The Devil in the City
Kheri Murphy
AMH 2020
Devil in the White City Essay
November 14, 2012
Erik Larson’s, Devil in the White City is a nonfiction literary work that takes place in
Chicago during the Gilded Age. Larson transports readers to a moment in American history that shows the splendor of imagination evident at the time, and the violence and poverty that surrounded it. This story is one of good and evil. Daniel Burnham, the brilliant architect responsible for the grandeur and construction of The World’s Fair nicknamed the White City, versus H.H. Holmes, the morally deprived serial killer who used the Black City image of
Chicago as a playground for finding innocent victims.
Nineteenth century Chicago, referred to as the Black City due its ominous nature, was overcrowded, poverty stricken, and polluted. The city, lined with brothels, saloons, and nightclubs, provided a morally deteriorating backdrop for the madness that ensued outside the entrances to The World’s Fair. When compared to the stockyards Chicago was famous for, the
Black City shared the same gruesome, unsanitary conditions made apparent with other literary works, such as Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle. Frequent deaths due to train accidents, fire, disease, and of course the murder surrounding the city during this time, encouraged the idea that Chicago was menacing to say the least. Despite the lust, greed, and murder, Chicago was a prideful city.
Regardless of hindrances, such as the Depression and the Fire of 1871, Chicago grew economically and socially and coveted the world recognition that it was an up and coming leader among large cities in America. During the late nineteenth century, Chicago’s population had exceeded one million for the first time. This increase in residents made the city the second most populated in the country, second only to New York City, and Chicagoans wanted everyone to know their city was on the rise. The growing population contributed to
AMH 2020
Devil in the White City Essay
November 14, 2012
Erik Larson’s, Devil in the White City is a nonfiction literary work that takes place in
Chicago during the Gilded Age. Larson transports readers to a moment in American history that shows the splendor of imagination evident at the time, and the violence and poverty that surrounded it. This story is one of good and evil. Daniel Burnham, the brilliant architect responsible for the grandeur and construction of The World’s Fair nicknamed the White City, versus H.H. Holmes, the morally deprived serial killer who used the Black City image of
Chicago as a playground for finding innocent victims.
Nineteenth century Chicago, referred to as the Black City due its ominous nature, was overcrowded, poverty stricken, and polluted. The city, lined with brothels, saloons, and nightclubs, provided a morally deteriorating backdrop for the madness that ensued outside the entrances to The World’s Fair. When compared to the stockyards Chicago was famous for, the
Black City shared the same gruesome, unsanitary conditions made apparent with other literary works, such as Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle. Frequent deaths due to train accidents, fire, disease, and of course the murder surrounding the city during this time, encouraged the idea that Chicago was menacing to say the least. Despite the lust, greed, and murder, Chicago was a prideful city.
Regardless of hindrances, such as the Depression and the Fire of 1871, Chicago grew economically and socially and coveted the world recognition that it was an up and coming leader among large cities in America. During the late nineteenth century, Chicago’s population had exceeded one million for the first time. This increase in residents made the city the second most populated in the country, second only to New York City, and Chicagoans wanted everyone to know their city was on the rise. The growing population contributed to