Monday, March 25, 2013

Devil Final #2

At the end of the book, Larson suggests that "exactly what motivated Holmes may never be known" (395).  What possible motives of Holmes are exposed in The Devil in the White City?  Why is it important for people even today to try to understand the motives of a person like Holmes?

17 comments:

  1. Holmes never came out and said why he did the things he did. We as readers never get the comfort of finding out why he decided to kill all those people. However, one can infer by ways of applying other aspects of the book to the subject of Holmes' motives. That being said, the book is, in one aspect, about being in control of your life. Burnham can symbolize humans and their need to control what happens to them. Burnham spent his entire time dealing with making sure everything happened the way he wanted. That he made sure each building was perfectly in tune with those around it. Holmes can also be thought of in this way. While Burnham could control what happened in the fair, Holmes could control who was and wasn't alive. He may have felt that he had little control in his life so he grabbed onto the one thing he could. Killing people may have been the only way he felt as though he was certain of what would happen in his life.
    It's important for us as readers as well as humans to question motives of those like Holmes because we may then be able to prevent happenings like the ones in the book from repeating. If we understand why a person feels the need to end others' lives, then we can address aspects of their psych that need to be helped by professionals. Maybe if someone knew the though process of Holmes back then, they could have prevented all that happened in that building during the fair.

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    1. I like how you thought of how Larson compared Holmes and Burnham in the way that they both wanted to be in control. I do agree that maybe if health science had been more advance Holmes could have been helped phsycologically.

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    2. To play devil's advocate (pun absolutely intended) I pose this question: Was Burnham or Holmes ever truly in control of what happened to them or what they were able to accomplish? Burnham was at the mercy of weather and the whims of his supervisors along with his workers when they decided to strike. He had no control of the people, or lack thereof, that came and saw the fair. It's mentioned that he didn't even have control of the gates of the fair. It seemed that Holmes also wasn't in control of himself or his life and actions. His need to kill seemed like it was like breathing to the rest of us, necessary and unavoidable.

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  2. Most serial killers don’t share their motives after being caught. Why would they? Mystery is a very attractive quality, not to mention that they probably live by the cliché curiosity killed the cat. That being said anyone who has tried to prod serial killers on why they have done what they have, knows that it is downright impossible. But luckily, personality can be closely associated with reason. Meaning that a person’s motive can be revealed in how they managed themselves and their interactions through life. Holmes is the same way. He did not share his motive with the world. He didn’t even admit to being guilty. But the way he oriented himself lends a looking glass into his ideology.
    Holmes loved to manipulate everyone. He charmed creditors into giving him more time and other free handouts. He charmed women into believing in him. Holmes was very good and charming his way on to the top. He loved, more-so needed to have the upper hand in all situations. Every move he made was precisely thought through as to land him on top. Think back to how he befriended all the local police of his hotel’s neighborhood; it was a strategic plan to allow his suspicious acts to slide cleanly under the radar and on top. This desire for power may be why he killed so many people. He needed the satisfaction of knowing he could play god, he could kill people as he pleased and no one suspected him. The killings may have given him a feeling of power over everyone.
    Another reason was also the sexual release mentioned on page 296. Holmes could have charmed his way into any ladies pants. But normal encounters would not get him off. For the pure ecstasy he desired he could only locate from a kill. He needed to kill for a release of seemingly happiness.
    It is important for us to study the psyche of human beings like Holmes because it can give us insight for why they needed to kill. Was it malfunctioning of the brain? Or maybe the upbringing is more to blame. Studying serial killers can allow us to understand why things happen and possibly be able to screen for predisposition and maybe help. It’s a very controversial thing, screening for serial killer predisposition, because it could cause quite the disorder. But it’s important to know so that we can identify outside causes and advocate against them in hopes of cleaning up our crimes.

