Holmes

The way Larson incorporates such accurate depictions of history to tell his story is very skillful. The atrocities that Holmes committed seem too disgusting for even the most imaginative minds, yet they were real. And Larson utilizes those acts to not only weave an elaborate, almost-fictional story but also to accentuate certain aspects of the fair and of the times. Holmes was a symbol of the most horrible parts of the unstable city that was experiencing mighty growing pains. Chicago was fluctuating greatly because of great growth on top of shaky foundations, both literally and metaphorically. With those great gains came great pains, which Holmes took into one being.

Contrasting Themes

My favourite part of the book was the ease in which Erik Larson was able to tell two stories, Holmes and Burnham, in the same book. The themes of grandeur and class relegated in the story revolving around the World's Fair is beautifully contrasted with the dark and terrifying portion involving America's first serial killer, Dr. H. H. Holmes. Although I honestly skimmed through most of the Fair portions in parts I and II because I was not intrigued whatsoever by all the architecture and business jargon, watching the fair come together into to this wondrous and fanciful city of purity and American and Chicagoan ingenuity was truly amazing to read. And, furthermore, to have this light and pure World's Fair be contrasted by murderous Holmes was unique and thrilling, as it was a fascinating switch to read about. 

As a parting note, good luck everyone on their quest Monday! I know we'll be able to push our way to first, especially since we aren't even that far off. Study hard because we're almost done with this quest!

Looking Back

Overall, Holmes's gruesome murders in the book were highly alarming; therefore, the prolonged quest to catch Holmes is unnerving and tiring, but nonetheless intriguing.
Additionally, I feel that Chicago perfectly embodied the "Gilded Age." Throughout the book, Chicago displayed a golden crust, the fair, to the world and for the most part kept it's problems hidden from the average man. However, because the book was presented from mainly Burnham's point of view, who's much richer and economically stable than the population, the issues of the depression did not seem as prominent except for a when there was talk of labor unions or a shortage of people visiting the fair.
Furthermore, I loved how Larson incorporated history accurately and seamlessly into the book into an enjoyable presentation.

Resurfacing Evil

The last few chapters of the book gave me the impression of how Larson constantly resurfaces evil throughout the book, and in the end Evil is finally even slightly subdued by Holmes' death sentence. However, the part that still bothered me was the fact that to some extent Holmes still got his way with even how is body is treated after his death. I found that throughout the book, Holmes viewed himself as a superior being, which is why he doesn't want his body to be given to science as he has done to everyone because he thinks of himself as better than everyone he has killed.
The rest of the end chapters also resurface evil by giving emphasis on how even throughout all the evil deeds happening in Chicago during the World Fair, Chicago will still forever be known on how great the fair was.
I really enjoyed how Larson tied the ending together by including the fate of every character involved in the book.
The one thing I didn't understand was the point of Holmes killing so many people and causing so much harm, it just seemed so uncalled for.

Assassination

Towards the close of Part III, Prendergast assassinates Mayor Harrison on his doorstep. Due to Harrison's death, the once-lavish plan of the closing day was now designated as a memorial day for Harrison. Did the change in the attitude of the fair-goers affect the end of the fair at all?

Ironic fire

Although the World Fair brought lots of excitement to Chicago, it left the city in ruins. This characterizes how if something is good on the outside, but "wicked" on the inside, the it will result in ruins anyway, just like Chicago. I thought there was extreme irony present in the last 3-4 chapters, because the building up of the fair was not what attracted the most people, the near destruction of the fair is what attracted the most. The end of the fair not only marked a milestone in the history of Chicago, but it also ended the section and represented the Gilded Age with the result of a complete epidemic of  disorder. The assassination of Harrison, Burnham's end to the fair, the escape of Holmes, the increased depression, the low economy, and the resulting low quality of life and widened income gap was all that was left of the City. Holmes escape and the success of the World Fair as a whole both resulted from a fire, which is ironic because throughout the book till now, fire symbolized evil and foreshadowed wicked events. Even Pendergast was used as an ironic metaphor of evil along with Holmes, representing the darker and more negative aspects of the Gilded Age. However, the only questions that constantly flowed through my mind after the reading were: Why did the fire attract more people than the fair itself? Why was there more people at the fair after the fire than even at the mayor's memorial and what does this say about Americans' sense of nationalism?

