The Devil In The White City Analysis

The Devil in the White City Analysis Paper While writing Isaac’s Storm, Erik Larson came across the killer, Dr. H. H. Holmes, which drew him to write The Devil in the White City. The Devil in the White City is about a serial killer, Dr. H. H. Holmes, who is the “devil” in this fascinating book, and Daniel Hudson Burnham, who is the architect of the Chicago World Fair. Larson juxtaposes these two contrasting yet similar stories together in this “nonfiction novel.” Larson uses structure, tone, and rich details to create a factual yet entertaining account of Mr. Daniel H. Burnham and Dr. H. H. Holmes. Larson’s use of structure in this book makes it very entertaining to the reader. To create suspense, the author not only juxtaposes Burnham and Holmes, but also uses alternating chapters. One chapter may be about Burnham and “The White City,” while the next chapter may be about Holmes and his “devilish” endeavors. Larson also uses cliff hangers to create a feel of suspense, thrill, and excitement. For instance, in the prologue, Larson writes about “[Olympic’s] twin,” but does not let the reader know until later in the book that it’s the Titanic (Larson 4). Also, Larson continually describes in great detail, the “engineer from Pittsburgh,” saying that “he had an angular face, black hair, a black mustache, and …show more content…
Daniel H. Burnham and Dr. H. H. Holmes. The Devil in the White City illuminates the light of the glory and magnificence of the Chicago World Fair of 1893, but at the same time, it also exposes the darkness in Holmes, in Chicago, and in America in the 19th century. This book also shows the culture of 19th century America, and how several architects and engineers overcame one of the world’s greatest feats: building such a grand “city” in such a short amount of time. It also shows that darkness can be found lurking in the grandest, greatest, most wonderful of

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