logo

79 pages 2 hours read

The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America

Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2003

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

PrologueChapter Summaries & Analyses

Prologue

Prologue Summary: “Aboard the Olympic”

On April 14th 1912, Burnham is enjoying the opulence of the White Star Line’s HMS Olympic, though he also suffers with gout. He and his family narrowly missed making their passage across the Atlantic on the ill-fated Titanic. He reflects nostalgically on his friend Millet, who was aboard the Titanic, and their great shared accomplishment, the World Columbian Exposition. Though world-altering, Chicago’s great fair had been blighted by death and destruction, not least a string of murders committed by a serial killer. As the book begins, the Olympic speeds onward to assist the Titanic.

Prologue Analysis

The book opens with world-leading technology steaming forward, yet afflicted with tragedy. The confluence of the lives of the Fair founders with tragedy appears almost fateful. The technological and economic progress represented by the Exposition contrasts with the antisocial machinations of a psychopath, yet there are some synergies between the men’s desire for greatness.

blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
Unlock IconUnlock all 79 pages of this Study Guide

Plus, gain access to 8,550+ more expert-written Study Guides.

Including features:

+ Mobile App
+ Printable PDF
+ Literary AI Tools