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    1. I agree with you Katie when you said nobody truley knows why Holmes did what he did. But I believe that is with everybody. Nobody understands why people do the things they do unless they are in the person's shoes. I also agree that we need to study the psyche of humans. If we want to make the world safer and not have to go through something like what happened in the book, we need to understand. If we spend more time with our mental patients to try to see through their eyes, it would be benefical.

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    2. I totally agree with what you said about Holmes. While it may be impossible to say exactly why he did what he did I agree that he had some kind of power trip going and who knows where that came from. Theres also the fact that he was just plain crazy. I think what you said about studying how their minds work is very important. I would like to think that nobody is just born evil so how they are raised or what they go through make them do what they do, so studying how they think is essential.

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  3. From what we've read about Holmes, there is no straight forward reason why he decided to go and kill a countless amount of innocent people. After reading "Devil in the White City." I believe that Holmes did his killing mainly to have control over people. He could have had a troubled childhood that let him to do such things but over all he wanted that control. Watching people die excited him in such a way that should not excite anyone. He needed to feel that excitement and wasn't going to get it by jumping into bed with someone, he felt it by killing the. He controlled people into doing what he wanted and warping their mind to make them believe that he was a good man with no wrong intentions. Every victim he killed was innocent and just fell for his too good of an act. If he could get you to fall for his charming act, he had won you over. He had the power and that gave him the greatest feeling in the world. You were his puppet and he was your master, he could do no harm.
    People these days need to try and understand Holmes so that we can have a better understanding of some of our criminals today. There is so many crazy people out there killing just to kill, just like Holmes was. If someone sat down and learned about Holmes and why he killed the innocent, then maybe it would help put down one of our ruthless criminals today.

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    1. I agree when you say Holmes possibly performed his killings because of his childhood. At the beginning when Larson is telling the story of Mudgett, he says how pets and animals disappeared in the neighborhood Mudgett (Holmes) lived in and how some were found killed. This, I believe, could have been the beginning of Holmes' mastermind of killing. Something could've happened to him as a child that he feels he had to express through brutal killings. Larson also tell how the mechanics of killing excited Holmes and caused him pleasure, this is why I think he killed women. You say this in how he watched people die to find pleasure, I agree simply for the fact that he only targeted women unless he had to kill a man to get to a woman he wanted. I also think it's a strong point when you pointed out that Holmes being able to have control and get people to do what he wants gave him power "the greatest feeling in the world." As you summed it up "you were his puppet and he was your master, he could do no harm."
      I think your response to why people need to try to understand people like Holmes could be stronger. You say how you think if we studied this we might be able to "put down" criminals today, however I think you could provide stronger examples from present day and the novel to support this. What I think is that Holmes had a mental disability, he could have had a tragedy happen to him or something that could have triggered something in his mind so set him off on killing people. I think that these psychiatric disorders need to be studied more not so that we can "put down" criminals but so that we can help them before their problem escalates. After all, these disorders can break up relationships, families, and lives in general. If we can decipher the problem, we can help people in the future.

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  4. Although the real motives to Holmes's killing streak may never be known, there are a few clues that Larson gives throughout the novel that give some suggestions. One possibility may be the very tramatic even that happened when he was just a child. Holmes did not exactly fit in with the neighborhood and fell victim to bullying. People were constantly overpowering him. One, very gruesome, incident happened when Holmes was forced into going into a doctor's office that was filled with many horrific items. Holmes shocked the bullies that had drug him there when he found the items fascinating instead of terrifying. Holmes then made an association that through death he was able to overpower others for once. This then stuck with him and followed him into his adulthood where he began applying what he had learned. Of course this theory also includes a case of mental instability and problems.
    It is very important for people to try to understand the motives behind people like Holmes because it could help prevent other horrific events like that ever happening again. If people understand the motives it makes it easier to pick out people that show signs of similar motives. And if we can pick those people out, precautions can be made and hopefully the events could be avoided. Another reason that understanding their motives is important is that by recognizing the motives we can set programs in place to help people overcome those motives. It is similar to how we study suicide motives to help put programs into place to prevent suicide!

