Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson
Matilda Cook is the 14 year old daughter of a Coffee House proprietress and granddaughter of soldier in the War for Independence; her grandfather calls her a “Daughter of Liberty”. At the beginning of the book, it is August 1793 in Philadelphia, the US capitol, and there are reports of a fever near the docks. Mattie is a young adolescent with typical problems and concerns and with grand dreams for the future. She and her mother are frequently at odds, Mattie is growing rapidly, and her mother is looking for a husband for her, though Mattie has a boy friend, Nathaniel.
Her world is about to undergo a dramatic change. Yellow fever sweeps the city, attacking all classes from refugees to the upper. Her best friend, Polly, is one of the first to die and her Mother becomes ill. Mattie’s mother wants Mattie away from the danger. She orders Mattie and her grandfather to flee the city. They comply only to find that yellow fever has spread beyond the city limits. The city turns to chaos as yellow fever spreads, claiming many victims and many more evacuate the city. Many challenges face Mattie during these chaotic times and we watch her grow from the frustrated adolescent to a responsible young lady.
Though the novel is historical fiction about Yellow Fever in Philadelphia in 1793 and the consequences, Matilda is portrayed as a typical young adult going through the stages of adolescent development.
6 comments:
Fever 1793 highlights an event not commonly known in American history. As a novel in the historical fiction genre, it teaches the reader about a historical event, but also grounds the event in a fictitious story, making it more accessible to younger readers.
I was surprised when Mattie refused to go to the orphanage. As the lady heading in that direction pointed out, Mattie is immune to the yellow fever and she could help the ones who are sick. It is understandable that going home would be a higher priority for Mattie but it left me thinking that she was selfish...which I don't think was the author's intent. Later, as she takes care of the twin boys and Nell, she displays an admirable sense of responsibility that reflects her developing maturity as a young adult...but it made me wonder why Laurie Halse Anderson chose to include the scene with the woman from the orphanage. Was it suppose to serve as a counterpoint to Mattie's later selflessness?
As Janice says, this is a true "coming of age" novel. At the beginning, the character of Mattie is all about potential, as yet undeveloped. However, by the end Mattie has certainly grown into a more capable person than she could have imagined.
There's a price for this, of course. Maddie's grandfather's violent death was particularly wrenching for me, and the author is extremely good at getting inside an adolescent girl's head. I can definitely see that Maddie would be a very accessible character for young women. The fact that this book is as detailed and well-researched as it is makes it a good vehicle for teaching history accessibly.
However, I will pick a single nit and say that I don't think Nathaniel is Maddie's "boyfriend." For one thing, the concept didn't really exist in this novel's setting. He passes from being a boy she's interested in to being her betrothed almost invisibly. He is a clear love interest from his introduction, though, so your point is taken.
Diana: I think that Maddie's growth is an important element of the book. However, my read on Maddie's not going to the orphanage is that she is not letting other people make decisions for her-- a different kind of maturity.
American culture is different from many other world cultures in that the good of the individual often trumps the good of the many. For good or for ill, I think this is why I read this scene so much differently than you did.
This is the first time I read Fever 1793, and I really enjoyed it! To add to Matt's comment about the price Mattie pays for the knowledge she seems to gain, I have to say that the explicit details with which Anderson tells the events Mattie witnesses really caught me off guard. I was definitely not expecting a story so gritty and gruesome. I think the end result is very powerful, though -- Anderson does an excellent job of getting inside Mattie's head, and it really does make her persistence that much more awe-inspiring.
On another note, I thought the quotes Anderson placed at the beginning of each chapter were great. I think sometimes in historical fiction, I get so caught up in the plotline that I tend to forget that the story is rooted in actual happenings. The quotes definitely served as effective reminders at the beginning of each chapter, sort of like, "Hey, remember, this really DID happen." Excellent historical fiction!
Alex, I agree about the quotes at the beginning of each chapter. Per the article by Anderson, she was able to find primary sources for the epidemic and I hope these quotes came from these.
Matt, about your nit. What do you call a male friend with whom one has a romantic interest and about whom your grandfather and mother are trying to discourage your interest because he does not have a financially sound apprenticeship? I debated and decided boy friend was the simplest and probably accurate term.
As a huge "Little House on the Prairie" fan, I will say that when in doubt, instead of "Boyfriend" you can say Beau. I may not be right, but I love the old-timey feel of "beau" and "courtship" rather than "Boo" and "talking"
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