Bodies at War
ABSTRACT: In this thesis, I explore the carrier narratives of Mary Mallon, or "Typhoid Mary," and their intersections with developments in medical science and immigration policies at the time. To construct this case, I sought texts within the much larger study of the history of science and medicine underway in many different fields--from history to sociology to psychology to literature. From the treatment of the carrier and the implications for modern medical practice and contagious disease to issues with regulating immigration, this narrative is constructed within an important frame of reference. My research, which also falls under the broader umbrella of cultural studies, focuses on how immigrants in general (chapter 1) and "Typhoid Mary" specifically (chapter 2) are constructed in these moments. The texts I gathered for analysis ranged from articles in medical journals to short news stories to statements from health officials, most originally published somewhere between 1900 and 1930.