purity and innocence. It is the color of light that would set the city apart from all of the rest.
Holmes also had slight displays of confliction, although it was all a ruse and he was a phony. When he was hiding his wickedness, he made women swoon, and spoke so eloquently that anyone could be persuaded into what he wanted. He could pick up a baby and hush it from crying in a matter of seconds. It was the side of Holmes that kept him out of public perception and out of the radar of the police. However, his dark side was that of a monstrous, but brilliant craft.
Burnham and Holmes possessed many differences, but surprisingly, they also had some similarities. Both men were brilliant. Both men wanted to create something that had never been orchestrated before, something that would be remembered by everyone. Both men were constructors of a revolutionary project. Both men were both destined to go down in history as the playmakers of something new, even if it may be a terrible feat.
Not to mention.. look at those moustaches.
-Daniel H. Burnham
Two quotes, from two seemingly very different men. The novel “Devil in the White City” by Erik Larson juxtaposes the lives of these two unlike men, which takes readers on a journey through the 1800s, but most importantly, the planning and construction of the Chicago World’s Fair, or Colombian Exposition, and the orchestration of a bone-chilling scheme by a murderous mind. On the surface, the plot seems to be a non-fictitious memoir of an architect, Daniel Burnham, and a charming serial killer, H. H. Holmes. However, it reveals an in-depth analysis of the “ineluctable conflict between good and evil” and the perhaps dark, inner-workings of two brilliant men, no matter how terrifying they might be.
Throughout this novel, there is a stark contrast of good and evil, or “the ineluctable conflict between good and evil," if you may. One of the most significant, and blatant conflicts of dark and light, good and evil, is the layout of the book itself. It roughly alternates chapters of Burnham and Holmes; examining the planning and constructing of the Colombian exposition to appease the world in the view of Daniel Burnham and; examining the construction of a murderous castle and murderous personality by H.H. Holmes. Various symbolic notions appeared throughout the book, such as the contrast of the very gloomy, plain, and dark, street taken up by Holmes’ castle and the Chicago streets around it that were bright and full of life.
The book also shows a conflicting good and evil within the men themselves. Burnham set out to be the head architect of the Chicago World’s Fair, an attraction to bring happiness to fair-goers; however the journey there becomes tedious and difficult. Burnham struggles to keep his head on tight, cycling through follies, disasters, and the looming darkness that contributes to the recipe for the expo. Every day, Burnham saw men dying from the building process, and felt extreme pressure in finding someone who could “out-Eiffel Eiffel.” Yet, his vision of an amazing expo still stood through all of the dust and dark. Furthermore, the color that was decided on to paint the city was white, a symbol of purity and innocence. It is the color of light that would set the city apart from all of the rest.
Holmes also had slight displays of confliction, although it was all a ruse and he was a phony. When he was hiding his wickedness, he made women swoon, and spoke so eloquently that anyone could be persuaded into what he wanted. He could pick up a baby and hush it from crying in a matter of seconds. It was the side of Holmes that kept him out of public perception and out of the radar of the police. However, his dark side was that of a monstrous, but brilliant craft.
Burnham and Holmes possessed many differences, but surprisingly, they also had some similarities. Both men were brilliant. Both men wanted to create something that had never been orchestrated before, something that would be remembered by everyone. Both men were constructors of a revolutionary project. Both men were both destined to go down in history as the playmakers of something new, even if it may be a terrible feat.
Not to mention.. look at those moustaches.
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