The governor presents DITWC...for the last time.

For me Devil in the White City was very emotional. I will admit to almost shedding a few manly tears for Burnham.
I think the novel revealed just how accurate the title of "Gilded Age" was. The fair was nice, but in the construction dozens of people died or were injured and the obstacles to the construction revealed the troubles that plagued the nation. The people of America went to the fair in order to distract their minds from the darkness in the nation. By stepping through the gates into the White City, if even for the briefest of times they could forget about the Black City waiting to swallow them back up.
The social movements of the times are present everywhere. The labor unions show up in the construction of the fair. The feminist movement shows up in the building of the women's building. Immigrants can be seen in the basic laborers.
The fair changes the mindsets of the people, it opens their minds to wonders and broadens their horizons. It cultivates within the people a fascination with a world that they never even knew existed. They saw the Japanese, the Algerians, Buffalo Bill's Show, and of course the amazing Ferris Wheel. Arguably, it shaped the decades to follow by creating a generation of people who were trying to recreate the wonder that they had seen at the fair in the world abroad.

To  Mr. Fitzgerald, I know this is late. I make no excuses for this.

To my fellow Mugwumps, it appears there is not much time left together for us. Come Monday, we shall part ways. Similarly, this blog will be abandoned and decommissioned. I simply wish that you know that it was a pleasure to read your posts.

Signing out,
Anthony Chan - formerly Governor Mugwump

Farewell Fair

So the book is finally done! Yes! No more staying up until 2 in the morning reading a whole section in one night. The book gets wrapped up in the awesome detective case to catch the evil Holmes and end his killing spree. The newspapers of the arrival of Frank Geyer could also show how the American society was so new to this concept of searching for evidence and hunting down a killer. Pursuing justice just like any other growing American ideal of that time period, such as labor unions wanting better relations with the companies. The way the book finally gets around to the start of the story in it's conclusion is pretty cool. There was also that first chapter foreshadow to the ship with Burnham's friend which was actually the Titanic is a very fascinating addition to the novel. Now many founders of the fair are dying off and The Devil in the White City is caught and sentenced to full sentence of death, to end the mystery of Holmes.

President Mugwumps Farewell to the Fair

What a great novel. The fact that everything was historically accurate really is amazing. Larson did an amazing job. Now, for part 4 my key word will be: closure. The fair came to a close, Holmes's killing spree came to an end. Many of the key characters's lives came to an end. It was quite sad, to be honest, for after the emotional high of building the greatest fair of their times, most of the architect's lives ended shortly, or in pain. Burnham died with diabetes, foot problems, and colitis. Olmstead died an angry, delusional, ghost of a man. Sullivan turned his back on his leader during the building of the Fair, and died a broke alcoholic. Wild Cody died broke. Out of all of the characters probably Sol Bloom was the most successful after the fair. having made a fortune, lost the fortune, and then gone on to help start the UN. Overall DITWC was an insightful look into the parallels of the Gilded Age. The beauty of the Fair versus the insanity of H.H. Holmes. The social divisions and labor unrest were displayed; however, positives such as increased women's independence and labor reforms were shown as well. The Fair was a microcosm of the changes in American Society, and reading this book gave a first hand, accurate look at how life was during the late 19th century.

In Which Mayor Mugwump Examines Geyes

I have always enjoyed a good detective story. And this, watching Geyes as he followed Holmes' trail across the country, is no exception. This portion of the book was perhaps the most captivating of all of the parts of the book, as it holds the most kinetic energy in the story, and we as the audience are itching to know what Holmes did as well.

But, really, I have to admire the detective's tenacity and resourcefulness. Certainly, I would not have been able to talk to hotel owner after hotel owner after hotel owner in an attempt to find a culprit that may or may not exist. He must have had the patience of a saint.

Although it is interesting to note how even the country takes notice of this detective, grasping him as a hero to follow in the middle of anything else that was happening. Would America today be so enamored with a real-life detective? Serial killers exist today, but we don't hear about them nearly so much. Perhaps it is a mark of the times that this was such a novel concept, this idea of a detective chasing the clues of a dangerous man, whereas today we have all sorts of detective shows to watch at leisure.

Is this the precursor to all of those shows?

Mayor Mugwump is Very Upset

I finished the book, and I am downright BELLIGERENT about how it ended. I understand that this is real life and everything, but I feel as if the book could have just stopped after the capture of Holmes instead of continuing on about how everyone fell into misery and bankruptcy.

Of course, I'm glad that Holmes was caught. And it was intriguing to see how the investigation of what he did played out with Geyes. But. Still. He was killed, and then terrible things happened to the people investigating him, and Pietzel got killed, and his KIDS got killed.

And then the book goes on to tell you that EVERYONE YOU LOVED DIES SAD AND SICK. That is five different kinds of Not Cool.

Why did fiction give me false hopes that the ending of this book would be happy. Because now I'm very sad.

