The Dichotomy of Good and Evil
Below you can find an analysis of the coexistence of good and evil in the world, using both Erik Larson's The Devil in the White City and The Silence of the Lambs. Click on the titles of the works above to jump to my other pages devoted simply to them.
The concept of the forces of good combating the forces of evil has been around for as long as man can remember. In this never ending struggle the result is almost always variable, sometimes good conquers evil, and sometimes evil overruns good, but one never can completely vanquish the other. Why one is never completely eliminated is a perplexing question, but the answer may be simpler than we believe. The fact is that good cannot exist without evil, and vice versa. Whether one spurs the other into taking control, or aspects of both are found dueling within someone, good and evil always coexist. Erik Larson’s best selling novel, The Devil in the White City, and the highly accredited movie, The Silence of the Lambs, both illustrate the concept of evil stemming from goodness, as they both contain examples of serial killers who have their psychotic fires fueled by positive characteristics and surroundings.
The Devil in the White City expertly recounts the time of wonder that surrounded the World's Columbian Exposition of 1983 in Chicago. The years of the World's Fair brings immense glory and grandeur to the city of Chicago, along with tremendous amounts of people to see the "White City." While the influx of tourists certainly helps the troubled economy of the United States, it also brings many negative consequences that were unexpected. Nothing is a more shuddering realization than the fact that hundreds of people that went to Chicago for the fair never were heard from again. What happened to the majority of these individuals will never be known, but what is certain is that the soon to be infamous Dr. H.H. Holmes feasts off of several individuals during the time of the World's Fair. From the very beginning, Holmes was thrilled at the fact that the fair is going to be based in Jackson Park, only a few miles due east of the building he owns in Englewood. The expectancy of rising rates of housing in his area during fair time turn, “his property [into] the equivalent of a seam of gold ore. An idea came to him for a way to mine that ore and also satisfy his other needs” (Larson 74). Holmes plans to build what will be known as the World’s Fair Hotel, not only to maximize his wealth, but also to quench his thirst for blood and murder. He builds his “murder castle” as a hotel that would not be overly luxurious, but “just comfortable enough and cheap enough to lure a certain kind of clientele” (Larson 85). Holmes builds the building himself, insuring that no one notices the gas chambers and other deadly aspects he installs for his demonic purposes. By the end of the fair, Holmes has had many young woman occupy rooms in his hotel, and people constantly seem to be disappearing from it. When Holmes finally confessed, he admitted to having killed twenty seven people, only nine of which were confirmed, but his true body count could be as high as two hundred people. Without the World’s Fair causing an influx of people into Chicago, Holmes likely would have been unable to amass the killings he did.
Throughout Holmes’s time in Chicago, several opportunities present themselves which could have allowed for him to be discovered. What prevents his capture, however, were his characteristics that make him seem genuinely benevolent. Holmes is a very sly, charming man, “smooth and glib, a social chameleon...greatly given to lying with a sort of florid ornamentation” (Larson 340). He possesses an innate ability to play on the emotions of those confronting him and quickly make them forget what the issue was to begin with. This sense of sentimentality and honesty paint Holmes in a way that he seems to be good, even when he is very evil. This asset is especially valuable when dealing with the countless creditors and debt collectors that Holmes accumulates over the years. Whenever they seem to come close to forcing him to pay, or even have him arrested, H.H Holmes somehow manages to escape the situation. This skill becomes even more useful when he charms several young women into taking up residence in his building, marrying him, and signing their assets over to him before he kills them. It is a process that he repeats several times during his stay in Chicago, from Myrta Belknap to Julia Conner to Emeline Cigrand and to Minnie Williams. These women all notice the calm, comforting nature that Holmes possesses, particularly Anna Williams, Minnie’s sister who at first is suspicious of Holmes, but almost immediately feels her worries vanish: “He exuded warmth and charm. He spoke softly. He touched her in ways that made her glance apologetically at Minnie...His warmth and smile and obvious affection for Minnie caused Anna’s suspicions quickly to recede” (Larson 264). Clearly the positive attributes about H.H. Holmes’s demeanor pave the way for his ability to get away with dark and devious activities. Maybe if someone had been able to look past the friendly natured facade and seen the true evil in Holmes, several lives of young victims would have been saved.
Good qualities shining through in otherwise dark characters is not a concept found solely in the case of Dr. H.H. Holmes. It is also one that can be found in the character Dr. Hannibal Lecter in director Jonathan Demme’s The Silence of the Lambs. From the very beginning, Lecter is painted in an unfavorable light, through being called “Hannibal the Cannibal,” and people telling stories of his terror to Clarice Starling. We quickly learn that the devilish doctor lives up to his description, and that he is clearly the smartest man in the film, similar to Holmes in his novel. What is unexpected, however, is the likeability that Lecter possesses. He seems to like Clarice and tries to help her for some unknown reason, and this causes Lecter to become more likeable himself. As Lecter helps Clarice through her mission, albeit in a twisted way, his favorable qualities grow in both the eyes of the viewer and of the police force keeping him in lockdown. It even grows to the point where he is offered a transfer to a more “comfortable” cell in exchange for helping find the senator’s daughter. As his slick, calculated actions earn him space in a less secure cell by way of earning the trust of his keepers, he quickly takes advantage of more freedom and utilizes it to escape. In his evil path, he grotesquely murders two police officers and escapes for good. It was his good nature that earned him the ability to escape- his wicked, twisted nature shines through after all. Even so, we cannot help but empathize with Lecter on some level as he calls Clarice after his escape, asking her, “Have the lambs stopped screaming” (The Silence of the Lambs). Playing on the sensitive story of Clarice’s childhood, Lecter seems to actually truly care for Clarice, especially when he tells her he does not plan to kill her. While the psychosis of Dr. Hannibal Lecter may not be fully understood, one thing is for sure: He possesses some level of compassion and good nature that allows him to further his own evil motives.
The Devil in the White City and The Silence of the Lambs both masterfully illustrate the concept of good and evil stemming from one another. While H.H Holmes and Hannibal Lecter have various different characteristics, one thing is clear from examining both of them: Both men have good in them, along with the obvious evil. This dichotomy of good and evil is something that will forever be present in human life and will likely never be fully understood. All that is certain is that the two qualities will be in a constant battle with one another, and while one can never be fully destroyed by the other, only we can decide which one will come out on top for the time being.
Works Cited:
Larson, Erik. The Devil in the White City. New York: Vintage, 2003. Print.
The Silence of the Lambs. Dir. Jonathan Demme. Perf. Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins. Orion Pictures, 1991. Film.