Situational Irony: The Fair’s Image vs. Reality
There is irony in the disparity between what is intended through the creation of the Chicago World’s Fair and what happens. The ‘White City’ is meant to be the shining example of how cosmopolitan and worldly Chicago has become, but ends up providing an opportunity for one of the worst serial killers in American history. In Part III the author says that “the exposition revealed to its early visitors a vision of what a city could be and ought to be." However, "There are hundreds of people who went to Chicago to see the Fair and were never heard from again."
Situational Irony: Temperance Stone
This example was directly pointed out by the author on page 57: “The presence of Burnham, Root, and Harrison beside the Temperance stone was more than a bit ironic.” The irony here is found because the Temperance stone was a monument for the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, and those three men are described as being less than moral characters. Harrison is seen as a "civic satyr" by the city’s Protestants, Burnham is known for his drinking and flaunting of wealth, and Root is a “notorious bon vivant.”
Situational Irony: The Mayor's Murder
The murder of Chicago’s mayor, when Prendgast kills Mayor Harrison, would usually be viewed as horrible for the city. However, the book frames this murder as actually helping the Chicago World’s Fair, by bringing in an audience of 200,000 on its final day, creating an example of situational irony.
Dramatic Irony: Fair-Goers Feeling Invincible
The quote, “the fair was so perfect, its grace and beauty like an assurance that for as long as it lasted nothing truly bad could happen to anyone, anywhere,” shows one of the most prominent ironies in the book. It outlines the dramatic irony between the World’s Fair at the time and situation of the current readers of the book. The readers are aware of the horrific murders being perpetrated by Holmes at and around the fair, but for the people in that time period, the fair was something magical that made them feel untouchable.
