The Orphan Collector: A Heroic Novel of Survival During the 1918 Influenza Pandemic

Content Warning: This section contains descriptions of racism, anti-immigrant bias, and kidnapping.

Patriotism is explored in many ways throughout the novel. At the tail end of World War I, the country is celebrating America’s triumph. The novel opens at the Liberty Loan parade, where “200,000 men, women, and children waved American flags and jostled one another for prime viewing space along the two-mile route” (1). This parade is a duty for Americans: “They were there to support the troops, buy war bonds, and show their patriotism during a time of war. Victory in Europe—and keeping the Huns out of America—was first and foremost on their minds” (1). That the parade facilitates the early spread of the flu virus has symbolic implications, suggesting that patriotism can be deadly. This is particularly true for the Lange family, who—ironically—attend the parade as a survival tactic. As German Americans, they are under the watchful eye of their neighbors, who are suspicious that they might be enemy spies. The novel questions this performative patriotism, which not only fails to save them from the prejudice of people like Bernice, but possibly kills Mrs. Lange.

Patriotism also serves as a means of social control, especially over the flow of goods, people, and services.