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John Snow
Henry Whitehead is, along with John Snow, the closest thing to a protagonist in The Ghost Map. A talkative, beloved priest living in Soho, Whitehead was one of the first people in the neighborhood to recognize the danger of the 1854 cholera epidemic. In addition to his religious duties, Whitehead was a highly intelligent, hard-working man, and as a result, he took it upon himself to research the causes of the epidemic, compiling information that turned out to be crucial to proving the contagion theory of disease. Whitehead was initially opposed to Snow’s contagion theory of disease; however, after speaking with hundreds of Soho families about their experiences with cholera, he came around to Snow’s ideas. Whitehead then became a great admirer of Snow; later in life, he crusaded on behalf of public health in London, always crediting Snow for the idea that cholera was waterborne. Whitehead was, in short, an impressive, even heroic figure: using his natural gregariousness, as well as his deep commitment to the public good, Whitehead threw himself into the task of researching and preventing epidemics—furthermore, he kept an open mind about the sources of cholera, and accepted the truth even when it went against his original beliefs.
Henry Whitehead Quotes in The Ghost Map
The The Ghost Map quotes below are all either spoken by Henry Whitehead or refer to Henry Whitehead. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 6
Quotes
Whitehead thought the connection unlikely. He had personally seen so many residents recover from cholera after drinking Broad Street water. He himself had enjoyed a glass a few nights before, and had thus far resisted the plague. Perhaps Richardson had drunk too little.
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Chapter 7
Quotes
Standing in front of his haggard parishioners in the half-empty church, he noted the disproportionate number of poor, elderly women in the pews. He congratulated them on their "remarkable immunity from the pestilence." But even as he spoke the words, he wondered: How can this be? What kind of pestilence spares the old and the destitute?
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Chapter 8
Quotes
Cities are invariably shaped by their master planners and their public officials; Chadwick and Farr had a tremendous impact on Victorian London—most of it positive, despite the miasma diversions. But in the last instance, the energy and vitality and innovation of cities comes from the Henry Whiteheads—the connectors and entrepreneurs and public characters who make the urban engine work at the street level.
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Henry Whitehead Quotes in The Ghost Map
The The Ghost Map quotes below are all either spoken by Henry Whitehead or refer to Henry Whitehead. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 6
Quotes
Whitehead thought the connection unlikely. He had personally seen so many residents recover from cholera after drinking Broad Street water. He himself had enjoyed a glass a few nights before, and had thus far resisted the plague. Perhaps Richardson had drunk too little.
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Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 7
Quotes
Standing in front of his haggard parishioners in the half-empty church, he noted the disproportionate number of poor, elderly women in the pews. He congratulated them on their "remarkable immunity from the pestilence." But even as he spoke the words, he wondered: How can this be? What kind of pestilence spares the old and the destitute?
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 8
Quotes
Cities are invariably shaped by their master planners and their public officials; Chadwick and Farr had a tremendous impact on Victorian London—most of it positive, despite the miasma diversions. But in the last instance, the energy and vitality and innovation of cities comes from the Henry Whiteheads—the connectors and entrepreneurs and public characters who make the urban engine work at the street level.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
