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Student’s Name: Professor’s Name: Course Number: Date: The Devil in the White City Erik Larson’s book intertwines Burnham and Dr. Holmes’ true life tales, creating two different, yet connected plots in his story. Burnham was the architect who brilliantly directed the World’s Fair of 1893 and built some significant structures in America, including the Washington, D.C. Union Station (Giedion 79). Holmes, on the other hand, was a serial killer who ensnared people into his sumptuously built “Murder Castle” and killed them. The architect overcame great tragedies and obstacles in the process of consolidating the masterminds that transformed the Jackson Park that was initially swampy to form the White City. Holmes, on the other hand, used the fascination of the inordinate fair along with his satanic charms to entice young women’s scores to their demises. The story is extremely unnerving because the killer evidently lived, walking his dream city’s grounds by the lake. The book draws the audience into a magical moment filled with majesty, made more engaging with real life characters as supporting cast, including Theodore Dreiser, Buffalo Hill among others. Holmes was a blue-eyed sociopath who spread trepidation by murdering women in Chicago whereas Burnham used his power to make the society a better place while acquiring respect from those around him. John Capen observed he had huge eyes that were wide open just like most killers (Larson12). The Burnham’s mission was to build Chicago, but Holmes’ was to destroy it. The book is a description of how evil can exist in a well-formed place by using Holmes to represent evil and Burnham to symbolize good.
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