Answers to President Mugwumps Questions over DITWC Part Three

• How was Holmes symbolic of the American society during the Gilded Age? He could have been seen as a symbol of Americas constant flow of new immigrants as Holmes kills all the women.
• Was Burnham just as crazy as Holmes, just obsessed with something else? (Power) Both men were very obsessive for power and control of their situation, but unlike Holmes, Burnham did it for he believed in was the greater good of Chicago and his country.
• Did the Fair do more bad than good? Or good than bad? I believe that because it didn't go in debt and had really cool inventions in technology and architecture it was a success in general.
• How profound was the Murder of Mayor Harrison? It was shocking for many people across the nation and Chicago, but symbolized the nations corruption taking over good in this time period.
• Why was the Spanish emmisary's trip to the fair so inflammatory? It was different than what most Americans during this time period have seen of foreign royalty. America not being a monarchy could have also been an explanation for the citizens of the city to be so jubilant of her arrival.
• How was Holmes able to escape scotch free, once again? Society is failing and becoming corrupt. The country is distracted and not seeing the darkness within it.
• Why did Holmes take out life insurance on Pietzel? Cause he's evil.
• What were the effects of the fair closing? An end to the brief social explosion in Chicago for the world and the death of the Mayor.

President Mugwumps questions over DITWC part three

• How was Holmes symbolic of the American society during the Gilded Age?
• Was Burnham just as crazy as Holmes, just obsessed with something else? (Power)
• Did the Fair do more bad than good? Or good than bad?
• How profound was the Murder of Mayor Harrison?
• Why was the Spanish emmisary's trip to the fair so inflammatory?
• How was Holmes able to escape scotch free, once again?
• Why did Holmes take out life insurance on Pietzel?
• What were the effects of the fair closing?

Governor Mugwumps musings on President Mugwump's musings

While I like your comparison with Pendergrast and Chicago, I do disagree with your idea of Chicago turning into a "Black City" I believe that the "Black City" was always there - that the White City was merely a facade. Through the whole construction unemployment is rampant, trash is everywhere, and always waiting just outside the barriers of the White City is the harsh reality of the slums. During the fair, the panic hits even in Chicago-several banks fail and the retrenchment committee is formed. The Black City was never gone, it was merely waiting for the White City to go away so that it could take over. The architects did not remake Chicago, they merely managed to cover it up for a short time.

The Devil in the White City Part Three

As hinted throughout the entire book Prendergast is finally rejected by Harrison, leading to poor Prendergast's insanity. He kills Harrison just as President Garfield is killed by Guiteau for the exact reason, almost in the exact same way, and by a killer of similar personality. The fair is finally finished with all it's building in place for viewings from the world. Burnham and the others had to work so hard to get the fair out of debt, barely making any profit at all. This section of the book also attributes women in the sense that the independent woman is drawn to the city and it's glories in the changing age. Banks all around the country are started to collapse and fail with no way of stopping the upcoming crisis. New inventions that change the world start appearing at the fair and everything is happy until the fair has to hold its closing ceremony to the death of Harrison.

Questions:

1. Why were the "absence of color" that changed by time of day in the fair's buildings create such a powerful view to those who looked upon them? If there was a reason, could it possibly mean anything more relating to the country?
2. Why do people like Burnham in the new changing economy work so hard to succeed when it is so simple and easy to give up, just like the bankers who shot themselves?
3. Why were electrical lights of the fair so important/magnificent to the makers of the fair and those who saw them during the night time?

Glorious Governor Mugwump and his affair with Devil in the White City Part 3

Again, in this section we can see the motif of light vs. dark. The whole black city vs. white city thing.
In addition, the railroads are shown as a major force in the nations. They enable people from as far as the eastern cost to come to Chicago, yet it is also their high fares that filters out the lower class from coming. The arrival of Infanta Eulalia shows just how important of an event the fair has become and level of international significance it has taken on.
The death of Harrison is a foreshadowing of sorts. He dies because of his open door policy and his focus on direct interaction with his citizens. His death will herald the end of this system and a more detached government. In addition, he is the spirit of the fair and when he dies the fair dies with him.
Meanwhile, Holmes is off doing his killy-murder thing and is killing more people, and the fact that he gets away with it shows that the people have more important things to focus on. What is remarkable is that he can pull away all these women from their families and convince them to elope, something which would have been night on impossible mere decades prior.
The fair did a lot of things to the mindset of the American citizen. For one thing, it brought Chicago the national level and made it equal if not better to it's fellow mega-cities. On another hand, it opened the eyes of the people to wonders they could never have believed them and broadened their horizons incredibly. It acted as a sort of stew where great thinkers were mixed together to create great things.
The Panic of 1893 goes on and wrecks things. It almost manages to ruin the fair by failing banks. In addition it scares a lot of people away from the fair due to fears of financial insecurity

Anyhooo aqui estan las preguntas de mi para ustedes:
What does Pendergrast show you about the changing atmosphere of the US?
Where can we see foreshadowing about the economic future of the US?
Do you see the influence of any social reform movements in this part?

President Mugwumps assessment of DITWC part three

Part three: it was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Alas, the great Windy City accomplished its goal. Through blood, sweat, and tears, Burnham and his army of architects erected the greatest fair known to mankind during the 19th century.

The big business, money crazed side of the Exposition was pleased, for all debts were paid off and the fair ended up being profitable. Chicago was not embarrassed on the financial aspect of the fair, despite spending double the amount that was allotted. However, as a result of the fair, one major pain in the sides of industrialists arose: organized labor unions. Samuel Gompers headed the most massive strikes against the merciless big business tycoons of America, and eventually spurred recently un employed workers to burn down the very fair they had toiled on for the past two years. So, as an overarching theme, good and bad came from the fair. Socially, and business wise as well.

