Figurative Language In Yellow Fever

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Literary Essay: Fever 1793 Laurie Halse Anderson's historical fiction novel, Fever 1793, takes place in the prosperous city of Philadelphia, which at the time was the capital of the United States. In the year 1793, Yellow Fever hit the city of Philadelphia—hard. This epidemic was ripping the city apart, as a result having unruly consequences. This including sorrow, rage, and perhaps the most grievous, fear. Anderson uses figurative language and sentence variety in order to establish the lesson that fear can change someone into a completely different person. Fear is an overpowering emotion that can force one into doing things it never otherwise would have. The fear of contracting Yellow Fever was overwhelming the city of Philadelphia. Families …show more content…

“Yellow Fever was wrestling the life out of Philadelphia,” shows the intense impact Yellow Fever has taken on Philadelphia (119). This personification shows that everyone is so caught up in their fear, they are failing to realize some of the hideous actions they are completing. As a result, families, friends, and people are being ripped apart. Some might argue that the metaphor is just providing and image for the reader to think of. While this is a good point, the metaphor has a deeper meaning. The metaphor is clearly describing the intense toll this Yellow Fever has taken on Philadelphia. Anderson also uses sentence variety to depict the results of fear. One example of this is the long sentence, “Yellow rags fluttered from railings and door knockers—pus yellow —fear yellow—to mark the homes of the sick and the dying” (118). This illustrates an image for the reader. The fact that the color yellow is so menacing to them shows just how scared the people have become. Consequently, horrible decisions were made in fear of contracting the fever. People have changed into entirely new people because of the fear that is taking over them. Anderson uses this along with personification to help communicate the meaning of Fever