The Day The Leader Was Killed (53-103)

Summary

          Well finally the leader died, around the last few pages. It was so random, Muhtashimi was watching the television and all of a sudden it went blank. The announcer said Sulayman Mubarak was fine, then injured, then dead. I felt no sympathy because the page he died was literally the same page that he was introduced. However, I don't think that the title was for Sulayman Mubarak, the President. Instead I think the title was meant for Anwar Bey. The same day that Sulayman Mubarak died Anwar Bey died, and it was because Elwan killed him. Elwan was so caught up in the heat of the death of Anwar Bey that he tried to get retribution for Randa. Right, I forgot to tell you that Randa and Anwar Bey got married. Even though Anwar Bey is twenty years older they got married. They got divorced over their honeymoon because Anwar Bey invited some of his friends and they were drinking. So Randa got angry and wanted a divorce. Anwar Bey was not angry at all he was saying that there was a misunderstanding and they could fix it. I thought they could too, I mean he said he was a man who never got angry. It was a shock to me that everyone was on her side and thought what Anwar Bey did was very disrespectful, Elwan was one of those people and that is why he beat Anwar Bey to death.

Quote

          “Had you not given up on the matter…” (Mahfouz 68).

Reaction

          This quote is exactly what I am thinking. Even though Randa has just divorced Anwar, Elwan is still ‘in love’ with Randa and wants her to know. He just will not give up. Even when he is locked up in prison for killing Anwar, when he gets out he knows exactly what he is going to do first and that is to go to Randa. Elwan’s grandfather says that he will give his house to Elwan and Randa because he knows that he will not live by the time that Elwan gets out of jail. So, Randa and Elwan will live happily ever after, at some point. The real question lies in why Anwar’s sister wanted to cover up Anwar’s murder? Was it because she wanted to inherit his part of their fortune? But I guess I will never know because this book was a novel.   

The Day The Leader Was Killed (1-52)

Summary
          When I see the words "The Day The Leader Was Killed", what I think of is a leader who will be assassinated. However, my novella is not that kind of story. So far, the main characters are, Muhtashimi Zayed, Elwan Fawwaz Muhtashimi, and Randa Sulayman Mubarak. Elwan and Randa are supposed to be married, but the only thing stopping them is money. They both come from under privileged families who do not have much money. Muhtashimi is Elwan's grandfather. The way the novel transitions is that is goes from the grandfather, next chapter Elwan, then next Randa, and it continues in that pattern. Their point of view was first person. By the end of the first section that I read, Elwan decided to finally end the marriage.

Quote
          "Keep well, sir," she says as she leaves (Mahfouz 24).

Reaction
          I think this is a perfect quote to explain the book so far because nothing seems like it has a deeper meaning. Maybe it is because the novel is so short. When ever it is just Elwan and Randa speaking, everything is so monotone. When Elwan says "I love you" I don't believe it. It's not like he even says those words exactly. He says "I care deeply for you", that can mean anything. The most depth comes from Elwan’s grandfather because he only speaks in quotes. Maybe that is why Muhtashimi says that he fears for the younger generation.

The Devil in the White City (218-342)

Summary

          It is weird how some things in this book are brought up, it makes me remember that this is a history book. For example, at one point says that that a mam named Walt wanted to build a fantasy paradise and his son would take notice, and I was amazed because than I remembered Walt Disney. To mention historical moments the fair finally has a main structure that might be able to beat the Eiffel tower. They were over with ridiculous ideas such as an eight thousand foot lodge with a restaurant on top. They constructor of the structure would be a man named Ferris, can you guess what he was going to build? Of course a Ferris wheel, first of its kind. The only question is, is there enough time? There I'd only a little over two months left to finish.
          On the other hand Holmes is married for the third time. This time Homes was smart in order to hire a fake minister and no witnesses. It was to a woman named Minnie who I'd not that easy ob the eyes and little to no neck. Even her sister wondered why such a handsome charming mam would choose her as a wife. Is it any surprise that she had cloaked a large inheritance from the death of her uncle. Holmes did all the right things. He wooed her with letters and bike rides. He always chose all the same types of women, those who he thought seemed needy. Minnie was perfect because she is needy and would cry when Holmes would leave Boston for Chicago.

Quote

          "The White City had drawn men and protected them; the Black City now welcomed them back on the eve of winter with filth, starvation, and violence" (Larson 323).

 

Reaction

 

          This is an important quote because it shows that when the Fair was first being built everyone thought that it was such a good thing because not only was it going to open a lot of jobs for people who were choosing to move to Chicago in large numbers, but they were not called the windy city for nothing. They honestly thought that they were not going to out beat any other Exposition but they would set a new height and therefore were very pompous. Then after the fair closed and all the humility that was left from the murders of H. H. Holmes, there was nothing to be proud of. There was only unemployed people left.  

The Devil in the White City (168-218)

Summary

         Holmes is still up to no good and people are starting to notice, and he has also begin selling skeletons. After Julia and her daughter disappear people begin to talk about it but are too afraid to say anything under the Holmes roof. So now he beefs a new secretary and she its a  young tall blond. Her name is Emeline Cigrand and has as much charm as Holmes does. She has made heart friends in the hotel such as the Lawences, but she thankfully does not live in the hotel. Of course Holmes aready promised to marry her early into the relationship. I commend her for knowing the true personality of Holmes, fiercer out did not save her. She wanted to move back to Illinois with her parents, but Homles had other plans for Emeline.
          Holmes had another business on the side which was to sell skeletons. He knew no one would question where he might have gotten the skeleton because medical schools and institutions were so despite to get their hands on them for study. They were willing to dig up graves in order ro get skeletons, so of course they would except any donations given. It is unfortunate that the next skeleton given was Emeline. Holmes have the body to a friend he knew would be able to take off the skin off the body. The friend recorded that the skin of the body seemed to have been pulled back from the stomach up to the forehead.

