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
No comments:
Post a Comment