Mattie also tended to mumble things under her breath. The fictional novel Fever 1793 written by Laurie Halse Anderson is narrated through the protagonist, Matilda "Mattie" Cook. Grandfathers death is when Mattie was faced with the most adversity. This is demonstrated when her mom tells her, Get out of bed, Mathilda . Nell was a little girl that had lost her mother and whole rest of her family due to yellow fever. This quote is interesting because it exhibits the amount of responsibility that was put upon her even at a young age. She believed young people needed outside air and she did not want her to catch the fever. did everyone's middle school have Yellow Fever Day, or was that just mine? She knows her mother is annoyed because Polly, the household serving girl, has not arrived yet. This causes her to be unreliable as well as immature when she takes her anger out on her cat Silas. Where does Mattie think Polly is? Grandfather (Captain William Farnsworth Cook). How do Mattie and her grandfather end up stranded? Along the way Mattie discovers a little toddler name Nell. In the book, it teaches that during tough times, it is important to step up and take charge. The way the content is organized, LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in. Her older brother leaves soon after getting into an intense argument with Pa. She wants to go to New York for college, and write a lot more after receiving news that she has a scholarship at Bernard College. It took Matildas grAndfather, many friends and 5 thousand plus individuals from that area in 3 months. Now they include Polly, the serving girl at the Cook Coffeehouse. She selflessly assumes guardianship of the orphan Nell. A true test of who she is, the fever will become one of the defining moments of Mattie's life. The eating of the brains? At the beginning of the novel, Mattie is somewhat willful and spoiled. fever 1793 by laurie halse anderson was pretty darned good. Well, because it's got all the qualities of a good zombie movie: terror on the streets, the encroaching threat of infection, and a city of nightmarish apocalypse filled with the living dead. This is reflected in her conflicted response to Mrs. Bowless offer. Mattie is going to stay in the city by herself without her mom knowing when she will return, or what her sleeping arrangements are. Also it shows she will stick up for her family business. ), and Alexander Hamilton, who himself came down with a case of the fever. After gathering pears, Mattie heads back to Grandfather. People are starting to avoid certain neighborhoods, but fortunately, this has meant an increase in business for the coffeeshop. Her family was wealthy. Theyre rinsing their clothes in vinegar and wearing tarred ropes around their necks. - page 73. She was a perfect girl. Because they turned the mansion into a hospital for fever victims. Mattie finds that its very difficult to get the heart and reason to fully align. because he believes they cannot get the fever and this is a chance for them to prove themselves to be as good and important as white people. Creating notes and highlights requires a free LitCharts account. In the novel Fever 1793 written by Laurie Halse Anderson, a fever has struck in Philadelphia, and people are slowly dying. ROD1216. Eliza respects Matties ability to make this decision, offering only her support. She hopes the crisis will give her the opportunity to prove herself in the coffeehouse. Dr. Benjamin Rush, PhysicianCheck out this portrait of the doctor by Thomas Sully. And oh, one last thing: unlike all those zombie movies, the yellow fever epidemic of 1793 was totally and completely real. because towns prohibit travel to or from Philadelphia. The story is definitely written for pre-teen children, not young adults. You know, the one where zombies attack a group of people who lock themselves in a shopping mall? Speaking of which. These situations bring out the best, and sometimes the worst, in people. Mattie lives in a room above the family coffee house. What does Mattie find when she approaches the market for food? resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss thenovel. She cooks, cleans, mows the lawn, and takes up numerous responsibilities with the church. Mrs. Cook was clearly a strong-willed and free-thinking young woman who followed her heart to marry a man from a very different social class. Why is it significant that mattie is bitten by a mosquito in the opening chapter? There were also limited ways to share news and information, which led to gossip and hearsay quickly taking over. Complete your free account to access notes and highlights. Complete your free account to request a guide. The novel begins with an age-old theme: tension between a mother and daughter as the daughter approaches adulthood and begins to desire greater independence. Fourteen-year-old Matilda "Mattie" Cook is the teenage protagonist of a young adult novel. In addition the fever epidemic has caused great discouragement to Mattie as grandfather and her return to the coffeehouse and Mattie sees the coffeehouse a mess after they have been robbed. In what ways are they different? On the other hand the things that happened throughout the fever epidemic have caused her to take better care of her and grandfather after all their food had been stolen. Life in Starkfield is bleak and boring. What chore do Mattie and Eliza give the children to keep them busy and out of trouble? Mrs. Cook has been thinking of sending Mattie to stay with friends in the countryside, as she fears that Mattie will get sick. In the midst of the chaos, Mattie has to re-evaluate her priorities and take control of her growth . Refine any search. