The Devil in the White City has proven so far to be both interesting and informative while discussing the history, challenges and triumphs of the construction of the World’s Fair. One problematic theme that I’ve seen throughout this time frame of the late 1800’s is an attitude of nasty competition and overall lack of support that the United States had for each other and their growing size and success. This is demonstrated in the book with the hostility between Chicago and New York over which city is the biggest, and then even more so with the quarrel surrounding the selection of location for the World’s Fair. The Fair itself was envisioned by all of America to be bigger and better than the fair put on in Paris, a classic example of competition and the desire to be on top. All of the visionaries involved give frequent descriptions of what they want the World’s Fair to become. Burnham argues more than once that the World’s Fair would be “unlike any other before it” (pg 80) and stresses the importance of going bigger than Paris, with their buildings, landscape and cultural exhibitions.

Another problem America had during this time was a fear of being seen as inadequate or lacking culture to other nations. Because of the fair in Paris, America gained a reputation of being second place in the realm of iron and steel, and with a huge lack of artistic guidance. Critics have said that American architecture “is a jumble of sad shops, booths, and bazaars often unpleasing in themselves and incongruous when taken together.” (pg 15) These assumptions being made about Americans prompted some to create a fair so full of culture and artistic features that it would attract people from around the world.

I think the author chose to intertwine the two stories of the construction and also of Holmes for a few reasons. One of those reasons is obviously to add something captivating into a book that gives so much history with little interruption. The story of the murderer while gruesome at times, tends to be the best parts of the book to read. Another reason is to show the corruption of the society surrounding the fair at the time and the darkness that can occur at even the greatest and most marvelous of places. That is just a personal insight.

I find that the book so far does a great job bringing interest and light on such a historical event. There is so much information on the different characters, the fair itself, and all the steps that are leading up to the construction of the fair. I think that one of the most significant issues in the US between 1880-1890 was competition. From the beginning I got the sense that Chicago had something to prove. They wanted to be awarded the commission of building the World’s Fair because they wanted to prove to their own city, this country (especially to New York), and to the world that they were capable of constructing a brilliant and proud representation for the anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s decent into the New World. They wanted everyone to know that they (Chicago) had the smarts and guts to pull it off. I definitely sensed the most competition between Chicago and New York. “New York was the nation’s capital of cultural and social refinement, and it’s leading citizens and newspapers never let Chicago forget it” (16).

I think another issue that Chicago faced was the time frame in which they had to build it. It was very ambitious thinking. “How is it possible that this vast amount of construction, greatly exceeding that of Paris Exhibition of 1889, will be ready in two years?” (119).

I think that Larsen chose to intertwine the story of the Fair and Holmes because its so compelling. Constructing the World’s Fair is interesting but the fact that one of the most famous serial killers of all time used it to find and kill victims makes it so much more fascinating. I think he also wrote it this way because its the classic tale of good versus evil. The World’s Fair built by Burnham was such a success but it was also dark and tragic because of what Holmes used it for.