Ferris Wheel vs. Eiffel Tower Response

The Ferris Wheel represented the Chicago Fair because it was proof to the world the Chicago was no longer a barbaric, pig-slaughtering city, but a city of industrial greatness and chief economic gain. It compares to the idealism in Europe and France's Eiffel Tower by being the realistic result of America's ideologies, as America dreamt of an architectural feat far surpassing that of the Eiffel Tower, and actually produced a laudable outcome.

Ferris Wheel vs. Eiffel Tower

The main attraction, the Ferris Wheel revived the floundering attendance at the fair when it was finally completed. The Ferris Wheel was arguable the quintessential part of the exposition by representing much that Chicago was during the Gilded Age. How does the Ferris Wheel represent the Chicago Fair? How does it compare to the idealism in Europe and in the Eiffel Tower?

Murder, Depression, and the World's Fair

The steady decline of the economy and the steady increase in Holmes's murders signify the increased vulnerability of the times. Masked by the brilliant new lights and white paint were the true colors of the times: the filth, corruption, and exploitation in Chicago during the late Gilded Age. As Holmes's imposing new building obscured his many behind-the-door crimes the fair the imposing new city, Chicago, with its seemingly limitless vertical and horizontal expansion, hid many of the hardships down below. Furthermore, the World's Fair opened before its completion, revealing the semi-haphazard attitude of the fair. The littering on the ground was hidden by the resplendence above. The fair, representative of Chicago and the United States, was inspired by men whose heads were in the clouds but kept their legs churning on the ground; they were idealistic in their aspirations yet pragmatic in their approach. Furthermore, that is why even working-class families were willing to come see this once-in-a-lifetime exhibition. Thanks to weekends and such holidays as Chicago Day, the fair attracted everyone during the worst depression ever at the time, even though some had to scrub together the pennies to do so.

Two-Sided Gilded Age

As I was reading through part 3, this question was constantly roaming around in my head: What do the the existence of the growing economic depression and Holmes' murders during the exciting World Fair reflect about the city of Chicago?

Finally I realized the existence of the depression and Holmes' murders during the World Affair reflect the two-sidedness of not only the city of Chicago, but also of the nation. The murders and depression foil to the negative aspects of the Gilded Age and of even the city of Chicago. It seems like the more hidden negative aspects are kind of covered up by the positive and exciting World Affair that's going on at the same exact time. The differences in the two sides also reflect the differences between the social classes during the Gilded Age. It seems like the positive aspect, such as the World Affair, or the higher upper class is more well-known than the inner situations of hardships. The upper class of society have no problem attending the World Affair and don't struggle much through the depression. However, this is not the case with the lower and middle class of people. While the upper class enjoys the fair, the lower class struggles with the depression and women of the lower classes start getting murdered by Holmes by just staying at the cheap hotel. The key idea is foiling all the two sidedness; the Gilded Age is referred to as looking great on the outside yet full of hardships on the inside, and that is also how the city of Chicago is reflected by the book.

Unfulfilled Promises

Parallel to Sherman's "40 acres and 1 mule", Chicago and much of America remains an unfulfilled promise for the nation's poor. Just like the slaves, at the beginning of the Gilded Age, the poor are optimistic; however, a couple years in, they are discouraged further by the depression. As always, Burnham retains his sublime position while the laborers struggle to gain equality and resort to labor unions.

Depression

As the story progresses in Part 2, the ongoing depression starts to become a more prominent. Burnham struggles against labor union demands for higher wages and an eight hour workday. Additionally, much like today, budget cuts force laborers to be laid off despite their high demand for the fair showing that even the fair is starting to be directly affected by the depression.

Opening Day: Predictions

Towards the end of part II, last minute preparations were being made to the fair to organize it in time for opening day. According to a reporter, the night before opening day, the fairgrounds looked like a mess, and there was no way it could all be cleaned up and look presentable by the next day's ceremonies. Since national pride is a big theme throughout the novel, will the fair look decent enough to gain global status, or will it look like a huge mess of construction? Will this opening ceremony hurt Chicago's image, and, furthermore, America's image? Or will the grandeur of the World's Fair overshadow the flaws and exemplify Chicago's name?