Quote

          "She seemed delighted with the anticipation of a visit to them" (Larson 186).
Reaction

          This quote that Ms. Lawence comments on is about the way that Emeline felt about being able to go home to her parents. It was unbelievable that she would just up and marrya random man that she never before mentioned. It was also weird that when police men found out that there was a foot print inside of Holmes vault. It was supposed that Holmes put an acid in the vault to refuce oxygen and locked someone inside. The tried to get out with their foot and stained the steel.

The Devil in the White City (110-167)

Summary

          There is fewer than twenty six months left to go until the grand opening. Burnham and his architect have no idea what their main structure will be. There are honestly so many people and committees that are formed that I can not keep track of abounds names besides now the two main characters, Burnham and Holmes. There is also one character that seems very harmless and passive at the moment, and his name is Patrick Eugene Joseph Prendergast. He is an Irish immigrant who is a strong supporter of of a man named Harrison for mayor. He is declining mentally and I do not know what he is capable of after Harrison had lost his election. Back to Burnham, it seen as though the fair will never be finish because of two things, people getting sick missing deadlines and bad weather. Olmsted seems out of everyone to be the next to end up like Root. He is always out with a stomach or headache. He had to travel all the way to Europe in order to clear his head.  He is the landscaper so he can not be replaced so late in the fair. The second reason why out was going to be nearly impossible to finish the fair is because of bad weather. The forms in Jackson Park are so fierce that as soon as a building is almost two thirds of the way finished the buildings would be destroyed along with months of work. Due to the fact that they had limiting time after buildings were destroyed, buildings were recreated not up to code.

Quote

          "We are now organizing a special interior decorative and architectural force to handle this part" (Larson 157).

Reaction

          This quote that Burnham said is an important because it shows why the fair was destined for failure. That reason was because too many people were about of it. It was hard to keep track of every single group organized.since Burnham wasn't able to keep tract sometimes things did not turn as though he wanted them to, such as the woman's building that was open to public opinion.

The Devil in the White City (62-109)

Summary
          The results are in and Congress decided to hold the world fair in chicago. Of course Burnham and Root was put in the head of the archiect department. They had to choose other architects to help them build a whole city in a deadline of about two and a half years. They decide to call upon eastern architects, which offended his native ones. It made them feel as if they were saying that Chicago child not do it on their own. It took them a while, but they decided to hold the fair at Jackson Park because it had something that no other exposition had, they had Lake Michigan. For H. H. Holmes, he re-married (he grew about from his first wife abd changed his name). He also owned a drug store. With his persuasive nature he was a very successful businessman. He also seemed like he would be a great father because he was always caring with others. He would ask if people would lend him their babies and play with them. I found nothing seriously wrong with him, I would have married him myself. Until, the previous owner of the store mysteriously decided to live on California says Holmes. Still, Holmes and the architects seem to get closer. He gets the best idea. Across the street from his drugstore is an empty block that he decides to build a hotel, a hotel that will host people going to the world fair. As he built the hotel he does not contact an architect. He dose not want anyone to know the real reason why he wants to build the hotel. He hires workers and laborers from newspapers, and to make sure they do not know what they are creating he fires them, or makes them quit before they get the chance to be paid. What he really wants to do is lure wo,en into his hotel, andkill them in secret rooms and burn them in the incinerators.

Quote
          "Holmes returned to Eaglewood and promptly forged Belknap's signature tp a second note for the same amount, intended to use the proceeds for his hotel" (Larson 87).

Reaction
          This is a key quote in the reason why Holmes got away with so much bad things. He is able to forge checks, murder for insurance, build incinerators in his basements with no questions asked. Holmes is able to sweet talk his way with the ladies anad buy the men a dinner and cigars and they always forget what it was they wanted to confront him about.

The Devil in the White City (1-61)

Summary
          This book seems to be divided into two main sections. One section is for two archiects named Daniel Hudson Burnham and a southerner named John Root. These two meet through Burnham'sf father after he had failed both the Harvard and Yale admissions test. They decided to make a company together. Burnham was the one who closes deals with his blue eyes and charm. While on the other hand, Root was the one who draws the plans for buildings. They became great archiects in Chicago. They became famous for building the first skyscrapers that the world had ever seen. At the time they were a city full of dirt, black smoke, and sewage. The city was re-named the Black City. With such a title, it was amazing that they wanted to host the next world fair, the World's Columbian Exposition. Chicago wanted to host it in their city because scribe wanted to match Paris's world exposition where they had revealed the Effile tower. Chicago thought they would be able to Paris and for their arrogance was re-named the Windy City. The World's Columbian Exposition was not the only thing that Chicago had to worry about. They also had ro worry about a man named H. H. Holmes. He is a persuasive man with deep blue eyes. He was able to charm his way out of any situation, even murder. It seems like these two groups of people get closer and closer as the story line goes along.

Quote
          "Outside yet another train rumbled through the intersection" (Larson 37)

Reaction
          To me this is a very important quote. This is important because it what makes Chicago such an interesting place to hold a World's Columbian Fair, because of the growing population. Everyday people would get off the train looking for work, especially young women. People were able get away with robbery and murder (a perfect place for Holmes).