Socially, the positives were immense during the construction and running of the Exposition. Thousands of people found decent paying jobs. Chicago elevated itself to more than a hog butchery. American pride in general swelled, for the fair was a national event. Fabulous new inventions were introduced. Men made honest profits. Olmstead (relatively) succeeded in spreading awareness about his nature based architecture. While the economy crashed around the nation, the fair, and anyone related to it, stayed afloat. Labor reforms were mandated. Women were empowered. The fair had many positives; however, the transition for the "white city" to the "black city" was drastic.

People wept during the closing of the fair. Beloved Mayor Harrison had just been murdered. The one source of light throughout the dark Gilded Age was about to be snuffed out forever.. The closing of the Exposition was a source of great calamity. Thousands of newly unemployed, starving workers joined the masses of already unemployed on the streets of Chicago. Harrison had tried to help the jobless souls out, but now he was dead. The spirit of Chicago was dead. Gone was that bright source of pride, and in came the ever clinging smog and debris. Violence and crime rose as the unemployed loitered the streets of Chicago. Strikes amassed throughout the nation. The economy continued its downward spiral. Most importantly, the darker side of the new industrial world settled in permanently. I think Pendergrast's and Holmes' lives are microcosms of America. I'll focus on Pendergrast. Initially, the deranged man was just like most immigrants, struggling to get out of the slums and low paying jobs. He was still living in the past, where the spoils system was relevant. Similarly, Americans, more specifically Chicagoans, were stuck in the naive world of pre industrial America. Everyone was trustworthy, and benign. Eventually Pendergrast goes even more mad, and becomes darker, more angry, more deranged. Similarly, Chicago descends into a darker realm. Crime rates skyrocket with the coming of the fair. Disappearances are normal. Eventually, Pendergrast loses it completely and commits murder, the darkest of all crimes. Likewise, Chicago enters the phase of the "black city".

Overall, part three was brilliant. The hard work of all men involved with the fair payed off, although not without casualties. Besides the laborers who died, Root passed away, Mayor Harrison was killed, and Olmstead's health further rescinded to constant pain. America triumphed, although not without casualties. The economy crashed, a darker society was born, and reforms were imminent. My one word the describe part three would be transition. For Chicago, the transition being from backwoods hog butchers, to the talk of the world, to the chaotic "black city."

In Which Mayor Mugwump Examines Prendergast's Downward Spiral

Holmes is interesting and all that, but he's... Morbidly interesting. Fascinating in a grotesque sort of way. Whereas Prendergast... Well, his descent into madness was far more entertaining, as it happens over a long stretch of time in perspective to the audience.

When we started seeing little tidbits about Prendergast, he seemed completely unrelated to the two main plots, but I knew that he would become important, seeing as attention was drawn to him specifically. I particularly enjoyed how the passages featuring him became slowly more unsettling, and portray his deteriorating state of mind.

What I'm wondering is... At this point, were his assumptions unfounded? Was the corrupt spoils system still really around at all, or was Prendergast living in the past? Also, did Prendergast actually do any kind of successful campaigning, or was he absolutely completely delusional from the beginning?

Because, as interesting as Prendergast's snap was, I'm unclear as to how much was because of actual real feelings of betrayal and how much was the problem of him being absolutely bonkers.

Questions from (possibly) President Mugwump

• What spurred the urgency in the architects?
• Do you think Olmstead will make it to the end of the book?
• Who has been the biggest contributor to the fair?
• Thoughts on Prendergast? 
• Thoughts on Holmes?
• Thoughts on the ferris wheel? 
• How come the weather has affected the buildings so severely, even after extreme reinforcement by Burnham?
• Was Burnham right in speeding up the building process and assuming the position of "czar", given all the repercussions? 

President Mugwump's assessment of DITWC part 2 (Am I still President..? Have I been succeeded? Oh well, I like the title)

For part 1, my key word was chaos. Now, for part 2, I think the terms "urgency" and "hope" are fitting.The fair has come along, although not nearly as far as it should have in the alotted time. There is more urgency among the workers, and architects, more importantly. The dream of building a fair comparable to the one in Paris is attainable, finally. After months of dallying, formalities, and set backs, the fair is coming to life. The sense of urgency is seen through Burnham's invoking of his "czar" clause, and his assumption of full control of the fair. The time to screw around had passed, it was now time for business. However, every time progress is made, a set back occurs. In response to Mayor Mugwump, it really does seem as if Murphy's Law is wreaking its havoc throughout the fair. Olmstead, a chief architect, is dying. There's no way around it. Weather seems to only affect the most important buildings. Inter Committee conflicts add a whole new level of frustration and procrastination. Heck, the fair was denied pure spring water by angry townsfolk, showing how not everyone thought of the exposition in a positive light. Funds were running low. Labor unrest and unions were still issues. Along with labor reform came the women reformers. All these extraneous issues stole from valuable time that could be used to build the fair; so, there was urgency and hope but also setbacks along the way that definitely tested the determination of everyone involved with the fair. 

Now, for the interesting part: Holmes.

Holmes is still as psychotic as ever. Maybe even more so. Admittedly, the chloroform scene was EXTREMELY disturbing, especially the commentary by Larson showing how experienced Holmes was with a body fighting for life. Holmes knew exactly what to expect from a person struggling to breath.. I'm sure he got a kick out of it every time. To top things all off, he kills an innocent child. Wonderful. On a different note, I think Holmes perfectly embodies the American, and especially Chicagoan ideals of the time. He is ever adapting, ambitious, self made, prosperous.. if only he didn't need murder and manipulation to get to his position. 

