Discussion Topic
The climax and main event of Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson
Summary:
The climax of Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson occurs when Matilda Cook finds her mother, who has been missing and presumed dead, and brings her back home. This pivotal moment highlights Matilda's growth and resilience as she navigates the challenges of the yellow fever epidemic in Philadelphia.
What is the climax of Fever 1793?
Let us remember that the climax of a work of literature is the moment of heighest emotional intensity, which is what the rising action leads up to. If we think about the plot of this novel, then, we can see that the climax is actually after Mattie loses her grandfather and finds Nell, and begins to look after her. The conflict of man against disease reaches its climax when Nell gets sick with the fever, and Mattie is trying to save another loved person from the fever that has robbed Mattie of her youth and so many people who are around her. As Nell's life hangs in the balance, it is Mattie and Eliza's choice to adopt an alternative course of treatment that helps Nell survive, as they treat Nell according to the French approach, with lots of fresh air, drink and rest. Nell in the novel symbolises hope for...
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a future that is full of possibilities and potential, and this important conflict is the climax in the novel because of the way that it points towards a plague-free future and the development of Mattie from a child to an adult.
What is the climax of Fever 1793?
I would say it's when Mattie's grandfather dies. At this point, she has to decide what she's going to do. Her life from before is gone, and at first she just wanders the streets of Philadelphia. When she find Nell, she finds a purpose in life. She joins Eliza in her fight, and Eliza allows her to become an adult. Mattie rebuilds the coffeehouse, takes care of Nell, and her mother when she returns. Her grandfather's death was the point where Mattie had to grow up and take responsibility for herself and others.
What is the main event in Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson?
Fever 1793 is a work of historical fiction by Laurie Halse Anderson concerning a widespread illness known as "Yellow Fever" spread by infected mosquitoes that many people in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania contracted during the summer of 1793. Summaries of each chapter of the book can be found here: http://www.enotes.com/topics/fever-1793.
Varying reasons contributed to the devastating affect of this fever, including hot, humid weather and the lack of medical knowledge and expertise concerning treatment of the illness.
At the time, the fever was incorrectly regarded as contagious between humans and resulting from "rotting vegetable matter" (see the Harvard link below). Because of this misunderstanding of the nature of yellow fever, treatment rarely proved effective, and many who contracted the sickness died.
Mattie Cook, the main character in the book, fears contracting the fever, grieves over deaths of those she loves because of the fever, and is in danger from those seeking to profit from the social and economic upheaval the fever incurs. While the book is a work of fiction, the context of yellow fever ravaging Philadelphia in 1793 is a historical fact. The author incorporates many true anecdotes that occurred because of the fever and creates believable characters in this gripping story.
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