Daniel Burnham: The World's Columbian Exposition

The World's Columbian Exposition was a magnificent fair home to ingeniously creative inventions, astounding new attractions, and fascinating celebrities. Designed by renowned architect Daniel Burnham, this dreamland served as a grand display of Chicagoan pride. The fair also impacted American culture, inspiring many great theme parks such as Disneyland and inspiring many great artists and architects. Little Americans know about the fair today however, and even fewer know about the horrifying secret that lies underneath it. During the fair, American was introduced to the monstrosity of serial killers by one H. H. Holmes. H. H. Holmes exploited the grandeur of the fair to lure innocent people to their demise. In here lies the overarching theme

While both men are geniuses within their own fields, Burnham uses his intellect to construct impressive buildings whereas Holmes uses his to bring death and destruction. Throughout the novel, Burnham devotes much of his time and energy in perfecting the fair. Burnham is also known to “show compassion for his workers” (Larson 154). This demonstrates that Burnham has great respect and cares about his employees, treating them benevolently. Burnham has passion for what he does and has passion for other humans. Belknap describes Holmes as “charming and gracious” but with an “element of humanness missing” (Larson 87). Holmes never shows compassion for other human beings, being self-centered and treating humans as disposable and pawns in his murderous game. Holmes gives off a sense of charm, but his manners were just a facade to disguise his true intentions. The contrast of Burnham, a good man with genuine empathy for human beings, and Holmes, a psychopath with no genuine emotions towards others, is to show that good people treat others with dignity and respect. Evil people as a result do not display feelings towards others, but rather manipulate people's feelings to get desired

During the fair, when all the guests are having fun and enjoying the new attractions, Patrick Prendergast unexpectedly murders Mayor Carter Harrison. The travesty is further amplified by having it occur when nobody was prepared, the “murder [falling] upon the city like a heavy curtain” (Larson 333). The intensity of emotions of terror and grief is heightened by the contrast of emotions of whimsy and delight presented earlier. Before the fair however, Holmes was still unknowingly committing murder in his hotel nearby. The atrocities of Holmes are made even worse by having them be so close to the majesty of the fair. While guests are enjoying themselves at the fair, Holmes was busy “[filling] the vault with gas” (Larson 296) to kill unsuspecting victims. The reader knowing how Holmes is about to kill his victim, while at the same time knowing how close the victim is to safety, makes the reader more emotionally invested in the victim's