Set during philadelphias yellow fever outbreak, fever 1793 is a young adult, historical fiction novel written by laurie halse anderson and first published in 2000. Also, the symptoms were so severe that being diagnosed with yellow fever was considered a death sentence. Fever 1793 is based on the actual yellow fever epidemic that hit philadelphia and wiped out. Yellow fever in the year 1793, yellow fever was a dreaded disease. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the authors imagination, and any resemblance to actual events.
Matilda mattie cook speaker, lucille cook mother, nathaniel benson. Rowley, not a real doctor but prescribes medications. Deveze is the french doctor in charge of fever treatment at bush hill. In 1793, philadelphia, pennsylvania, then the nations capital, experienced the first major outbreak of yellow fever in the united states. Flagg is a kindly, talkative nurse who works at bush hill during the epidemic. Fever 1793 is based on an actual epidemic of yellow fever in philadelphia that wiped out 5,000 peopleor 10 percent of the citys populationin three months. Fever 1793 characters from litcharts the creators of sparknotes. He believed that yellow fever could best be cured by ridding the body of toxins that. To fully comprehend the effect the yellow fever had on pennsylvania in 1793, it is necessary to understand disease itself. We follow the epidemic through matilda cook and her small group of family and friends. I got considerably more factual detail out of that book. Fever 1793 by laurie halse anderson bookworm burrow.
During the summer of 1793, mattie cook lives above the family coffee shop. Yellow fever is caused by a virus transmitted by the bite of the female aedes aegypti mosquito, which breeds in stagnant water near human habitations. While fever is fiction and an american plague is nonfiction, both are utterly compelling accounts of the yellow fever epidemic that ravaged colonial philadelphia. Fever 1793 is based on the actual yellow fever epidemic that hit philadelphia and wiped out some five thousand people. Rush s remedies, especially bloodletting, and treats mattie and other yellow fever victims more effectively with fluids, rest, and fresh air. Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. It takes place in philadelphia with fictional characters in real settings. The fever 1793 is a wonderful book to anyone who enjoys historical novels and dramatic books. The true and terrifying story of the yellow fever epidemic of 1793 newbery honor book by jim murphy vaterolsen, bookshelfmonstrosity bookshelfmonstrosity. The action takes place in the same high school as speak and features cameo appearances by some of its characters. Rowley is not a real physician, but he prescribes medicines to the. Matilda cook, the protagonist, leaves her home in the city for the country after her. I would recommend this book to people who like books based on actual events because this book is based on the yellow fever epidemic of 1793.
Smith and paul sivitz, montana state university 6th. Published in 2000, fever 1793 is a young adult novel that tells the story of a. Fever, 1793 brings the sorrowful time in philadelphia when yellow fever devastated the city, to life in a compelling manner. Throughout the book, anderson highlights the varied reactions and decisions of many ordinary philadelphians in order to show how crisis reveals the hidden potential of human hearts. In 1793 philadelphia, sixteenyearold matilda cook, separated from her sick mother. Description of fever 1793 by laurie halse anderson pdf. Do not wait until the week before to read the book and. When yellow fever starts claiming lives in philadelphia, will mattie and her. Compile a list of 10 different preventions and treatments for yellow fever mentioned.
In 1793, those who could afford to left the cities to avoid outbreaks. Have students choose a character in the novel and write a monologue from that. This is a story about matildas transformation from a careless child to a responsible, strongwilled, and kindhearted young woman. The main characters, matilda cook, nathaniel benson, nell, joseph, lucille, eliza, and grandfather. This is a popular classroom book to begin a unit on yellow fever. But fourteenyearold mattie cook doesnt get a moment to mourn the passing of her childhood playmate. Matties mother and grandfather own a coffeehouse in philadelphia and that is where mattie spends most of her days. According to, this books genre is historical fiction and its reading level is 7. Matilda will be coming of age during a crisis situation the yellow fever epidemic of 1793. Below are four main characters that make the most contribution in the novel. The fever 1793 quotes below are all either spoken by dr.
Fourteenyearold matilda mattie cook is the teenage protagonist of a young adult novel. Yellow fever is incurable and can only be prevented via vaccination. Juvenile historical fiction published in 2000 recommended age group. This books scares me because i think, what if another plague happens. Inspired by the yellow fever epidemic that struck and killed almost 5,000 people in philadelphia in the late summer months of. Integrating literature and social studies with fever 1793 overview.
A form of the disease called sylvan or jungle yellow fever is transmitted in tropical jungles by other species of mosquitoes that live. The yellow fever outbreak began in the beginning of august 1793, and the more individuals became sick and deceased, the more philadelphia citizens became frightened and fled the city. Now they include polly, the serving girl at the cook coffeehouse. Next months book reportcharacter project for any novel. The yellow fever epidemic of 1793 changed lives in philadelphia. Fever 1793, is a historical fiction book written by laurie halse anderson, which is based on an epidemic, known as yellow fever that had taken place in philadelphia during 1793, killing a few thousand individuals. If there were antagonist in this novel, lucille, matildas mother would be it. Rush has proven that this is the only way a yellow fever patient can be savedthe.
What was the treatment for yellow fever in 1793 answers. For the unfortunate victims of the disease, treatments. This novel is set in philadelphia, pennsylvania during the yellow fever epidemic o. Her book fever 1793 won the american library association best book for young adults selection and the junior library guild selection. List of books and articles about yellow fever online. On the heels of her acclaimed contemporary teen novel speak, laurie halse anderson surprises her fans with a riveting and wellresearched historical fiction. Few disease outbreaks in the history of early america proved as tragic as the philadelphia yellow fever epidemic of summer, 1793, and fewer still have lingered longer in historical memory. The fever 1793 quotes below are all either spoken by matilda mattie cook or refer to matilda mattie cook. Unlock explanations and citation info for this and every other fever 1793 quote. I suggest this to people who enjoy nonfiction and adventure. She likes to daydream and sleep in, but is very determined and hardworking when she puts her mind to it.
