Discussion
Questions
1. After the epidemic, some of Nome’s residents blamed Dr. Welch for identifying the disease too late and therefore considered him responsible for the children’s deaths? Do you think Dr. Welch handled the epidemic competently? Did he fail in his duties by not ensuring that he had enough antitoxin on hand?
2. The well-traveled Alaskan missionary Hudson Stuck once wrote that not every man is fit to be a partner with a sled dog. Working with sled dogs requires mutual trust, appreciation, and understanding. What was the key to Seppala’s bond with his dogs?
3. It takes time and skill to form a great lead dog. What made Togo such a great leader?
4. The serum run captured the imagination of the country and put Alaska in the national spotlight. How did the lives of Alaskans change after the serum run? What sort of changes were accelerated because of the dogs racing to Nome?
5. For many days, Alaskans debated the potential of an air rescue of Nome. At times, that debate became heated and controversial. Why did Alaskans so desperately want Governor Bone to send the serum by airplane?
6. If the epidemic broke out in Nome in the winter of 1926, would the rescue effort be different? Would the dogs have had their day?
7. What native knowledge was employed in those fateful six days that contributed to the safe arrival of the serum?
8. What role did the burgeoning news media play in the serum run, and how did the media play a role in creating heroes?
9. When it was announced that New York would build a statue of Balto in Central Park, Seppala criticized the decision and said the press had chosen the “wrong” dog. Do you think Seppala was correct? Should Togo have been the subject of the statue? Or should there be no statue at all?
10. When many of the drivers were called on to risk their lives and take part in the serum run, many of them saw it as “part of a day’s work.” Helping those in need was part of the code of ethics in Alaska. Do you think such a code still exists in the United States? If you were called on to take part in a rescue effort of a neighboring town or suburb, an effort that would put your own life at risk, would you help?
|