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Essay On The Devil In The White City

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The Chicago World Fair is a major event in the late 19th century America, but the crime and murders are a major event in the late 19th century Chicago. Stories from the builder, Daniel H. Burnham, and the killer, Dr. H. H. Holmes, gives an interesting, but vivid insight from the world’s biggest event. Burnham and Holmes give an unprecedented representation of “good” and “evil”; with alternating stories, but they aren't so different in the end; with struggles and victories. Holmes, a “devil” in the reader’s mind, uses an eerie scenes to further the evil persona. With Erik Larson’s eloquent style of writing, he cast the reader into a “sea of tranquility," and a “state of ecstasy." Larson uses a mosaic structure, eclectic array of tone, and an advanced picturesque use of imagery.
In the chapter by chapter script, structure is key to the illuminating novel, and to interesting the reader with a change from good to evil. Larson’s structure builds suspense and wonderment for the reader; as Larson switches …show more content…
That feeling the reader has of Holmes not caring about his victims is stated by slaughtering and indecent destruction of life and their bodies. Although Burnham gives a sense of wonderment and creativity by adding Olmsted, Hunt, and Ferris to help build the World’s Fair. Ferris was one of the characters who set the tone of ingenious inventions throughout the Fair; such as “the first zipper; their first electric kitchen (247). Larson’s use of tone is a defining factor into why this novel has such an effect on the reader’s view of Holmes and Burnham, and why the juxtapositioning tone of the book from white to

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