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Fever 1793, By Laurie Halse Anderson

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Fever 1793, written by Laurie Halse Anderson, is a historical fiction book that depicts the tragedy of the yellow fever virus outbreak in Philadelphia. Mattie Cook, the main character, deals with a tremendous amount of death and change throughout the book. The theme of the book, that people will do the right thing even if they know that risk, is supported by the author throughout the use of repetition and similes.
One theme that arises in Fever 1793 is people will do the right thing even if they know the risk. For instance, Eliza has joined the Free African American Society and is helping fever victims because Dr. Rush incorrectly concluded that African Americans could not catch yellow fever. Now Eliza has a life or death risk that she must …show more content…

For example, Mattie thinks to herself, “It’s best for Nell. It’s best for Nell.”(183) By saying the same phrase twice, the author shows Mattie is reluctant to give Nell up. She knows, in her heart, that there is a better option for Nell but she is trying to convince herself that there is none. This illustrates that even though this seems to be the better option for Nell because there is a less risk for Mattie, she still wants Nell to have a happy life with her. When Nell is not accepted into the orphanage and Mattie decides to take care for her herself, it solidifies that theme in the book. Anderson also uses a simile to bring forth the theme. In the book, the orphan mother is described “like a carved whirligig toy with six flying arms and a hopping head.”(183)s (A whirligig toy is a toy similar to a spinning top that was common in this time period.) The significance of this is to show how chaotic and hectic the orphanage is. By describing a person like this, the author is illustrating that the orphan mother is in over her head already. If Nell were to be given to the orphanage, it would only cause her to have an unhealthy lifestyle. Then Mattie decides to care for Nell herself. Despite the obvious risk of taking care of Nell, Mattie still decides to do what is best for Nell. Mattie must now take into consideration not only her own

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