Other new characters intrigued me as well, especially Sol Bloom, the Midway man. Bloom embodies the American spirit, and has done so with a relatively clean slate, building himself up to a prominent business man by the age of 19. Also, the theme of urgency shows up again when he is immediately given his outrageous demand for 1,000 dollars a week to work on the midway attractions. Things needed to get done, and Sol Bloom was the man.

In Which Mayor Mugwump Responds to Sheriff Mugwump's Questions

1) Why were the buildings so easily destroyed by bad weather? Wouldn't they have fixed natural disasters such as those by this time period?

Although natural disasters had happened before, never had they happened on such a scale, to where the fair planners would have needed to plan for them. The same is true of the buildings in San Francisco before the earthquake in 1906; They could not have possibly made the buildings to withstand it if it had never happened before.

2) Why did they house workers in expensive living conditions and give them food? When the head of the fair's creations could have just taken those luxuries away or lowered the pay of the workers.

This is how they kept the workers around. Burnham only turned to less hospitable methods of housing and treatment when the construction of the fair entered a critical time crunch, and he had to spur them to work faster. He wouldn't be cruel to the workers on purpose. He likes and respects them, and appreciates what they are doing for the fair.

3) Why is Ferris's wheel rejected the first two times but finally accepted the last? Even though the concept was exactly the same.

Despite the concept being the same, Ferris had elaborated more on the design and refined it by the third go-around (haha ferris wheel puns) so that it was a matter of construction rather than planning. Not only that, but Sol Bloom was the only guy crazy enough to give the wheel a space in the fair.

EL PRESIDENTE MUGWUMP RESPONDS TO THE QUESTIONS OF ONE SHERIFF MUGWUMP

1. Well you can't really fix natural disasters per se. The buildings broke apart because they were made out of a plaster like material that was designed really to be a temporary solution that they resorted to out of desperation for time.
2. They provided for the workers because they wanted to keep the workers in good condition to work. Additionally, keeping them on the grounds to work means that they can have them work at any time. And finally, they were also forced to maintain working conditions because the unions would strike otherwise(e.g. the carpenter union at the end of the part 2)
3. Well for a couple reasons. First, he was better prepared. This time he had a better planned out design and he had investors lined up. All he needed this time was the go ahead. Secondly, the leadership and attitude of the decision board has changed. Now, they are significantly more desperate and now Burnham is the true head, whereas before they had been complacent and Burnham had been the mere head of Architecture.

El Presidente Magnifique(Anthony Chan)

Response to Governor Mugwumps(not-Anthony) Questions

1. "Firstly, are there any other civil reform movements involved in the fair, if so, how? If not, name one and why not." The one thing I don't see at all in the book that leads to the need for civil reform is the increasing immigration of Europeans and Chinese into the U.S..
2.  "Secondly, in what ways do we see the industrial revolution and it's roots present in this fair."  The sections of the novel explaining the fight for which electrical current will be used for the fair in direct or alternating relates to the new industrialization age of America. The invention of using electricity for light and it's other future purpose changed the future of the U.S. in that aspect. Many other innovations are thought of as well, such as the Bessemer process and standardizing the railroads.
    
3. "Thirdly, has the economic panic influenced the attitude of the citizens to the fair? If so, how? If not, why not?" There is a passage in the novel in which people who see the fair's grounds see practically nothing. Because nothing is there even though the dedication day for the fair was only months away. As the fair degraded in quality of it's building material and quality of it's building, so did the U.S. economy. The Tribune spoke of how the fair was a death trap for workers in how it was poorly crafted and many men were being fired as well.

The Devil in the White City Part Two

So the second part of the book is almost the same as the first part. Larson is just contentiously building up the plot through vague actions that will all come together in the big finale. I actually thought it was really cool how he references Walt Disney for what seems to be no apparent reason, but just for that cool factor and fun fact for the reader. The Holmes is all interesting, absolutely messed up in every way, and makes me wish I could pick up girls like that. But without the slitting of throats, skinning them, admiring their dead bodies, sex, or gassing them to death.

Back on track to the main idea of the book and it's white city, with its upcoming failure of a world fair, are the many relations to the problems of society in that time period.
The constant struggle for power is shown between Burnham and Davis. They both wanted complete control of the fair but Burnham eventually was given all rights to it for better or worse. This power struggle could relate to the United States as a nation struggling to the top of the economic food chain, the election of government officials, and just the people of America such as Holmes who excels at it a little too much.
The fair also related the growing role of women in the society in the building that was erected in the name of women.
The Labor Union person that wanted there to be a building for the poor working class, showed the growing support/pity for labor unions at the end of the century as said in our QUEST.
American growth in technology and innovations is also portrayed in the passages about Ferris and Edison.
Destruction of wild life in America and Native Americans is also referenced to in the destruction of Olmsted's pure wildlife island.

Questions:
Why were the buildings so easily destroyed by bad weather? Wouldn't they have fixed natural disasters such as those by this time period?

Why did they house workers in expensive living conditions and give them food? When the head of the fair's creations could have just taken those luxuries away or lowered the pay of the workers.

Why is Ferris's wheel rejected the first two times but finally accepted the last? Even though the concept was exactly the same.

The All Mighty Governor Mugwump concerning Devil in the White City. PARTE DOS

Greetings earthlings. It's me. Governor Mugwump. Here to reveal the gospel that is Devil in the White City to you Plebeians.