Holmes and Chicago

Holmes and Chicago are not really all that different. The only reason Holmes garnered attention was because he was directly involved with the death of the women. The factories of Chicago and the other various industrial jobs killed all these factory workers, and, while labor unions were fighting for safer working conditions, not one single person was responsible for the deaths of all these workers. Thus, Holmes was really the embodiment of the negative side of industrialization, as he looked charming and gilded, yet was really ruthless and deadly.

Holmes is the "bad guy" in The Devil In The White City, and Chicago is the "White City." However, is the depraved Holmes much different from a city of opportunity like Chicago? The similarities are striking. When Holmes built his building, he viewed laborers as replaceable tools; the turnover rate was high. When Chicago industrialized, workers lost their identities and became replaceable cogs in the big machine. Holmes seems good on the outside, but that is simply a facade. Chicago seems like a great new land of potential, in which jobs are plentiful and upward social mobility is possible for everyone, but that is quixotic -- the reality is that most are working class and will remain that way for the remainder of their lives. Those who affiliate with Holmes are left abandoned or dead; many who affiliate with Chicago are left decrepit or get killed while working (or by Holmes). So, are Holmes and Chicago that different, or are we as people who hear about Holmes's brutally killing multiple women and children simply biased?

Pragmatism vs Idealism

The fact that Chicago held the World's Fair to garner national pride and create a greater monument than the Eiffel Tower in only around three years clearly shows the idyllic American attitude of the times. Yet, from reusing people's skeletons to Louis Sullivan's belief that "Form follows function," Chicago in the 1890's was much more realistic: Chicago did not waste anything. This fact is the reason for Holmes's being able to sell his victims' bodies without any questions asked and for Olmsted's losing the Wooded Island. Is this pragmatic approach detrimental or beneficial for the fair, or is Chicago's combination just right?

National Pride

National pride was definitely the primary factor in the building of the World's Fair, with money being a side effect. With the thrill of the increased industrialization, Chicago became a greater and more prominent city. Since Chicago was chosen as the site for the World's Fair, everything was to be perfect for the sake of Chicago's name and the reputation of the US. The idea of out-eiffeling Eiffel is the denotation for nationalism and national pride, as American's wanted the Chicago World's Fair to become more exuberant and lavish than the previous Paris World's Fair; thus, national pride was the force pushing towards building the World's Fair.

National Pride and Ego

The construction of the fair is largely driven by the energetic pride of Chicago. With not only the city's pride at stake but also the entire nation's, Burnham, Root, and the rest of the directors feel compelled to push for a bigger and better fair to top other nations, especially Paris. Additionally, personal ego galvanizes the directors. Burnham and Root understand that a failure would tarnish their reputation while others like Olmsted view the process as a way to redeem their work and their field. 

Money Or National Pride?

Possibly the biggest motivator in building the fair was out-Eiffeling the Eiffel Tower. However, such a famous exposition as the fair is a great way to make money, as is evidenced by the skyrocketing land prices in and near Chicago, and Holmes's excitement in the news that such an attraction was coming into the area. Furthermore, the board in charge of the fair doled out prodigious amounts of money to seemingly everything and everyone that could help the fair. That seems to signify that Chicago(and the United States) had more to gain than simple pride. Money was most likely another major factor in the decision to hold such an exorbitant exhibit. Was money the primary motivator in the decision to build the fair, with national pride a necessary and beneficial side-effect? Or was it the other way around?

Burnham and Lincoln

The answer to question 2:

Following the phrase "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer," Burnham employs Adler and Sullivan to help build the fair; likewise, when Lincoln won the election in 1860, he placed his opponents, like William Seward to his cabinet. Both of the men likely employed their rivals in order to quell any rivalry and to broaden their scope by accepting differing perspectives.

