Larson uses to figurative language to depict how addicting the fair was for the people nation-wide. His metaphor comparing its enticing nature to being cast “under a spell” gives the reader an idea of how captivating the environment was. Being kept under a spell is typically associated with something being inescapable, furthermore explaining Larson’s purpose of why everyone seemed to attend the fair despite the number of people disappearing continuing to increase.
“The shared color, or more accurately the shared absence of color, produced an especially alluring range of effects as the sun traveled the sky.