Personally, I find Holmes to be fascinating. Not in who he actually is, but in what he represents. It is my opinion that Holmes is unique not in his murderous tendencies, but in that he represents the current situation of most young males during the gilded age taken to the extreme. He drifts from town to town and ultimately I think he's trying to define himself. It is possible that he himself does not know where he belongs or how to fulfill himself - which arguably may be what drives his actions but I digress. The young men of the Gilded Age often left their homes to head into town to find themselves and create their destinies. Holmes represents the changing nature of the young males in society.

Shifting focus to the fair, we see some interesting forces at play in the construction. Namely we see several reform movements, namely that of the Women rights movement and the labor reform movements. The women's rights movement we can see briefly in the conflict over how to decorate the Women's building. Here we see the Women's movement, represented by Palmer, fighting to use the building to promote feminist ideals. On the other hand, we also see the larger issue of patriotism and the desire to beat Paris(represented by Hayden) fighting to silence this movement for the greater good. Furthermore, we can see the labor reform movements in the workers pushing for better hours and wages. Interestingly  enough, the civil rights movement for African Americans does not appear at all. Furthermore, African American's haven't even shown up in the book.

Additionally, it is possible to glean some perspective in the growing division between the upper class and lower class. Burnham is a man struggling to be in the upper class, and so attends fancy gatherings and eats delicacies. Chicago as a whole is trying to separate itself from being considered "lower class" On the other hand, many men wander around looking for work and often times whole families go hungry. This is a startling and largely unprecedented division, not for its existence, but rather for its severity.

However, in between these two estranged groups, a middle class is quickly rising. This group can be seen in the citizens riding around in bikes or taking the time to wander around on the fair grounds. These are the people who have the money to explore the fair while also not having to work on it. A good example of this is Ned, the man who works in Holmes' pharmacy.

So to wrap things up, I have a few questions for you commoners.
Firstly, are there any other civil reform movements involved in the fair, if so, how? If not, name one and why not.
Secondly, in what ways do we see the industrial revolution and it's roots present in this fair.
Thirdly, has the economic panic influenced the attitude of the citizens to the fair? If so, how? If not, why not?

Your supreme leader,
Governor Mugwump(AKA not-Anthony)

Also

Did anyone notice that we misspelled "apush" in our blog url?

In Which Mayor Mugwump Talks About Her Favorite Characters (and Prendergast. Poor, Poor Prendergast)

So far as I have read, there is a protagonist and an antagonist in this lovely tale, both of which get about equal emphasis. Burnham and Holmes. However, my affections lie with neither of these characters. (Especially not Holmes. Especially not Holmes.)

No, my favorite characters are the ones who contribute other things to the fair. 

Olmstead, although eccentric, was an early favorite of mine (although perhaps that is because he was eccentric) and has continued to amuse me throughout the book. His focus on the details and making sure that everything is done correctly is something that I can identify with, and his frustration at issues and stubbornness in sticking to his own plans reminds me of myself. However, given the nature of his sickness, I'm afraid that we are going to see him die before the end of the book.

Another character that I was surprised to find myself enjoying was Mr. Sol Bloom, the man in charge of the Midway. I was intrigued by his management of the theatre that he was situated in, and then amused at how he planned to stay in Sacramento. I was pleased to see his part in the story continue as he went to Chicago and got to work his magic on the fair's Midway. He used the American intrigue with the foreign and the mystical to his advantage in putting together his Midway... Even if his planned Pygmies weren't actually alive to see the fair at all. He was also largely responsible for the projected grandeur of the fair, and was excellent at advertising in dealing with the press, which was neat to observe.

Bloom was also the only character willing to host the plans of George Washington Gale Ferris, another unexpected favorite. His ingenious plan and the tenacity that he had in trying to execute it, driven by the urge for the Chicago fair to out-Eiffel Eiffel, were admirable. His plan would influence the face of the fair itself, and his "Ferris Wheel," is a unique marvel of engineering, even today. He is also quirky, which I suppose is sort of common among all of my favorites.

Another tenacious character is Prendergast, who is... Crazy. Downright crazy. But! His passages are crucial to the book, because they give us the biggest look into the politics of Chicago, and the ways that Harrison was influencing the city. However, I'm really not sure if we are supposed to be sympathetic to Prendergast, or off-put by him. Personally, I am a bit of both.

So, then, what do my fellow Mugwumps think? Are you sympathetic toward Prendergast, or off-put? Which do you think the author intended? How have your favorite characters been influencing the fair, or not influencing it?

And is Murphy's Law in effect here?

-Mayor Mugwump (Jordan Whiteley)

President Mugwump responding to Governor Mugwumps question as to why H.H. Holmes is the most interesting character in DITWC

Dear Governor, 

       Thank you for taking the time to read my post and form such an inviting question. I believe H.H. Holmes is the most intriguing character in DWITC for the following reasons:

• Who doesn't like the occasional psycho murderer, eh?
• The stark contrast between Holmes and the rest of the characters; granted, Burnham exhibits a form of cold, analytic evaluation of the workers, much like Holmes does with his laborers, but the extent to which the indifference reaches varies greatly between the two characters. Also....

