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DOROTHEA
DIX
I.
OVERVIEW:
Using the biography
of Dorothea Dix is a great way
to challenge students to decide
what characteristics a person
must have to be considered a
hero. Dix is mainly known and
praised for her accomplishments
in improving the conditions
of prisons and the mentally
ill. However, her actions and
views on important issues such
as race and religion challenge
students to see her as a complex
historical figure. This lesson
asks students to first look
at Dix’s work around the
mentally ill and then to examine
her beliefs and actions around
other mid-nineteenth century
issues. This comparison provides
a rich discussion on what qualities
heroes should have and whether
any flaws are tolerated in heroic
figures. Although Dix focused
her efforts solely on the sick
and mentally ill, studying Dix
also allows provides a window
for examining additional mid-nineteenth
issues in American history -
such as immigration, slavery,
and abolitionism.
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