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    1. Wow, I had never thought about Holmes killing as a learned behavior to fight off bullies before, but that makes a lot of sense! How do you think that would fit in with his target of young women, though? If the people who bullied were guys, I feel like he would have targeted men later on, but it's still a really interesting theory!

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  5. Larson is correct. Exactly what motivated Holmes may never be known. It’s true that people with the same personality disorder as Holmes are able to kill without feeling such remorse. They’re complete psychopaths. They do not feel the emotion that we do; they do not feel guilt or sadness after they commit a crime. As a person that watches WAY too many criminal shows, Holmes is definitely a psychopath. He even knows that something is wrong with him. He says: “I was born with the devil in me,' [Holmes] wrote. 'I could not help the fact that I was a murderer, no more than the poet can help the inspiration to sing”. He knew that he wasn’t normal. He knew that he was evil, and of the devil. In my opinion, we need to learn more about people like Holmes. We need to learn why they act the way they do, and how we can prevent future problems. Killing could seem natural to people like Holmes. It’s possible he killed for amusement, boredom, and money! He would take out life insurance policies on his future victims, then kill them and take the money. In a sense, killing supplied him with his type of lifestyle. He also got money for selling the corpses to doctors, and universities. Money was one of the bigger motives. Amusement also seemed pretty prominent. He designed a complete building for killing people. He would lure them into gas chambers, burn them in kilns, help people get lost in the twisting and winding building. Killing was a game. He would find the most beautiful women then murder them. It was amusing. The chase, then the catch, then the kill. It’s important to understand people like Holmes so we can prevent it and understand it if it happens again. He is not the only serial killer, there are dozens out there. We need to study, and understand how and why they tick that way. We need to take precautions, and give them the mental health help that they need. Knowing more about the motives of these types of people can help you catch more and more people like him, getting them off the streets, and keeping people out of the grave. Understanding can lead to better safety.

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  6. While I read about Holmes I was overcome both by disgust and fascination. It seems to me that Holmes’ motivation is purely to feel utter happiness. In fact, I notice many parallels between a serial killer like H. H. Holmes and drug abusers. He seeks solace in fiddling with remains of his human counterparts, just like those with addictions find their escape from life’s many burdens under the influence. As a result, his sadistic behavior is very uncontrollable; just like a drug addict’s indispensable craze for that medicated state of euphoria. Another way he attains this joy would be by using his deceptive powers, so to speak, and manipulating all kinds of people to gain their trust. Consequently, he concludes by relishing in the newfound powerfulness, and the cycle continues. Despite his apparent faults, Holmes didn’t confess to being guilty. Of course, because guilty of what? The concept people have a hard time grasping is that Holmes needed to take the lives of those innocent people because his twisted mind convinced him that’s what makes him happy. We all deserve to be happy, right? When I put myself in serial killer mode and try to emulate Holmes’ thought process, although very difficult, I find no reason at all as to why he would subject himself to shame and guilt. Now, in a very different sense, this is not morally justified. A crucial part of preventing serial killers like Holmes from crossing moral lines is to understand their motives. If more people are aware of red flag behavior the more likely it is that they will seek help. Ultimately, this leads to more people that are subject to study which makes for increasingly accurate results as to why these deemed psychopaths take such desperate measures for comfort.