1. 2 Marriages: Holmes knowingly marries his second wife, fully cognizant of the fact that he still has a legal marriage in the books. Also, he essentially forgets about both women, only keeping up with the second - Myrna, to use her family's money for further diabolical plans. And lets not forget, Holmes planned to kill the same relative that lent him the money.. You mentioned Holmes obsession with women, and it is this extreme obsession with females, and people in general, that distinguishes Holmes from the rest. I think the obsession is out of necessity, Holmes needs constant contact with people to feed his desire for manipulation. He is social, to the point where people just cant help but like him, and then he ruins their lives. At the same time, there is the disregard for life, as he takes them willingly and without remorse.
2. Treatment of workers: Holmes has blatant disregard for being fair to his workers. He constantly fires them, doesn't pay them, and even tries to convince one laborer to kill another.. (highly doubt he was joking). On the other hand, Burnham atleast takes into consideration building housing for the laborers, and other basic necessities. Burnham's view on the laborers is more analytic than cold, most likely due to his time constraint for the exposition.
3. Nihilist? : Not really sure if this is the right term for Holmes, but I will try and explain. My evaluation of a Nihilist is one that has no regard for rules, social or legal. Holmes is a walking contradiction to the values of Americans at the time; blatantly breaking trust, manipulating, and killing many innocent people. Holmes is representative of what America was becoming; more dark, more sinister, more evil. Also, legal issues did not bind Holmes. Marriage and Adultery? Who cares?! Paying back loans? Who cares?! Selling proper medicines? Who cares?! And it is not as if Holmes is not capable of paying back loans or debts, he is rich! I think it is all a game to Mr. Holmes. As you can see... the man just does not care. After all, he can charm anything and anyone, so why would he need to follow rules? 

Governor, I hope I have provided a decent outline as to why Holmes is the most interesting character in Larson's book The Devil In The White City.

President Mugwump

        Jay Bahl

Governor Mugwump responding to Sheriff Mugwump Responding to Governor Mugwump

To the dear Sheriff Mugwump,

I would ask upon you to expand upon your answers.

For example, in what way does the desire to beat France affect the nation?

Furthermore, who are these people only in it for the money? And in what ways does this difference in motivation change their actions?

And finally, for what reason do you think the government is in this state?

These follow up questions are open to everyone should they feel the desire to respond

Anthony the awesomest on earth

Governor Mugwump's impression of President Mugwumps impression of Erik Larson's impression of people's impression of a time period

DEAR PRESIDENT MUGWUMP

First of all, allow me to applaud you on the depth of your answer. It was very clearly well thought out and written.
Chaos is true. There is a large amount of disorder, yet, it is hard to speak of such a complicated thing as a whole time period in an absolute such as absolute chaos. While there are many people wandering the country unsure of what to do or what lay in the future, there is not total chaos. I believe that, for the people, civic pride is a guiding force. Behind this goal of beating Paris, the people of America work as a whole. It gives them a light at the end of the tunnel.
As for how H.H. Holmie got away with what he did, the truth of the matter is, there were more important things to deal with. As you said, Chaos is rampant, and the government is more concerned with dealing with that then a few laborer complaints about getting scammed. The government was looking the other way and Holmes happened to slip by.
And while, I agree that Holmes is coocoo for Cocoa puffs, I don't think he's entirely unemotional. In my opinion, he's just very good at hiding it. He very clearly has desires, namely for women. He has ambition and if he really had no emotions, then why would he be doing any of this? The ultimate conclusion we must arrive at is that - it is impossible for us to ever discern with a high degree of certainty what any historical figure was really feeling or thinking. The best we can come up with is conjecture.
An interesting point is your conclusion that Holmes is the most interesting character. I would presume to ask: why? The same characteristic of the dehumanization of humans is present in the other characters. While Holmes is certainly more drastic that the other characters in these characteristics, they still exist in the other characters. To Burnham, the laborers for the fair are just a resource, not necessarily people. Councilmen are just obstacles, not thinking, rational beings. The difference is that Holmes acts on this. So therefore, I would ask you to outline for me specifically why you believe Holmes is the most interesting, and if you believe this was an intentional act of Erik Larson, why?

As always, feel free to respond questioning my logic or responding to anything that I've said so far.

Anthony Out!

Response to Governor Mugwump's Questions

 Answers to Governor Mugwump's Discussion Questions:

1. Where in the first part can be seen an international/foreign influence? The only foreign input in the first part of the book is observed in the American need to do better than France did in their world gathering event.
2. Is the nationalism of the nation just a cover or is it true nationalism? I believe it was true nationalism in the eyes of the general people, the architects, and those who really wanted it to succeed for the American ego. But the people only in it for the money, probably didn't really care about the nationalism part, because everything is just about money and that's it to them.
3. In what parts of the first 110 pages is presented information regarding the state of the government? The government seems to be stagnating and not really achieving much improvement for the people of the cities or working force. The government also appears to be disorganized or just doing nothing to help the creation of the fair or stop corruption and disappearances.

The Devil in the White City Part One Q & A + Review

After the Civil War, America entered the dark yet prosperous time named the "Gilded Age". America showed a lot of economic growth in industrial output, wealth, and population due to immigrants, making America a top nation in economic power.
This growth spurt in money and hysteria is portrayed well in the novel by describing the troublesome of Burnham and his architect colleagues. The men are on a mission to create something grander than what Paris had done with their convention and the Eiffel Tower in order to give America pride. This great deal of growing nationalism in the American people contribute to the growing economic power of the nation itself.
The civil unrest and chaos is depicted in the scenes of the sad stories of the very lives/families of the architects of Root, Burnham, Hunt, and the others, despite their push to do America good. Larson also adds into the story of the foreshadowing of Holmes and Prendergast evil doings of the future and how they add onto the growing darkness of Chicago, The Fair, and America.
An uncontrollably high poor working class growing in America is also alluded in the parts of the book in which Holmes is starting to build his death trap/murderhouse/crematory thing; The abundance of workers Holmes can easily get and con off of, create an idea that America is growing in wealth, but also creating a massive poor working immigrant class that can cause political problems and events such as strikes.
Government ability to help Chicago and possibly the whole country is proven in the novel to be very poor. Officials such as police and businessmen are easily fooled by Holmes, showing a poor authority control on the people. The mention of the Holmes fear for Pinkertons also show how America is struggling to keep control over it's people. "Disappearances" of people in the city of Chicago by the doing of Holmes contributes to America's inability to help the general public in the time of the gilded age.

