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The Revolutionary War: Fever By Laurie Halse Anderson

427 Words2 Pages

Fever Essay History has many amazing events. The Revolutionary War is a great example of one. Another interesting event of history is the yellow fever epidemic which occurred in Philadelphia in 1793. In the book Fever by Laurie Halse Anderson, the author details Mathilda Cook’s personal journey from a typical teen into a young adult while the Yellow Fever epidemic devastates everything around her. Now Mathilda Cook, the protagonist, develops throughout the story as a result of the central conflict because the Yellow Fever makes her stronger, more responsible and more courageous. In the beginning of the book, the author portrays Mattie as a typical child wanting to go back to sleep and ignore her chores. This is demonstrated when her mom tells her, “Get out of bed, Mathilda . . . You’re sleeping the day away.” Pg. 1. Similarly, her mom calls her lazy, “ I can’t tell who is lazier, Polly or you.” Pg. 2. In addition, they even call her “… little Mattie.” Pg. 11, which demonstrates that they think of her as a child. …show more content…

Mother makes Mattie leave Philadelphia with Grandfather. They are going to the country so they will not get affected by the Yellow Fever. On this journey, the author begins to develop Mattie’s strength, determination, and courage. Mattie bosses Grandfather around when she realizes she has to take care of their survival, “You're turning to a regular scold Mattie Cook you sound like your mother ordering menfolk around” Pg. . Another example of her character changing due to the fever is when grandfather begins to rely on her, “I waited for his advice. It not come. This scared more than anything. He was waiting for me to decide what to do.” Pg. 87. Lastly, evidence of her character changing is when she must find water by looking for willow trees, “…old soldiers trick”. Pg.

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