The Character Of Matilda Cook In Fever 1793

A major tragedy can change a person's entire personality. Matilda Cook, the main character in the historical fiction book Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson clearly displays this concept. Matilda is a young woman who would rather sleep than help out around her coffeehouse when the book starts out. She is constantly complaining about the tasks that she needs to accomplish. Her mother, a hardworking and uptight woman, is frequently scolding Mattie to do better. When yellow fever strikes Philadelphia, where Mattie lives, she is forced to change her ways. In order to survive, Mattie must become resourceful and responsible. Throughout her journey, she catches the fever, helps an orphaned girl, uses her house to save lives, and starts up her coffeehouse again after it was shut down. The yellow fever epidemic of 1793 changed Matilda Cook from an unproductive teenager to a responsible young adult.

She repeatedly complains about her mother commanding her to work hard. She mentions, “I had not cleared the wax from my ears all summer, hoping it would soften [mother’s] voice” (6). Matilda is complaining about her mother’s orders, but does not consider how fortunate she really is. Her mother only wants the best for Mattie’s future and deeply loves her. Matilda does not realize that she should be grateful for a living mother who although may seem harsh on the outside, is loving on the inside. At this point in her life, Mattie is somewhat a pessimist because she is constantly seeing the bad in her life rather than the good. She complains about little incidents when there are much worse things that she could struggle