Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory
The internet is full of various Airbnb horror stories—filthy bathrooms, weird smells, freaky hosts, twenty-two beds in one apartment…
But none of these—none of them—is as bad as the Airbnb situation that Holmes sets up near the Chicago World's Fair in 1893. Let's just say that not everyone who check in gets to check out (shudder).
Holmes' hotel is everything that is opposite the White City. It's dark and stuffy, and not meant to bring joy and delight. Well, unless you're Holmes.
When the plot of land opens, Holmes sees opportunity. Construction just so happens to coincide with the opening of the fair. He knows a bunch of young, innocent, and naïve girls will be headed to town. So he decides to install special features just for them: an airtight vault and large kiln. And no, it's not for baking cupcakes.
He envisions his hotel being "just comfortable enough and cheap enough to lure a certain kind of clientele and convincing enough to justify a large fire insurance policy" (1.7.1). We bet you can guess his ideal clientele—young women, far from home. But what's up with the fire insurance? Holmes reveals that after the fair he intends to burn the building to the ground and collect the insurance. Plus, a fire will destroy any material left over from the building's hidden storage chambers.
Six months go by and the fair's draws to a close. Holmes decides it's probably a good time for him to leave too. The hotel remains abandoned until police come a-knocking and looking for answers. They find bones upon bones, and just when they might have some evidence to incriminate Holmes, the castle burns to the ground and destroys everything.
So what does this mean? Well, for one thing, Holmes' hotel was never meant to last very long… sort of like the fair. And where the fair in the White City brought people short-lived happiness, the castle in the Black City brought enduring misery.