The Juxtaposition of Holmes and Burnham
The Juxtaposition of Holmes and Burnham
For every man who devotes his effort and intelligence into enriching the world, there will be an equally powerful man who intends to counterbalance the goodness with malevolence. In The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson, the intertwining tales of Henry H. Holmes and Daniel Burnham show that good cannot exist without evil, just as evil cannot exist without good. In the midst of one of Chicago’s finest architectural happenings, one man is working meticulously to create the most extravagant architectural endeavors of the time, whilst another man is working equally hard to be detrimental to those who are drawn in by the 1893 World’s Fair. Although the two characters seem paradoxical, they are similar in their people skills and obsession – but differ in their relationships and legacies.
Daniel Burnham and H. H. Holmes both attracted people with their charm and ambition, but only one of them intended on good use of the traits. They mutually used their way with others to convince them to contribute to their businesses; Daniel Burnham “drew clients and friends to him the way a lens gathers light” (26) just as Holmes was a “social chameleon” (340). Burnham persuaded Olmstead to be a main architect in the fair, even though he previously opposed helping design fairs; Mrs. Horton sold Holmes the drug store. Olmstead assisted in finishing the project before the deadline and created one of the most extravagant architectural designs of that time, while Holmes used the drug store to fund his “Castle” which is later used to lure visitors to their deaths. The pure, advantageous city that Burnham created was still in equilibrium with Holmes’ horrific actions.
Both men in the novel shared an extreme similarity: obsession. Although their obsessions were quite opposite, Holmes and Burnham commonly worked meticulously toward a goal. Daniel Burnham was so determined to complete the construction of the White City before the deadline that it
For every man who devotes his effort and intelligence into enriching the world, there will be an equally powerful man who intends to counterbalance the goodness with malevolence. In The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson, the intertwining tales of Henry H. Holmes and Daniel Burnham show that good cannot exist without evil, just as evil cannot exist without good. In the midst of one of Chicago’s finest architectural happenings, one man is working meticulously to create the most extravagant architectural endeavors of the time, whilst another man is working equally hard to be detrimental to those who are drawn in by the 1893 World’s Fair. Although the two characters seem paradoxical, they are similar in their people skills and obsession – but differ in their relationships and legacies.
Daniel Burnham and H. H. Holmes both attracted people with their charm and ambition, but only one of them intended on good use of the traits. They mutually used their way with others to convince them to contribute to their businesses; Daniel Burnham “drew clients and friends to him the way a lens gathers light” (26) just as Holmes was a “social chameleon” (340). Burnham persuaded Olmstead to be a main architect in the fair, even though he previously opposed helping design fairs; Mrs. Horton sold Holmes the drug store. Olmstead assisted in finishing the project before the deadline and created one of the most extravagant architectural designs of that time, while Holmes used the drug store to fund his “Castle” which is later used to lure visitors to their deaths. The pure, advantageous city that Burnham created was still in equilibrium with Holmes’ horrific actions.
Both men in the novel shared an extreme similarity: obsession. Although their obsessions were quite opposite, Holmes and Burnham commonly worked meticulously toward a goal. Daniel Burnham was so determined to complete the construction of the White City before the deadline that it