Civic Pride Pales in Comparison

The answer to question 1 is simple, although it may seem complicated at first. The subject of civic pride is pervasive throughout the book, as is shown in the portrayal of the diverse citizens in Chicago syndicating to celebrate their city's new prominence--Chicago surpassed Philadelphia as the second most populous city in the United States--and their winning of the fair. However, civic pride is provincial and must be cast aside to accomplish national recognition on the world stage. The competition may have at first been among cities in the United States, but those competitors had to band together to focus on their common goal, overtaking the French. National pride was the larger issue, so that is why Burnham sought out America's best. And New York was therefore compelled to aid Chicago in announcing America's emergence-- rather than simply saying "I told you Chicago wasn't ready"--on the world stage.

Devil In the White City Part 1: Questions

1) A big motif throughout the book is the idea of civic pride, the idea that one's city is exponentially far more superior than any other city in the world, causes enmity between cities, specifically rivals New York City and Chicago. Ultimately, Chicago gains permission over New York to host the World's Fair. Why, do you think, does Burnham call upon his colleagues from New York to help him, and, furthermore, why do they accept? If civic pride is considered more important than the pride of the nation, then why doesn't New York stand back and watch Chicago struggle on its own?

2) Based on the phrase "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer," Burnham invites rival Chicago architects Adler & Sullivan to join in the creation of the World's Fair. Historically, who else added his rivals to his personal cabinet, and why do you think he and Burnham made the decision to do so? Do the heated debates of rivalry and conflicting opinions really get the desired results, or does working with people who are easy to work with become the more beneficial option? Why?

Heath Koch

First Post

Greetings Gilded Agers,

A couple of things to note as you start your journey through the fair...

1) When you respond to posts, make sure you start a new post and NOT respond in the comments.

2) Each person is responsible for TWO posts per part of the book (your two posts for Part 1 are due NEXT FRIDAY)

3) There will be questions from DITWC on each QUEST. Enjoy the book and remember to focus on the those big themes of 1) urbanization 2) labor unrest 3) urban political machines 4) the social costs of modernization 5) loss of community 6) gains in free time and 7) civic pride.

And finally, here is a post last year I wrote about this time as you navigate the doldrums of APUSH:

Near the equator, there is a low pressure zone with no currents and little headwinds for. Often times, sailors had to wait for a storm system or better currents in order to reach their destination.

In the APUSH course, you are in the doldrums. It's been so long since you started the course in October and the AP exam is still too far away to give you that additional push. So if you're struggling to find motivation to keep going and doing the reading, taking notes and studying, here's an e-mail from a former student that might serve as some encouragement:

Aren’t you having fun?! Oh I know. The tests are long… the homework is longer… its like an endless black pit and you just keep falling… and falling….

WELL let me tell you something, this is what hard work feels like! You always have those teachers that make everything easy. They print out the notes and blank out a few words and THAT’S what you are supposed to learn from. Or even worse, the ones that read directly off some power point they didn’t even make. Now take a moment and think, did you actually learn anything from them? No. If you said yes then you can leave. Personally I’ve always hated those teachers. That’s what makes this class so different.

Ok so maybe your bloodstream is half composed of coffee (I know mine sure as heck was), and maybe you nod off in class every now and then (I would advise against that, yes the laughing you woke up to IS about you), but think of all those attractive mutton chops you’re learning about! Oh yeah, Grover Cleveland, you are one charming looking man. The Gilded age is awful, and WWI makes no sense at all (I mean really, how did that even start?), AND LORD HELP ME I hated Philis Schlafly, but you’re learning aren’t you? 

I’m not ashamed to say I can still name off a few ding-dings when someone mentions a specific date (If you never got the pleasure of listening to those podcasts I advise you to look them up!) This class is hard, the work is harder, and the teacher is quirky, the people you’re in class with are quirky,but you’re learning. That class better prepared me for my senior year than I believe any other class. It taught me how to study, it taught me how to focus, and I learned a few tricks. 

It’s the worst kind of fun you’ll have all year, I promise. And when that AP test rolls around, you’ll be sweating a pool. After that test is done however, you are going to look back and laugh. I know I did.I promise this class is OVER preparing you. Really, too many quizzes…. Mr. Fitz is cruel. It works out in the end. When you get that letter back in the summer you’ll be able to smile and feel proud. You EARNED that 4 or 5. Those colleges will recognize that. So chin up!

From,

A student who knows your pain.