The Autobiography of an Idea · Character

Daniel Hudson Burnham

A sentimental Swedenborgian with a will of iron, Burnham buttonholes the young Sullivan on a Chicago street and announces he intends to build big things with big men.

supporting

Also known as Dan Burnham, Burnham, Daniel Burnham

First appearance: xi chicago

As a supporting figure in The Autobiography of an Idea, Daniel Hudson Burnham is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Implicitly referenced in the critique of the World's Fair and its architectural influence.

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Burnham introduces himself in a roadway, absorbed in a rising building, and within an hour he and Louis are calling each other Dan and Louis. He is a dreamer and a mystic who insists romance need not die out, yet he is also a man of fixed determination who wants organization, big business, and big men. His warmth and largeness of presence draw Sullivan in even as his partner Root — 'a wonder, a great artist' — waits in the wings to become the friendship that matters more.

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Character Web

14 connections

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Relationship types

Other

Character groups

Architectural Mentors & Early Colleagues
Protagonist
Early Family & Childhood Influences
Familial Nicknames & Affectionate Terms

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Climax.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This passage is the dramatic climax because it represents the psychological peak where the narrator’s obsessio…

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In the story

Daniel Hudson Burnham appears across 2 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

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See Daniel Hudson Burnham in xi chicago

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