How far do the sources suggest that Florence Nightingale did ‘not help the side’ in the Crimean War (Source 1, lines 2-3). Explain your answer using the evidence of Source 1, 2 and 3 (20 marks)
I believe that Florence Nightingale did help the side in the Crimean War. Her work being based at Scutari hospital aided the cause significantly. As I said, I do believe she assisted the sick men in the Crimean War, however I feel that her influence during this period was over exaggerated. This could be due to a significant amount of evidence on her being from her diary and letters, in which she may have glorified her actions and taken all praise where possible.
Source 1 agrees with the statement, claiming that she ‘opposed the true interests of the medical department’. This source also states that ‘her efforts do not help the sick and, at ...view middle of the document...
At first, ‘the cold and stony floors’ along with ‘the cheerless corridors’ portray the hospital as a dingy and miserable place. Whereas when ‘a lady with a lamp’ passes by, she is conveyed as an angel, a light in the dark, a new hope. The use of the word ‘dream’ yet again refers to her as an angel. This source suggests that she did help the side in the Crimean War, however it may be unreliable for use as evidence due to the fact that it is from a poem, and the main purpose of this type of article would be to entertain the reader, so hence may not be strictly factually accurate.
Source 3 disagrees with the statement, as this sketch of Florence Nightingale portrays her as a hardworking selfless individual. The sketch depicts FN as the only nurse caring for all the men on her own, showing her bravery and how much she cared for all the men. She is also traditionally holding her candle which represents FN being a light in the dark, an angel, it also shows that she works long, continuous hours because she needs the candle to stand out from the dark during the night. This source suggests she did help the side in the Crimean war, although this is unreliable for use as evidence as it is merely a sketch, and furthermore one person only drew it, so it is a mere single opinion and hence unreliable for use as evidence when taking into consideration the general opinion.
In conclusion, Source 1 does highly suggest that Florence Nightingale did ‘not help the side’ in the Crimean War. Sources 2 and 3 however suggest that Florence Nightingale did help the side in the Crimean War. Source 1 supports the statement but sources 2 and 3 do not. These sources convey their views well, although I personally believe that they are all unreliable for use as evidence on the topic of Florence Nightingale and her work in the Crimea, as these sources all contain certain flaws.
