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.