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Chapter 27
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Great Influenza, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Leadership and Crisis
Truth, Free Press, and Propaganda
Science vs. Nature
Education, Research, and Institutions
Summary
Analysis
In late 1918, Philadelphia continued to be isolated and struggle with influenza. Its mayor was arrested in the early days and became sick, doing nothing to help his city. Krusen had also lost everyone’s trust. Lewis felt the pressure to help his city, throwing himself even deeper into his lab work. His only silver lining was that he got to spend more time on lab work and less time courting support from donors.
This passage again sets up the contrast between ineffective public officials and the more competent investigators working in labs. Barry demonstrates how there are different types of leadership and how sometimes activities like research can be their own form of public service.
Themes
In 1918, two wealthy families in particular wielded influence in Philadelphia: the Biddles and the Drexels. These families and others pulled the strings behind many of Philadelphia’s institutions, and their bloodlines went back to the American Revolution.
This passage shows that sometimes actual power isn’t about titles or positions—there are other ways to spread influence, both for better and for worse. The deep roots of the families mentioned here suggest that they had found a way to achieve power that goes beyond election cycles.
Themes
In October, Krusen finally took action. He ceded control of city nurses to a private organization run by some of Philadelphia’s rich families, then seized money from the city’s emergency fund to supply hospitals and hire physicians at double the rate Public Health Service offered. He sent out trucks with water sprays and sweepers to sanitize the filthy streets.
Though the corrupt political system in Philadelphia that Krusen represented was largely ineffective, this passage highlights some positive actions Krusen did take. The problem, however, is that he did these things too late—had he been more proactive, his actions might have had a larger effect.
Themes
Corpses piled up, and there weren’t enough grave diggers to bury them all. Despite the city’s renewed efforts to fight influenza, the pandemic didn’t let up. People in the city couldn’t remember what life was like before the pandemic. Calls for amateur volunteer nurses only got a few replies. During the worst week, almost 5,000 Philadelphians died from influenza alone, about 10 times the normal death rate from other causes in a week. Even essential war industries and social services shut down.
This passage captures the extent to which the 1918 pandemic interrupted daily life, beyond just the mortality and infection rates. While the death rates were horrifyingly high, there were other, sometimes unexpected consequences to the widespread illness and death, like the shortage of grave diggers and the breakdown of social services.
Themes
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