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. PDF downloads of all 1699 LitCharts literature guides, and of every new one we publish. Anderson conducted loads of archival research for the book, and she gets all of the facts straight. Mattie is a fourteen year old, who lives with her mother and grandfather; as a family, they run a popular coffeehouse. ), and how we respond in a crisis situation. Struggling to awaken to begin her chores, Mattie typifies the life. Why? Check out Jim Murphy's Newberry Honor book it's suitable for young adult readers. What does Joseph bring the boys and Nell when he comes to visit? Captain William Farnsworth Cook (Grandfather). Before dying, Matties mom made Mattie promise to stay with her family and the farm, making her do endless work, leaving no time for writing. Markets, banks, coffeehouses, a university and the State House made it a desirable, modern city of its' time. Matilda has seen and felt terrible things, and she has lived to tell the tale. And there are zombies! Copyright 2023 IPL.org All rights reserved. I had just saved her precious quilt from disaster, but would she appreciate it? What does Mattie plan to do at the end of each day? All of a sudden, Polly comes down with a fever, and from there the fever strikes the city of Philadelphia. this book is one to remember. I dropped the bucket into the well to fill it with water, then turned the handle to bring it back up again. When Matilda's mother returns home, it's clear that Matilda is now the head of the business and the family. Why is it difficult for farmers to come to Philadelphia to sell food? Now they include Polly, the serving girl at the Cook Coffeehouse. she felt they did not care about the suffering they had endured. Why does Eliza like living in Philadelphia? . Have you ever read a story and it was so good. Note: Take a look at the picture of a lady who looks like a doll, has a pretty small face and quite big and not narrow eyes. Although she always being pestered by her mother, Mattie loves her mother dearly and worries when her mother does not return home after going the the Luddingtons farm. For example, in the beginning of the book on page 3 it says, I made a face at the doorway. The First American Cookbook (1796)Is your mouth watering after reading about the Cook family's cooking? As Mattie gets dressed, she hears the sounds of the bustling city of Philadelphia all around her. Definitions and examples of 136 literary terms and devices. Fever, 1793Laurie Halse Anderson's official website for you guessed it Fever, 1793. But when the fever begins to strike closer to home, Mattie's struggle to build a new life must give way to a new fightthe fight to stay alive. Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. Together, they try sorting through every document they could get to figure out who the killer was. GradeSaver, 8 January 2021 Web. New customers have overrun her family's coffee shop, located far from the mosquito-infested river, and Mattie's concerns of fever are all but overshadowed by dreams of growing her family's small business into a thriving enterprise. Ahoy there me mateys! As the novel closes, Matilda has partnered with Eliza to run the coffeehouse. Mattie is at an awkward pointshes still technically a child, yet shes approaching adulthood, and the crisis has forced her to shoulder more mature responsibilities than she otherwise would. Over the course of the novel, Mattie will experience intense personal loss and come face-to-face with death. Eliza was born a slave and her husband saved up for years to purchase her freedom. From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. The quotations weave a dense historical tapestry that suggests that Mattie's experience was in no way singular. Fourteen-year-old Matilda "Mattie" Cook is the teenage protagonist of a young adult novel. Mattie is afraid to leave him alone, but he convinces her to go off in search of help. This demonstrates to the reader that Mattie isnt good with handling her problems. she washed dishes, swept, cooked and took care of Nell. In 1793, Philadelphia was the capital of the country. Why was Mattie's mother so eager to have tea with Mrs. Ogilvie? And the results were just as devastating as the novel reports. Fever 1793 is based on the actual yellow fever epidemic that hit Philadelphia and wiped out some five