Imagery In Devil In The White City

Words: 961
Pages: 4

Murder is, and has been, one of the most inhumane acts in all of human history. For someone to commit such a crime, there must be something wrong with them. Erik Larson, author of the nonfiction book, Devil In The White City, uses a great deal of imagery throughout this novel. Larson also uses an excellent contrast between the two main characters, H.H Holmes and Dr Burnham. He uses imagery to create a contrast with the two different stories included. It helps contrast the story of H.H Holmes and Dr Burnham. It does a fantastic job developing not only the stories but the characters as well. Doing this makes the book a whole lot more interesting to read. Larson uses his vibrant details to create duality, not only in the characters, but in the overall themes of the book as well. These vast differences between Dr. H.H holmes and Burnham become even more striking through the pictures larson is able to paint. Larsen describes Burnham and Holmes similarly by using “charming,” (28) “beautiful,” (55) and “appealing” (93) to create the overall charisma and likability the 2 men share. In the Burnham …show more content…
The themes that exist side by side each other from beginning to end are incredibly difference and the duality that is seen is present on multiple different levels. The duality is first present in the imagery evoked by the title. By titling the book “The Devil in the White City” he is able to drive home the image of Holmes as the devil-like yet incredibly charismatic character he is and placing him so closely to the “white city” emphasizes the effect him and other criminals had on the fair. By referring to the world's fair as it's commonly used nickname, he brings to light the purity and rejuvenation the fair was projected to bring to the fair. Ultimately the title is a prime example of the prime imagery that Larson uses to spotlight the characters and plots of this compelling