The Devil in the White City- Alexis Rao

Chicago is adept at masking darkness and has a variety of push factors but the worst one being high death rates due to disease, fire, and murder. Daniel Burnham is the leading architect in Chicago and after winning the bid to hold the fair, he has to plan and design the fair in Jackson Park. Later, H. H. Holmes is introduced as a young charming doctor who owns a pharmacy. Soon after his arrival people began to go missing and Holmes builds a “hotel” near Jackson Park as a place to stay during the fair. Author, Erik Larson depicts both these opposite narratives.

"The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

Daniel Burnham is the architect and visionary behind the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. In the context of American history, Burnham is regarded as one of the greatest architects and an influential mind in 20th-century architecture. When Chicago took on the responsibility of surpassing Paris's Eiffel Tower, Burnham successfully managed the creation of the fair, expanding America’s pride and legacy. He navigated challenges such as tight deadlines, lack of funding, political opposition, and public safety concerns. Through his work, Burnham showcased his skills by overcoming these obstacles and proving himself to be a determined and ambitious leader. His designs brought a sense of beauty and order to Chicago, juxtaposed with the otherwise chaotic scene of the city. Ultimately, he transformed not only the physical landscape of Chicago but the overall cultural identity of America.

One of America's first notorious serial killers, a man born Herman Webster Mudgett, arrived to Chicago in 1886, taking the name "H.H. Holmes." During the development of Chicago’s 1893 World’s Fair, H.H. Holmes emerged as a trustworthy pharmacist. Behind the charming exterior he displayed, Holmes was truly a con artist who murdered to steal his victims' property. His hotel, dubbed the "Murder Castle," was designed to draw unsuspecting people in with the promise of comfort and luxury. Holmes equipped this building with secret passages, trapdoors, soundproof rooms, doors that could be locked from the outside, gas jets, and a kiln to cremate bodies—which he donated the skeletons of to research. Holmes was said to have a charming demeanor, giving him the leverage to gain the trust of naive and innocent young women, many of whom had recently come to Chicago seeking economic opportunities. Author Erik Larson, in his account of Holmes's crimes against the backdrop of the spectacular World’s Fair, depicts him as the embodiment of the much grislier side of the American Dream.

Erik Larson's purpose changes throughout his book as he details the contrasting figures of Daniel Burnham and H.H. Holmes. Initially, he focuses on portraying the visions for the World's Fair and provides informative insights into the technological developments in newly emerging Chicago. Later, as he introduces Chicago's serial killer and con man, he uses these dark themes to shape his message. His purpose in bringing H.H. Holmes into his writing is to expose the underlying evil in Chicago. Larson's message is that appearances often don't reflect reality.