Discussion Topic
Symbols and Their Meanings in "Fever 1793"
Summary:
In "Fever 1793," various symbols highlight themes of growth and resilience. Paris symbolizes Mattie's dreams and ambitions, representing her hope for a glamorous future amid the epidemic. The yellow cloth signifies illness, and pushcarts represent the dead needing burial. Grass over mass graves symbolizes life returning. The crushed birdcage suggests loss, while Grandfather's sword and a bag of coffee beans symbolize strength and renewal. Nathaniel's flowers represent hope, and characters like Lucinda, Grandfather, and Eliza symbolize perseverance, self-confidence, and personal growth.
What are some symbols in Fever 1793 and what do they represent?
Paris, the city of lights, is another important symbol in the story. For Mattie Paris represents a dream world full of glamor and excitement. It's a place where she can buy trinkets which she hopes to sell to her customers in the coffee shop. Mattie has grown up very quickly in the midst of this terrible epidemic, but she still has her dreams, and those dreams allow her to transcend her immediate surroundings, with all their death and suffering. However, they are not pipe dreams; as we've already said, Mattie has grown up considerably due to her experiences. Her visions of Paris and all they represent are still rooted in what is practical: they will help to expand her business.
A scrap of yellow cloth tied to the door of plague houses was a sign of illness within. The pushcarts moving through the city was symbolic of the dead victims...
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that needed someone to bury them, for no one was left in the family that was willing to risk exposure. The grass growing over the mass graves was a symbol of life returning to the stricken city. The crushed bird cage was a sign that the parrot was probably dead. Grandfather's sword was a reminder of his past military triumphs and showed Mattie's strength and willingness to wield it in her grandfather's defense. The bag of coffee beans delivered to the coffeehouse at the end signalled a return of the business which Mattie would now reopen.
What other symbols, besides the color yellow, are used in "Fever 1793"?
The flowers that Nathaniel gives to Mattie represent hope. Nathaniel doesn't want Mattie to forget him, and it's Mattie's memories prior to the breakout of yellow fever that keep her going through the hard times. When Mattie's mom, Lucinda, contracts yellow fever, she's brought to the coffeehouse in a wheelbarrow, representing the fear people felt during this epidemic. For some, a crisis such as this brings out the worst in society, such as throwing the dead bodies in the streets.
This story is about Mattie's maturation into adulthood, and some of the characters help Mattie to become a woman. Although Lucinda, Mattie's mom, is hard on her, Lucinda gives Mattie perseverance, the ability to never give up, to keep going no matter what the odds are. Mattie's grandfather symbolizes self-confidence, giving Mattie the power to believe in herself and to do what's right. Eliza, Lucinda's friend, picks up where Mattie's grandfather left off, allowing Mattie to realize her own value to those around her. Nell, the little girl Mattie finds and decides to take care of, symbolizes a better future for all of them. She depends on Mattie as a mother, and this symbolizes Mattie's completion of her journey into adulthood.