Book Review I–The Black Death at the Golden Gate
Instructions
Write a five-page analytical book review over The Black Death at the Golden Gate. Format for the review: double-spaced, 12 point font with 1-inch margins. Save as either a .docx, .doc, or pdf.
Consider ONE of these themes for your essay. Make sure you document and cite specific examples and material from the book (quotes/paraphrases etc). Use MLA formatting.
Consider how the two doctors of the narrative, Kinyoun and Blue, constructed different approaches to the outbreak of bubonic plague in San Francisco. What were the advantages and disadvantages of their strategies? What sorts of opposition did they face? Were there any gains in understanding the disease and the impact of public health measures on combating it and its spread?
Or
Discuss the opposition to medical efforts to fight the spread of the plague in San Francisco. How did the business and political community become involved? What were some of the ways the Chinese community fought back against discriminatory treatment? What does this historical account suggest about the balance needed between public health, public necessity, and individiual liberties?
