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The Devil In The White City Rhetorical Analysis

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The Devil in the White City Rhetorical Analysis Essay The Chicago World’s Fair, one of America’s most compelling historical events, spurred an era of innovative discoveries and life-changing inventions. The fair brought forward a bright and hopeful future for America; however, there is just as much darkness as there is light and wonder. In the non-fiction novel, The Devil in the White City, architect Daniel Burnham and serial killer H. H. Holmes are the perfect representation of the light and dark displayed in Chicago. Erik Larson uses positive and negative tone, juxtaposition, and imagery to express that despite the brightness and newfound wonder brought on by the fair, darkness lurks around the city in the form of murder, which at first, went unnoticed. Larson’s positive word choice creates a …show more content…

The “gleam in the sun, a soft, white note in the dun-colored landscape, and the pure blue line of the lake horizon” paints a vivid image of the calm and tranquil scene Larson has created (129). Attention to color is mentioned throughout the novel to reiterate the liveliness of the city. The “soft yellows, pinks, and purples” and “brilliant blues” all span throughout the fair, adding to the beauty and lightness of the event (267). Conversely, previously the scene was pictured as peaceful and calm, but is later in the same sentence described as having a “rugged and barren foreground” (129). The contrast seen by the audience serves as a reminder that even though things may seem tranquil and at ease, there is still an undiscovered crime taking place at the same times. The contrasting images of the two views are able to stand out more vividly to the reader. The use of Larson’s imagery allows the audience to notice the naiveté of the people in Chicago because of the large focus on the brightness of the

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