The ambitious spirit, no matter what age, will hope and strive that one day, they too, can leave an impact on the time they are given in this world. Good thing for Mr. Burnham and Mr. Holmes, both men were able to contribute to the history of the White City of Chicago. However, how can one say if the achievements of one or either man, would give him a title of honorable recognition, or infamy?
Sometimes it can be so easy to look at something and only see it as what one perceives it to be, not as what it truly is. On the outside, one perceives can perceive doctors to be white-coated heroes, saving the lives of many and helping those in dire need. An architect the builder of the American Dream.
Burnham, as stated before, used his short time on this earth to establish himself in society, make a name for himself, and create innovative new architectural works. He got married, built a corporation from the ground up with his life-long partner, and led the very important job of supervising the construction of the Columbian Exposition. The weight of the country rested on him and he prevailed through it; he embodied the American dream of picking yourself up by the bootstraps and the can-do attitude of the time.
Holmes on the other hand kept himself under the radar, yet made a name for himself (which often changed), With his credentials and vast amount of knowledge of both ethical and inconceivable medical practices. He moved to Chicago and established a pharmacy which expanded and became very profitable. Dr. was his title, respectable in the untrained eye, but behind the reclusive façade he was the nightmare, terror, the Devil in the White City. His use of his success that most Americans dream to achieve, a doctor, a business owner, one of high education, was used as an act of maliciousness and inconceivable evil. But on the outside, in his appearance, he was looked upon as just another successful American Dream.
The essential difference between these men is their use of talents. Burnham used his talent and expertise to design and build large edifices; Holmes used his keen nature and good looks to design and carefully execute murderous acts. Also, there title and attitudes were different. Burnham was a high-profile, respected, famous architect who was proud of his accomplishments; Holmes keeps his work off the record and under the table. When juxtaposed, they are very similar in their successes, but when further inspected, the light and dark, good and evil are revealed.
They are also very alike in ways. Both men take pride in their work. Of course, it is a different kind of pride. Burnham can look at the buildings he has designed and know he built it well to the right specifications; Holmes--whose work is with the disappearance of people instead of the constructing buildings--takes pride in how much he can get away with; he also takes pride in how well he prepares for his murders, he is proud of himself with designing his new building equipped with sound-proof rooms and incinerators to do his deeds. The men are also alike in their blue eyes; at the beginning of the novel, the coroner points out Holmes is an ambitious man. If such men are as ambitious in the eyes of their audience, does that make them successful or infamous? What one can conclude is that there is much more behind the eyes of the blue eyed, and the loopholes of the what we perceive to be the American Dream.
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