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Chapter 28
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
Philadelphia’s situation wasn’t unique. Around the world, cities saw equally horrifying death rates. Often, the press made things worse, downplaying the seriousness of the disease, even though people could see the devastation with their own eyes, leading people to mistrust what they read. Officials believed controlling the press and urging calm in public statements would help stop fear from spreading, but the lies and half-truths in print only spread more fear.
This passage reveals one fundamental problem with censorship and confusion: that sometimes the public can see past it with their own eyes. This leads to distrust, not just of the press but of institutions in general, which in turn leads to fear. All of this makes it harder for national leaders to deal with an unfolding crisis.
Themes
Publications told readers not to be scared. Many printed some variation on the idea that the influenza was “Simply the Old-Fashioned Grip, Masquerading Under a New Name.” Others printed nothing about the pandemic at all. Only a rare few publications, like the Journal of the American Medical Association, wrote about the true extent of the pandemic.
“Grip” (also “grippe”) was an old way of referring to influenza. By saying that the current influenza was just like previous versions, newspapers were technically correct, but they seriously misrepresented the scale of the disease. By contrast, the specialist publications gave a more accurate analysis.
Themes
Attempts by government and the press to control fear were ultimately futile. Still, the awful circumstances did inspire some people to meet the challenge, one of them being Dr. Ralph Marshall Ward. A doctor turned cattle rancher, he lived near the Mexican border. One day, hundreds of Mexicans came to meet him, having heard that he was the only doctor around for miles. Despite his lack of resources, Ward set up a makeshift hospital to care for them as best he could, then eventually went back to Kansas City to become a doctor again.
This passage shows how even as the 1918 pandemic spread fear and misinformation, it also inspired some to rise to the occasion. Here, Ward represents the ideal spirit of the doctor as someone who helps those in need, regardless of where they come from or what they can afford to pay. Perhaps it’s notable that Ward lived in a remote area, farther from the influence of the press and the government.
Themes
As paranoia swept the country, some blamed everything on Germany. There was no evidence for this, and investigating it wasted scarce public health resources. While the war remained distant for many Americans, the pandemic was immediate and inescapable. People stayed inside all day. One city made it illegal to shake hands.
The tendency to find a scapegoat during a crisis is a common theme in history, both before the pandemic and since. Barry shows why this is a problem during a pandemic: because it diverts scarce resources away from where they’re needed most.
Themes
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Shipbuilders were one of the cornerstones of the war effort, and as a result, they heard lots of propaganda about patriotism and received some of the best treatment of any workers during the pandemic. Sickness still soared, and on any given day, over half of workers might be unable to come in.
One of the side effects of the 1918 pandemic (as well as World War I) was that some professions like shipbuilders and nurses were better recognized for the essential work they do, at least temporarily.
Themes
When the war finally ended, the pandemic still lingered. An internal American Red Cross report compared the situation to the Black Death.
The persistence of a pandemic after the war shows how the negative effects of war linger long after the peace treaties are signed.
Themes
