Florence Nightingale, an upper class British woman, hated the
narrowness of her Victorian life. She dreamed of a career serving
the sick, but her family opposed her. When she was thirty-four
years old, her dreams came true at last. In 1854 she led a dangerous
mission of mercy to British soldiers in Turkey. With thirty-seven
nurses and assistants, she nursed
British soldiers
wounded in the Crimean War. She faced many problems, but the mission
was a huge success. During her two years in Turkey, she successfully
challenged the restraints on Victorian women.
Her first accomplishment
was showing that a woman could work in a harsh environment. The
Barrack Hospital was a crude and dirty institution, and the soldiers
were not accustomed to upper class women. Biographer Cecil Woodham-Smith
described the appalling conditions: "The men came down starved
and in rags....The men told the nurses to keep away because they
were so filthy" (198). Diarrhea and vomiting were common;
screams of pain filled the air. Through it all, Nightingale and
her staff competently nursed the soldiers.
In addition, Nightingale
showed that a woman could be a capable executive. She purchased
equipment, negotiated with military officials, and made administrative
decisions. Her responsibilities went beyond nursing duties because
she raised funds to purchase clothing and other necessities for
the soldiers. In a letter she described herself as both a "Hospital
Matron" and a "Barrack Mistress" (Nightingale 84).
Most important,
Nightingale proved that she did not need a man to protect her
from the harsh realities of life. Each night she made a supervisory
tour of the hospital without a male escort. No Victorian lady
had ever done that. When one of her nurses abused alcohol, Nightingale
solved the problem herself and sent the woman home (Nightingale
139).
Nightingale's triumph
in the Crimea enabled other Victorian women to pursue careers
serving humanity. Her courage and competence are still remembered
today, and she continues to be a role model for professional women.
Nightingale, Florence. Ever Yours, Florence Nightingale. Martha Vicinus and Bea Nergaard, eds. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1990.
Woodham-Smith, Cecil. Florence Nightingale. New York: McGraw-Hill,
1951.
Questions:
1. In paragraph 2, what does "198" stand for?
2. One of the references is actually a summary of information stated in a book. Which reference is it?
3. One of the references is a direct quotation. Which one is it?
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