Questions:

1. What do the passages at the beginning of the book of a large amount of single women moving the a large booming city such as Chicago reveal about the changes America is undergoing in this time period?
2.   How can the various difficulties and struggles of the architects to create this perfect and grand fair also relate to the growing nation?
3. Why would the New Yorker architects be so conflicted in the decision to join in on the creation of the fair? Even when it is clearly the greatest thing America is yet to create as described by Burnham's words.

President Mugwump's Overall Impression from Part One of Devil In The White City

Chaos. Chaos everywhere; with Chicago being the epicenter.

• Civic Pride has sprung from the impressive reconstruction after the Great Chicago Fire. 
• The Windy City is itching and clawing for the privilege of holding the World's Columbian Exposition.
•  An economic panic is fast approaching. 
• Chicago has now become the 2nd most populous city in America. 
• Young women are flocking to probably the most dangerous city during the Gilded Age, Chicago. 
• Men are in abundance, looking for any kind of job that will pay enough salary to get them through each night without starving. 
• A constant rumbling of trains and buggys can be heard until midnight. 
• The city is expanding, urbanizing, growing - especially upwards. The first "sky scrapers" have been built by Burnham and Root. 

1. Even the lives of Burnham and Root are chaotic:

• Burnham failed out of Harvard; no formal architectural training
• Root married a dead woman (essentially), then married her sister
• Their firm is booming, work is intensive and arduous 
• Most importantly, they have been commissioned to design and build a fair that would surpass the one in Paris!

• The fair has added a whole new level of chaos to the mix. A deadline to build the fair by, social consequences of picking Eastern architects over home grown Chicago architects, Root dies halfway through, the Eastern men aren't fully committed; the list can go on forever. Not to mention.. Burnham's whole reputation rests on this fair.

• I repeat: CHAOS CHAOS CHAOS CHAOS CHAOS CHAOS CHAOS CHAOS CHAOS CHAOS CHAOS CHAOS CHAOS CHAOS CHAOS CHAOS CHAOS CHAOS CHAOS.
• There really is no other way to put it. Chicago is non stop movement, Chicago is striving to urbanize, globalize, and be recognized as more than a hog butchery. 

Now, the most interesting part of Part One; H.H. Holmes.

• Amidst the mass chaos, is the maniac H.H. Holmes. Erik Larson portrays the psychopathic murderer as very calm amongst the craziness surrounding him. That's the tone I got when I read about Holmes. He's calm, calculated, charming, sly, and most of all, absolutely mental. 
• As the reader I felt.. excited..? while reading about Holmes' absolute disregard for the social norms of the time. It's almost thrilling to see Holmes completely manipulate innocent towns people. It's strangely interesting to see how his maniac brain worked: especially during the creation of his building, and I guiltily admit, I especially enjoyed the parts where he made people.. disappear.
• It's more of a, "how in the world does he get away with this" kind of feeling I have for Holmes. It's disturbing actually, but disturbing in a way that makes the reader want to keep reading and see what the crazy man has in store next. 
• One thought that came up when I read about Holmes planning his building, was, "what if Holmes would have pursued an actual career in architecture, like Burnham and Root?" He planned the building quite well, looked forward and anticipated, and could definitely swing any business deal he wanted. Just an interesting thought.
• Overall, Larson really makes Holmes the most intriguing character in the book, and it's all true, which makes Holmes that much more interesting. 

In summation...

• Chaos.

                                                                                                                                - President Mugwump

                                                                                                                                                    Jay Bahl

In Which Mayor Mugwump Responds to Governor Mugwump

Our dear governor gave us a few interesting tidbits to consider, what with his examinations of the contrasts presented in the book. I feel compelled to answer his questions to the best of my ability, and hope to see more of his thoughts on the matter soon.

1) Where can an international/foreign influence be seen in the first part?

The first and most obvious influence that I can see from foreign entities is the one of Paris and its fair on the mindset of many Americans. They have this insatiable itch to show the French up, to "out-Eiffel Eiffel", as they often say. They want to show that they have superior engineering and ingenuity in America, perhaps due to the nationalism running throughout the country.

Another easily identifiable influence of foreign countries is the amount of excess labor in the country, seen mainly in how Holmes is so quickly and readily able to find new workers to replace old ones, and how expendable they are. This is because immigrants are coming to the country and need to find places to work, to earn money and start anew. Not that Holmes cares about that, really, but it is useful to him and his agenda.

2) Is the nationalism of the nation just a cover or is it true nationalism?

I feel as though it isn't exactly true nationalism, not yet, but it is a start. The conflict clear between the East and the West, as Governor Mugwump pointed out so eloquently, is clear evidence that the nation isn't entirely content with itself at this point. But it is trying very hard to pull together, and this over-eagerness to show off and appear strong to other nations seems a bit like a child who has gotten a new toy and isn't sure how to use it yet, but wants to brag about it regardless.

