A Death-Struck Year, By Makiia Licier

In novels, the minds of characters often serve as windows into their personalities. In the book A Death-Struck Year, Makiia Licier uses first-person narrative to explain the depths of Cleo's character and her experience with the Spanish Influenza. She is a seventeen year old girl who goes to a boarding school in Oregon, which shuts down due to the Spanish Flu. Cloe has no one to take her home from the school, so she sneaks out. She then volunteers for the Red Cross to help those who are in need. Some things that are starting to show about the narrator from the way that she behaves are her independence, and impulsiveness. Cleo’s independence shines through the societal constraints of the 1800s. This is shown within her thoughts when she is working at the Red Cross, and people are being overly careful with her because she is young.

She gets irritated as she thinks, “Did he think I needed to look after him? What did he know about anything? Especially when the hospital was so short-staffed”(Lucier 108). In this quote, Cleo is not thinking about the fact that Edmund admires her, but about the fact that she is strong enough to handle these situations alone, and she doesn’t need anyone to help her. Cleo is also a somewhat impulsive character. Cleo's impulsivity adds layers to her character. Her impulsive decision to volunteer for the Red Cross shows her courage. While she is stressed out at the job, Cleo thinks, “I was entirely on my own. Me, and three unattended cases. I gathered the infant.close to one arm. I scooped up the boy with the other. Then I spared one last look for their unconscious mother. I’m sorry for the snare. I will help you with that. I promise”(Lucier 67). Even in moments of doubt, Cleo commits to her duty, which shows her selflessness, and dedication to the greater