Our presentation is on the true story The Devil in the White City, by Erik Larson. The story covers the first known serial killer in the United States-H.H. Holmes, also known as Herman Webster Mudgett. The series of events in the novel take place in the city of Chicago, ironically nicknamed the “white city” in the year 1893. We follow two sides, the story of resilient architects and the other follows H.H. Holmes
A- The protagonist our story is Daniel Burnham- a middle aged, blue-eyed architect. All of the men coincidentally have blue eyes. Larson describes the men with blue eyes as having the potential for greatness that resides within the men. We can also attribute it to the calm nature that the men with blue eyes had.
J- Each person in
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Larson brings up aspects of the story as old ghosts. There are some lighter moments in comparison to the style of the rest of the book, like the creation of the world’s first skyscraper or the world’s first Ferris wheel. Nevertheless, Larson wants us to get that it’s a dark narrative.
J- Larson is a bit overdramatic, but this is a contributing factor to the ominous tone we were talking about. I mean you have to be when you’re talking about a guy how might have killed up to 200 people. Continuing on with Holmes, his first conviction was 1894.
A- Before his life in Chicago, Holmes was all over the place trying to rebuild his life post medical school and took part in insurance schemes. The same happened after he left Chicago, he created insurance schemes with his partner Ben Pitzel, who he ended up burning alive. Still only nine of his murders were confirmed.
J-Holmes self-comparison to the devil also reassures the good versus evil motif. Burnham is not as prominent as Holmes is, but he’s a major catalyst for the series of events that occurs within the Holmes timeline. But, he’s a good example of the good that exists, and plays both God and man in a Garden of Eden scenario. He is both the creator and