Research Paper on:
Ebola by William T. Close

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
novel at the same time. A student writing on this subject might want to point out that while the book is a work of fiction, it is based on fact.  The story begins shortly before Ebolas first victim, Mabalo Lokela, is taken, something that sets off a panic. The entire novel unfolds as villagers try to flee, only to find  that they are living in a quarantine that will lead to certain death. Although there were survivors, and even escapees, the plot and themes centered around how people react when  they are in a crisis. They want to get out, but they are trapped. If they leave, they might spread the disease. If they stay, they are certainly risking their  lives. The novel opens quite peacefully and one can see an abrupt change as sickness strikes. The people change as does the entire town. The novel begins with a description  of the mission when breakfast is eaten. The scene is quite peaceful and one line provides the reader with a sense of tranquility: "Goat cheese, slices of bacon from the  mission farm, and ever-present bananas were polished off with relish by the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Mary, a small order of nuns drawn from farms in the Flemish  countryside near Antwerp" (Close, 1995, p.6). One gets a sense of not only the setting, but a sense of wholeness and beauty. Soon, there would be death and disease as  Ebola takes over this peaceful town. There are a number of characters to appear in this work and each exemplifies human reaction to  a serious but unexpected event. The first to die, and one of the most important characters in the story is Mabalo Lokela. He was a school teacher as well