the devil in the white city

Question

Why do you think Erik Larson chose to tell Burnham and Holmes' stories together? How did the juxtaposition affect the narrative? Do you think they worked well together or would you have preferred to read about just Holmes or just Burnham?

What did you learn about architecture? What do you think the fair contributed to the architectural landscape in the United States? 
How did the Chicago World's Fair change Chicago? America? The world? Discuss some of the inventions and ideas that were introduced at the fair that still impact life today. 
How was Holmes able to get away with so many murders without becoming suspect? Were you surprised by how easy it was for him to commit crimes without being caught? 
What ultimately led to Holmes' capture and the the discovery of his crime? Was this inevitable? 
How did Holmes' hotel contrast with the buildings of the World's Fair? Can architecture reflect goodness or evil, or are buildings neutral until used? 
How did the White City contrast with Chicago, the Black City? 
What do you think of Holmes' claim that he was the devil? Can people be inherently evil? How would you explain his strange allure and cold-hearted behavior? 
Burnham, Olmsted, Ferris and Holmes were all visionaries in their own ways. Discuss what drove each of these men, whether they were ever truly satisfied, and how their lives ultimately ended.

Answer 1

I think that the author chose to tell these two stories because they contrast each other perfectly. They show the two sides of Chicago during the time and reinstate the idea of the White City and the Black City. A common theme in the book is good vs. evil and the telling these two stories is almost a perfect depiction of it during the time period. I believe that both of these stories must have been told in order for the author to get his message across. On one side, the Fair represents the growing prosperity and magnificence of all of its wonders it beholds. On the other side, the author shows the crime, poverty, and darkness of Chicago. These two stories symbolize the truth behind the world. If the fair was told, we would be missing the fact that not everything was as great as what people thought it would be. Behind all the extravagance of the fair lies its complete opposite. If the author just told the Holmes’s story, we would lose the other point. Not everything was terrible in Chicago. Although there was crime and poverty, this was an era of innovation and technology and a feeling of growth and prosperity as well. I believe that the author chose to use these two stories to show that in reality, there are both good and bad things. Nothing can be perfect, and this is shown in the construction of the fair and the crime that happened on the side. However, the opposite cannot be said as well. This is the beauty of the world as there is always hope and room for improvement. I think that the author wanted to show us the balance between good and evil using these two instances in history. Although I found the Holmes plot slightly more interesting, I believe that both stories must have been there in order for the author to have gotten his true meaning across.