Great Question--I know that when my students read this
book, they get lost in the first third of the book which focuses on the design of
Chicago for the fair because they are more interested in the story of the serial killer
Holmes. While I certainly understand that, it is important to read the book with the
mindset that Larson pairs the two tales to discuss related truths about the White
City.
The positive aspect of the White City's dreamlike
quality is that it attracted a myriad of new visitors, American and foreign, to Chicago
and established a more cultured reputation for the hard-working city (at least for a
while). The dreamlike quality which many of the visitors found so appealing stemmed
from the architects' decision to build facades which made parts of the city appear to be
constructed of white marble--it was a shining city on the lake (of sorts). Because it
would have been too expensive and time consuming to rebuild or build new buildings out
of marble, the white facades made it possible for the designers to give Chicago the
appearace of opulence and elegance.
From a negative
standpoint, many newcomers who migrated to the city had heard only of the magnificent
white city and the many jobs available because of the upcoming fair. The dreamlike
quality drew those naive Americans and foreigners to the city, but unfortunately, they
soon realized that it was all a facade--that life was rough and hurried in the city and
not what they had expected. This is when Larson introduces Holmes's story. Holmes
represents the underlying nightmare or seediness of the city, hidden from the view of
unspecting innocents who are drawn in by the city's glow. The architects and engineers
who designed the White City had no idea that they were providing criminals and murderers
with the perfect cover to carry out their ill will.
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