Nevertheless, the resolution surrounding the exposition was a dismal, if not captivating, affair, affecting thousands. But in the midst of this gloom was another reason for mourning, a reason that pushed the entire countryside on the edges of their seats, the death of one, Benjamin Pitezel and the disappearance of his three children. At the center of this shocking story was a figure whose presence could be described as the embodiment of the black city, Doctor H.H. Holmes, and the man-made in charge of solving this conundrum, Detective Geyer. To showcase this battle of good attempting to overthrow evil and its effect on the people, Larson uses personification, personifying the humidity during that time as “A humid stillness [that] held the countryside”