The Chicago World's Fair held on the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus landing in America brought significant value and value to the city of Chicago. Over a six-month period, more than 26 million visitors from around the world gathered at the Fairgrounds to experience the rebuilt, vibrant city of Chicago. The 600-acre fairgrounds would have housed 200 buildings showcasing new foods, arts, technologies and entertainment. Chicago became known as the White City, a place of freedom, grandeur and security. But unbeknownst to the visitors, there was a serial killer among them. While Dr. HH Holmes lured his innocent victims to his "castle", just blocks away, architect Daniel Burnham was building the dream city of Chicago. These two men operated at the same time in history, simply places apart, both creating a legacy that endures to this day. Burnham and Holmes are two sides of the coin of human nature. In "The Devil in the White City," Erik Larson's juxtaposition of Burnham and Holmes, as well as the Black City and the White City, contributes to the understanding of human nature, that one cannot be good without having done evil, and that good and evil are perceived as such. as complementary in their mutual dependence. Larson begins his novel “The Devil in the White City” by setting the scene, mentioning the events and people that made the fair so great. But simultaneously, Larson hints at the evil that lurks in the shadows. Although the reader is not fully aware of the dual nature of the human condition until Holmes' big reveal. Larson describes Holmes as “a murderer who had evolved among the beautiful things Burnham created” (Larson 6). Chicagoans were surprised how such horrific acts could go unnoticed for so long. The juxtaposition of...... middle of paper ......in a state of equilibrium. Good and evil coexist today, just as much as they did at the Chicago World's Fair. In “The Devil in the White City,” Erik Larson's juxtaposition of Burnham and Holmes, as well as the black city and the white city, contributes to the understanding of duality. of human nature, that one cannot be good without having done evil, and the duality of good and evil, which are considered complementary in their mutual dependence. The respective stories of Daniel Burnham and HH Holmes formed a whole that encompassed both good and evil. Just blocks apart, two great men created a lasting legacy, one of radiance and good, the other of evil and sin. Likewise, the stories of the black and white town served to depict good and evil as a complementary relationship. Because when something exists, it only exists in opposition to its opposite..