“A tragédia que emocionou o mundo” : a repercussão do caso Edith Cavell no Brasil (1915-1942)

Abstract

Edith Louisa Cavell (1865-1915) was an English nurse sentenced to death during World War I on charges of treason and, initially, espionage after aiding prisoners of war to escape, as well as providing assistance to wounded individuals from both sides and civilians. The case gained worldwide attention through newspapers and radio, where she was referred to as a martyr nurse and heroine, including in Brazil. Therefore, during the research, I conducted a survey of sources in newspapers published between 1915 and 1942 that mentioned not only the case but also the biographical film released in 1939. The works "Edith Cavell: nurse, martyr, heroine", "Nos, dos e por meio de periódicos", and "O que é História Cultural?" assisted in the conduct of document analysis, which allowed for the identification of the use of Edith Cavell's image not only in World War I but also in World War II.