The Devil In The White City Rhetorical Analysis

The juxtaposition of two opposing stories is enough to get anyone’s head spinning. Comparing the glamorous production of the Chicago World Fair to the ominous destruction and killing caused by H.H. Holmes in the background is all the more interesting. Erik Larson’s 2003 nonfiction novel does just that. One would never think to relate murder to art until after reading this book. In The Devil in the White City, Erik Larson uses figurative language, imagery, and juxtaposition to create a vivid illustration of the contrast between good and evil in Chicago in 1893.

Literary Analysis of The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson Erik Larson is the author of numerous best-selling books, such as The Devil in the White City, which was based off Chicago World’s Fair in 1893. Larson splits this book into two plot lines, one focusing on serial killer H.H Holmes and his ideas and plans; and the other focusing on John Root and Daniel Burnham, who were talented architects that were appointed responsible for building the fair. The dominant theme of this book is the representation of good and evil. Larson can apply this theme to both plot lines and does an incredible job of combining the plot lines into a well written and understandable novel that is filled to the brim with suspense. Larson’s use of vivid descriptions allowed the author to portray Chicago’s successes from an abominable reputation that the city of Chicago once had.

In Erik Larson’s novel The Devil in the White City takes place during the Gilded Age. During this period of time everything appears good and golden on the outside when in reality everything was full of corruption. In the novel, the author takes the reader to the city of Chicago, where the city is “swelled “in population causing the city to expand in all “available directions” (Larson 44). As Chicago became the “second most populous [city] in the nation after New York” there was an urge that city show off to the world and the nation of how great it was through the Chicago World’s Fair (Larson 44).

The non fiction novel, “The Devil in the White City”, is filled with twists and turns as author Eric Larson compares the lives of two men thought to be living two entirely different lives. Chicago’s World Fair, in remembrance of the landing of Columbus in America, is a major aspect in the lives of both men, named H.H Holmes and Daniel Burnham. In this specific passage, however, the literary element of symbolism is applied and very well so. The illuminations lighting up the city symbolizes positivity. With European rivals always “one step ahead”, the lights covering Chicago specifically give a sense of hope and America’s potential to be improved.

The Chicago World Fair stirred many emotions in this great time of industrialization, but not only was Chicago shining in the spotlight from the fair, it was also promoting something much more sinister, this dark enclosing spotlight shined directly on H.H Holmes. Burnham the leader of the World Fair and H. H Holmes the notorious serial killer, are the two main characters in this novel that Erik Larson uses the balance between light and dark between these two’s personalities. In the novel The Devil in the White City Erik Larson uses Imagery, paradox, and alliteration to show the balance between the light and dark in the ever growing city of Chicago. Imagery paints an ever expanding picture for the audience, the detailed descriptions such as “but his eyes are as blue as ever, bluer at this instant by proximity to the sea" (Larson 3).

Throughout the course of his The Devil in the White City, Erik Larson describes Chicago’s 1893 World’s Fair through the eyes of two different main characters: Herman Webster Mudgett—a psychopathic serial killer who builds his famous “death castle” on the outskirts of the fairgrounds, and Daniel Burnham—the director of works for the World’s Columbian Exposition. Larson employs the use of many contrasting themes within his writing including success and failure, but perhaps most importantly, murder and beauty. In order to emphasize said themes, Larson juxtaposes the accounts of his two main characters: Mudgett and Burnham. There is no doubt that the manner in which Larson portrays Mudgett is sketchy at best. Rather than introducing him with a concise description, Larson familiarizes the reader with Mudgett over the course of several chapters.

A City of Prospering Light always shines through darkness, and that is just what the Chicago World’s Fair did during the 19th century. Regardless of mishaps and bleak points, such as the unfortunate successes of H.H. Holmes, the astronomical amount of positivity given to the world for years to come outweighed all of the negative points by far at the fair, also referred to as the Columbian Exposition. Inventions and architectural phenomena are delved into throughout the novelistic style non-fiction book The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. Larson took a bold approach and intertwined many storylines and lives of people throughout the construction and ongoing of the exposition. By doing so, he gave readers a unique insight into all of

This is perhaps most evident when Solnit describes Detroit as “not quite post-apocalyptic but … strangely – and sometime even beautifully – post-American” (Solnit 2). Cutting the phrases ‘post-apocalyptic’ and ‘post-American’ with beauty is Solnit’s first hint at a sort of hope after death. An idea that Detroit’s collapse provides a chance at a brighter future. This contradiction is utilized again when the piece portrays “a burned-out house … next to a carefully tended twin” (Solnit 3). The image of collapsing ruins neighboring a pristine home highlights the widespread deterioration happening across the city.

On of the greatest examples of imagery that Alice Walker uses is the one that compares light and darkness. At the beguining of the story the author mentions delicate and calm setting of a farm. In creating this imagery the reader is able to understand that all the positive and upbeat words are associated with the farm setting. Myop’s light-hearted innocence is also shown when “watching the tiny white bubbles disrupt the thin black scale”. The effective description  provides credibility to the environment, and makes the later events all the more shocking,

Mark Twain, an 18th century humorist, was known for his critical and satirical writing. In one of his most famous essays, “ Fenimore Coopers Literary Offenses” Twain addresses Coopers inability to realistically develop a “situation” and his failure to effectively back up his stories in order for them to be more plausible. To dramatically convey his unimpressed and sarcastic attitude, he applies biting diction, metaphors and hypophora throughout this work .

Narrating a changing time of American history that showcased the enchanting, yet ungodly horrors capability of its citizens, Erik Larson’s nonfiction, historical novel The Devil in the White City follows the events of Chicago’s World Exposition Fair of 1893. Great contradicting powers of the architect, Daniel H. Burnham, chief of works of the Columbian Exposition and Herman Mudgett alias Dr. H. H. Holmes, a physician exploiting his skills for murder, heavily influences the city. Larson massively utilizes resources of recorded accounts of the era to have the story concrete and authentic as if resurrecting the people, time, and place over again. The said author reported to acquire information from archives of historical societies, national libraries,

The Nonfiction Novel, Black Boy was written By Richard Wright. In the Novel Richard uses various tools of rhetorical to convey his point of determination and aspiration while growing up as an African American boy in Jim Crow South, facing the social and economic struggles that were very stereotypical for African Americans during the time. Black Boy is about a long lived struggle of hunger for not only food, but acceptance, an understanding of the world, love and an important unappeasable hunger for knowledge. Wright is faced with daily obstacles and struggles living in poverty as he is determined to leave behind these circumstances.

Black people were and may still be, misunderstood and mistreated by white people. It’s hard to think that a race would be excluded from society and frowned upon when it isn’t any different from other races because they are also human. Black people deserve a fair place in the world and a fair chance at life and freedom just like any other race.

In this passage, Charlotte Perkins Gilman highlights the theme that women must use their intellect or go mad through the use of literary qualities and writing styles. Gilman also uses the use of capital letters to portray the decline in the narrators’ sanity. This shows the decline in the sanity of a person because the words in all-caps is shown as abrupt, loud remarks. Gilman uses this method multiple times in her short story and this method was used twice in this passage. When the narrator wrote, “LOOKING AT THE PAPER!”, the major decline in her mental health was shown. Before this remark, the narrator only would put one to two words maximum in all capital letters. This remark has the total of four words which if a big jump from one

The Devil in the White City The Devil in the White City is a historical non-fiction book written by Erik Larson that reads like a novel. The book follows two, real main characters, during the building and existence of the Chicago World’s fair. The first is an American architect named Daniel Burnham.