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  7. The motives of serial killers are constantly questioned. What caused this sick perversion in the mind of the psychopath? That's a question that goes unanswered most of the time. There would be no truly accurate answer that would apply to all serial killers but a lot of them do it for the thrill of being in control. They thrive on the idea that they are superior to those that they kill. Most are hungry for power and feel a certain euphoria once they've killed again. This seemed the driving force behind Holmes's murderous rampage. Another factor seemed to contribute to the blood thirstiness that drove him to kill. It was the fact that enough was never enough for him. “The possession he craved was a transient thing, like the scent of a fresh-cut hyacinth. Once it was gone, only another acquisition could restore it” (page 257). Holmes was never content with what he had. Once the high went away from tricking another girl into loving him he killed her. He was ruthless. I don't know how he could pull stuff like this off knowing that many of the women he killed trusted and love him. I guess that was part of it though. He felt powerful knowing that he could control the lives of these vulnerable women. Even though Holmes never outright said what his motives were you could infer what drew him to murder.
    It is important for people of any era to understand the motives that Holmes had that elicited him to kill innocent young women. People need to understand what makes a serial killer tick. They need to psychoanalyze the psychopath. Understanding what is so alluring to the killers and how their thought processes work can help us decide who may fit into this category. Experts could, based on certain criteria, figure out who may be an individual to watch out for. Holmes was an ideal example of a killer to study. He fit into society like anybody else yet he was driven to kill. If these individuals could be at least pointed out or flagged in some way it would be a lot easier to have a safer serial killer free society. Life would be a lot less hectic and it's not like we have serial killers running rampant everywhere but when the time comes it would be better to be prepared rather than caught off guard. The antics of Holmes can best be used as a teaching device. Even 120 years after his death he is still relevant to society.

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    1. I agree on your thoughts of Holmes' killings being a power thing. He really seemed liked a controlling person, especially at the end when he was managing three separate groups of people. It reminded me of many horror movies when I wondered the killer's motives. I like how you point out that serial killers' motives are often unanswered and we need to learn from the past ones. Are there any specifics we can learn from Holmes? I believe that the police can keep better track of citizens and when they go missing.

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    2. I agree with your statement that Holmes’s killing addiction was a power struggle, and Holmes believed that he would only win when he killed his “adversary”, or victim. The issue to further analyze these serial killers is extremely pressing and necessary to ensure the safety of our society. Because, as anyone who watches the news can clearly observe, serial killing didn’t die out after Holmes was hung. It exists even today. Numerous school shootings such as Columbine, Sandy Hook, Virginia Tech, and many others are all the work of serial killers—killers whose rationale defies all reason, whose motivation is the death of another. The loss of one life is devastating enough—the loss of thirty at the hands of one man is unfathomable. Amidst the fiery cries for justice and the tears of the bereaved, the eternal question of, “Why?” always rings out. Men such as Holmes were only the beginning. Because you can argue about gun control or increased security as much as you want to, but this problem will persist until we learn about what makes a serial killer tick. Whether it is power, as you said, or something else entirely, we need to “psychoanalyze the psychopath” until we find out what makes these men tick.

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  8. Holmes, obviously, was mentally disturbed to some degree. The book mostly clearly demonstrates the possibility of him being a sexual sadist. While the vast majority of sexual sadists have no desire to kill their victims, a very rare few have an overwhelming desire. Clearly he had Narcissistic Personality Disorder or some grandiose delusions. Perhaps, as evidenced by his remark that he was becoming the devil, he was simply obeying the orders of an internal voice and had a severe case of schizophrenia. I don't think that Larson had attempted to portray Holmes as intrinsically evil. Although yes, his acts were evil and were portrayed as evil, Holmes was not. Larson's occasional referencing the beginning of advancing psychology, was, in my opinion, a reminder to the reader that Holmes was not, in fact a moral agent and he was intrinsically neither good nor evil. (Unless you support a theory on human nature other than the blank slate theory...)

    Understanding people like Holmes is valuable because people like Holmes exist. They exist today and they will continue to exist until there is a fool-proof way to detect and contain any violent tendencies they may have (which will be never). People who are not moral agents are threats to society. Because the purpose of society and government is to protect its citizens (Hobbe's social contract theory), it is the government's duty to go to any length to achieve this to ensure the safety of the citizens.

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  9. Ok, Gincie, I totally agree with what you post here...but here is my question: are all serial killers narcissistic? As I analyze Holmes and think about other prominent perpetrators, I wonder if they aren't all narcissists?

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