A Southern Woman's Story Summary

Topic Paragraph: During the hard times of the civil war, many men were lost, many families mourned the death of their loved ones, the people who were there to comfort these families, and women who aided the lost family member before their death, were none other than nurses. Nurses were a major contributor to the upheaval of the war, they kept the men from dying from disease and infection, yet their reputation before recognition was seen as “inappropriate”. So how exactly did the experiences of the female Civil War nurses, as depicted in letters and diaries, reflect the broader changing societal attitudes of caregivers and of the personalization of nursing during the war?

Background paragraph: All nurses during the Civil War, whether it was …show more content…
Cummings goes into depth on many aspects of the war and truly shares an insight into what it was like during that detrimental time when she faced many struggles. Another nurse, Phoebe Yates Pember, was the first woman to volunteer as a hospital matron, which many other nurses wouldn't dare do. In Pember's work “A Southern Woman's Story” she shares how she became a matron at Chimborazo Hospital in Richmond, Virginia, which happened to be one of the largest Confederate hospitals in the Civil War. She also wrote about the humanitarian efforts of her colleagues and herself, and how they worked despite the difficult conditions they faced. Most importantly in her work, she speaks on the social and cultural dynamics of the war. In her writing, Pember reflects on issues such as race relations, gender roles, as well as the war's impact on society. “A Southern Woman's Story” ultimately provides the first-hand perspective of women who were deeply involved in the medical aspect of the war and aided soldiers through the roughest conditions and social …show more content…
Some Northern nurses who also wrote about their experiences and challenges they faced during the visit were Cornelia Hancock and Hannah Ropes. Hancock outlines the sites she saw as a nurse working on the front lines. She wrote about the various physical and emotional challenges she faced when aiding the wounded soldiers and emphasized how hard it was but ultimately expressed her compassion and commitment to her work and her patients. Hancock also writes about the gender roles and how challenging being a nurse is in a male-dominated field, despite how she navigates the prejudices she faces and asserts that she is more than capable of doing her job and doing it well. All of these women experience mostly the same occurrences and experiences, but one recurring issue that all of these women face is specifically the gender roles and outdated social norms. Society told them they weren't “fit” for the field, and were not nearly as capable as a man would be. These nurses faced discrimination, limited opportunities, lack of respect and recognition, and were made out to be “inappropriate” just because of their gender. Despite the austerity of society, these women showed immense resilience and dedication to provide the necessary medical

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