True nationalism, I think, would be seen if all Americans were just glad to see America put in a point of prestige in hosting the fair, rather than bickering about where it is to be put and who should be in charge of it. Then they could brag about it to France without the hindrance of irritation that it isn't in their home town. 

3) In what parts of the first 110 pages is presented information regarding the state of the government?

So far as I can tell, the most outright Larson gets in talking about the state of the government is the passage on pages 58-59 about Prendergrast and his expectation of of patronage. This does display how the government is corrupt, in that merely campaigning for a government official is expected to earn someone a job.

I suppose that I have a few questions, myself.

Is the fair a political, economic, or social idea? Or, to what extent is it each?

Why would it benefit Burnham to chose architects from the East and the West?

What are the differences between how Burnham is perceived by his country and then those close to him, as opposed to how Holmes is perceived by his country and those close to him?

Governor Mugwump on Devil in the White City

There are some interesting themes going on in Devil in the White City. Firstly is the contrast between the facade that all is good and well in the US, and the dark truth hiding behind this cover. Obviously there is the major economic downturn, but there is also sectional tension. The difference is that the tension is no longer North and South, but East and West. Look at when Burnham is picking architects. The people of Chicago are angry because he picked architects from the east rather than their own home-bred western architects. Even when the location is being picked it is easy to see the conflict between New York and Chicago. This conflict can be extrapolated to a more national scale by showing the conflict between the two centers of the East and the West. The fact that Chicago wins clearly shows the shift of power moving to the west.

In contrast to this division, there is also a startlingly strong sense of nationalism. You can see the people rallying behind the idea of a fair to show off as one nation. Furthermore, the American people are ready to compete on a national level as one people. This demonstrates that the American nation is back and stronger than ever after the Civil war. Yet perhaps this is also a cover up for the weakness that is hiding beneath the sheets.

Economically the nation is developing quite a bit. There are many innovations listed in the book that presents how well the nation is recovering. Yet there is also this air of an almost economic regression, with poverty spreading rampantly and many men being forced to take up menial labor jobs, a step back for sure economically. This can be seen in the huge labor force Holmes has to use. It is also apparent how little protection the government puts out for these working class men in that Holmes is able to get huge amounts of labor done while paying little by scamming the workers.

Furthermore, immigrants become a strong force. The immigrants are making up a good portion of the labor force and as usual you can see the nativist ideals spring up again. In response, many immigrants begin to take up strikes, which calls away major police forces, which enables Holmes to get away with his crimes.

The patronage system and it's influence can be seen in the "interactions", if they can be called that, between Pendergraft and Harrison. Pendergraft wants a job for his support of Harrison in the election, which is also called the spoils system.

This juxtaposition and contrast of the Light and Dark should continue to be a strong theme. Yet, it should be noted that the usage of Juxtaposition implies an absolute-that part of the nation is good and part is bad. In all the good of this novel there is some shadow lurking, and in all the bad there is some hope. To view this novel in the terms of absolutes is to miss the point entirely.

Well, to leave off here are a few discussion/thinking/confusing questions:

Where in the first part can be seen an international/foreign influence?

Is the nationalism of the nation just a cover or is it true nationalism?

In what parts of the first 110 pages is presented information regarding the state of the government?

That is all.
Anthony "the greatest" Chan

In Which Mayor Mugwump Assesses Gilded Age New York City and Chicago

In a word, Gilded Age New York City and Chicago were... Different. In a slightly larger assembly of words, they were Rather Different But Still Big Cities In One Country That Have A Great Number Of Similarities.

In how they are different, well... For one thing, New York City was (and still is) old. Old buildings, old inhabitants, old history, old notoriety. It had a reputation, even then, of importance and opportunity and almost a sort of... Glamour. This was further advocated  by all of the innovations and new, remarkable museums of art and history and science. The charm was concealing the chaos hidden within the social structure of the city. Immigrants were arriving by the boatload, especially after the construction of Ellis Island, and stirred up all sorts of prejudices and job scrambles and crime- oh so much crime- and sickness calls for reform and all around... Change of the face of New York to something multi-faceted and new. The city was changing, innovating, growing, getting bigger, gathering more power, and looked like it didn't have a competitor of any sort insofar as prominence on the American countenance.

Except for Chicago.

Although, to be fair, at this point in time they were sort of floundering over there in Illinois. The Great Chicago Fire had been devastating to all, but they were able to rise from the ashes due to the Gilded Age itself. Where New York entered the Gilded Age as a great city, the Gilded Age made Chicago great. Because of the hardships of the geography in Chicago, they had been forced to rethink many established engineering staples, to prevent the city from being affected so greatly by the unstable ground and the flooding. This brought genius engineers to light, and set it on a course for the World Fair. The World Fair itself would be what would save Chicago, and turn it into a great city once more.

-Mayor Mugwump (Jordan Whiteley)

A message from the governor

To all citizens of Mugwumps-burg

Heyo.
This is your governor mugwump just reminding you guys the quest is on Friday. That may seem far away but that is a deceptive number, there are a lot of things to keep us busy from now until then so if you haven't started reading either the chapter of Devil in the White City(not like I'm speaking from personal experience or anything...cough...) you should. It can creep up on you quickly and ideally for true understanding you should really not be speed reading both the night before. I promise you you will not do well on the quest if you do so.

Sincerely,
Governor Mugwump

P.s. I may or may not have made this post to make sure Mr. Fitz wasn't the only poster.

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.