thousand people. He, (in my opinion) was the best patriot ever to live. Mattie's family runs the Cook Coffeehouse, and the household consists of Mattie, her mother, her paternal grandfather, and Eliza, their employee. Mattie told Yarnell, (who is an African American that works for Mattie's family) Yarnell said you can't stay in the city by yourself [Mattie] said It will be alright (Portis 26). Harsh. That's right. Then her mother falls ill. And then she herself comes down with a case of yellow fever! tops for the boys and a small doll for Nell. Why can't Mattie's mother come with them? At the beginning of the novel, Mattie is shown as being immature. My students love how organized the handouts are and enjoy tracking the themes as a class., Requesting a new guide requires a free LitCharts account. Mattie struggle with, In the book, Mattie starts out as a lazy teenager who needs to be told what to do by her over controlling mother, but throughout the story, she becomes more responsible and adult-like. They had many reasons for acting the way they did. This is a great little YA book that delves into the Yellow Fever epidemic of 1793 in Philadelphia. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. A typical teenager, Mattie is always in the middle of daydreams . Yellow Fever Fact SheetInformative fact sheet on yellow fever from the World Health Organization. Living alone in a small house, she makes sure that everything is taken care of. When William, Robert and Nell come down with yellow fever, where do Mattie and Eliza take them? Zombie movies give us that awesome scare we crave, and get this: the films are also usually pretty smart. Just as they were in the antislavery movement, Pennsylvanias Quakers were disproportionately active in humanitarian efforts like those created by the epidemic. There is tension between Mattie and her mother because Mrs. Cook often compares her daughter to herself. She did regular chores around the house and considered herself an unpaid slave. Mattie helps care for Eliza's nephews and Nell. One more example of this is, Jeannine saw my dilemma, picked up the plate, and passed it in the opposite direction to her mother(49). Mattie might not be equipped to care for a small child, and delaying the inevitable might indeed be selfish. She doesnt talk back, sulk, or take refuge in daydreams of escape. What do the workers at Bush Hill want Mattie to do once she is discharged? This is Anderson's first historical fiction book which describes the worst epidemic of yellow fever in America. Mattie somewhat adopted Nell into her. She starts out a child in what was then the capitol of the United States and emerges as her tough mother's daughter with a strength she didn't know she had. Matilda's character development works a little bit differently, though, than other young adult protagonists, because although she's just an ordinary teenager, the circumstances in which she finds herself are extremely out of the ordinary. 2 See answers Advertisement faithybenjudah Answer: Mattie was responsible for washing the dishes, hauling water from the well, and watering the garden Explanation: Advertisement HelloItsMeeeeeee Washing dishes,watering the garden getting water (im pretty sure) Advertisement When people go insane overnight because of the fever, it affects peoples mentality. I tried not to eat more than I absolutely had to. Every day more towns prohibited travel to or from Philadelphia. Copyright 1999 - 2023 GradeSaver LLC. What odd ingredient are the people of Philadelphia putting in their bread? This means that over the course of Fever, 1793 she's going to be coming of age, searching for her identity, and learning what it means to be an adult. The fever eventually runs its course after killing thousands of people. trick is to spit it out when the wedge is still firm Its hard, but you gotta spit it out right then, or you gonna find yourself chewing on nothin but straw in that last round (18). How's that for scary? This is a great historical fiction for middle school through adults. Mattie Michael grew up in Tennessee with her family and the father of her child, Butch Fuller. You have no business ordering these men around. Because the Doctor believes grandfather has the fever so they are thrown from the wagon onto the street. Fever 1793 Chapters 11-20 Review. Have you ever heard about Paul Revere? 2023 Shmoop University Inc | All Rights Reserved | Privacy | Legal. Anderson's remarkable research skills bring home the magnitude of the situation as each chapter is prefaced with rather moving passages from historical documents from the period: scraps of letters, diaries, and even novels. that she is alive and has headed to the farm to look for Mattie. This YA book was actually a reread for me from my childhood. The first few chapters of the novel depict the earliest days of the epidemic, where both the personal and public impact begin to intertwine. When Matilda was younger her father fell off a ladder and died 2 months before the Coffeehouse opened.