Fever 1793 by laurie halse anderson chapters before you read the chapter. Its an extreme scenario, and in order to respond to it, matilda has to grow up very, very quickly due to her situations and growing up becomes a matter of life and death. I suggest that due to some death content and some violent scenes. In 2002, after the publication of fever 1793, catalyst was published by penguin under the viking imprint. Download fever 1793 by laurie halse anderson pdf free. Fever 1793 is about the yellow fever epidemic in philadelphia that happened in the late summer of 1793. Bridget flagg is one of the caretakers at bush hill, the mansion converted into a fever. The twins robert and william are elizas nephews and josephs sons chapter 22. Frankly, the novel, fever 1793, by laurie anderson, is a much better history of the 1793 philadelphia yellow fever epidemic. Matildas character development works a little bit differently than other young adult protagonists. She also has the cooks who treat her with love and respect. Unique, beautiful characters with their own strengths and weaknesses and how people.
Author laurie halse anderson writes about such a time in fever, 1793. They then recover with the help of matilda and eliza. Matties character demonstrates the power of perseverance and. Things go well running the coffeehouse until fever breaks out in philadelphia. The protagonist in most novels features the main character or good guy.
In the novel fever, 1793, philadelphia is struck by yellow fever, and many are killed because of the sickness. Kerr is the second doctor to treat matildas mother. The impact of yellow fever on philadelphia 1524 words. Matilda mattie cook is a fourteenyearold girl living above a coffeehouse in philadelphia with her mother, grandfather a former military man, a parrot named king george, and an orange cat named silas. At the close of the 18th century, philadelphia was the bustling capital of the.
This instance of widespread yellow fever in philadelphia is known as an epidemic. An epidemic occurs when there is a pathogen present in the same area area as vulnerable a large number of people vulnerable to the said pathogen. Nowadays we have plenty of doctors and medicine for those times we get sick. I didnt learn a whole lot in an american plague that was new news. What type of business does matties family own in fever 1793. A book written by laurie halse anderson about the yellow fever epidemic of 1793. Edwards award for her contribution to young adult literature, and fever 1793 is an american library association best book for young. As we summarize andersons book, well highlight some of the important characters. Flagg, helps her recover by making sure she is fed and drinks plenty of fluids.
Diagnosing and treating yellow fever in philadelphia, 1793. This combined with the dry, hot summer and low water tables of 1793 created the perfect breeding grounds for mosquitoes and the spread of yellow fever. Its late summer 1793, and the streets of philadelphia are abuzz with mosquitoes and rumors of fever. It is a young adult historical fiction novel about the yellow fever epidemic. Encyclopedia of greater philadelphia fever 1793 novel. One reason for this fear was that nobody knew where the disease originated.
Matilda mattie cook character analysis in fever 1793. Jasmin ruiz 16 year old mattie cook lives with hard working mother lucille, former captain grandfather and freed slave eliza who serves as there cook. Down near the docks, many have taken ill, and the fatalities are mounting. What is the french method for treating yellow fever victims. You see the sights of the ravished market,docks, and shops, smell the stench of the dead and dying, feel the despair of those waiting and watching and struggle right along with mattie as she copes with the loss of her grandfather, the fear that her missing mother may be. Character descriptions and analysis fever 1793 health. In the box below, list all of the characters we have met so far. Countway library of medicine harvard medical school. On august 19, 1793, the first fatality of yellow fever, peter aston, became a topic of general conversation according to mathew carey, irishborn american publisher and first hand witness. An epidemic of yellow fever, which struck the city in august of 1793 and lasts.
Benjamin rush, his followers believed that yellow fever victims should be bled. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one. Around 17,000 of the citys 45,000 population left for the countryside, while an estimated 5,000 died as a result of the virus, which peaked in early october. Maybe silas would smell his treat out there and get a decent breakfast after all.
Mattie, being the main character and narrator in the book, wants to turn the coffeehouse into the finest in philadelphia. Rich details, based on extensive research, highlight. An epidemic of yellow fever, which struck the city in august of 1793 and lasts almost till december, changes matties life once and for all. Countway library of medicineharvard medical school. Fever 1793 is the story of a 14yearold girl fighting to stay alive in the yellow fever epidemic. This was heroically done originally by a man named benjamin rush, along with several other free african american citizens. Benjamin rush, a signer of the declaration of independence, was a prominent doctor in philadelphia in 1793. Captain william farnsworth cook is matildas grandfather. Benjamin rush was a philadelphia physician and signer of the declaration of independence. In a mixed atmosphere of mistrust, fear, and caring, matilda learns to cope with the loss of business, friends, and family. Fever 1793 discussion guide during the 1793 yellow fever epidemic in philadelphia, sixteenyearold matilda cook gains new strengths.
Disaster and human nature theme in fever 1793 litcharts. In fever 1793, mattie cook observes, yellow fever was wrestling the life out of philadelphia, infecting the cobblestones, the trees, the nature of the people. A bustling center of international trade and commerce that welcomed people, goods, and pathogens from around the world, philadelphians were wellacquainted with infectious disease prior to. Its these french doctors here that know how to cure the fever. One of those people affected by the fever is mattie cook. The fever 1793 is a perfect story of a young girls experience during the yellow fever epidemic in philadelphia in 1793. See more ideas about fever 1793, fever, novel studies. The main character of fever 1793 is fourteenyearold matilda mattie cook, who is about to embark on a tumultuous. Rowley is the first medical professional though hes not actually a doctor that treats matildas mother. Powered by create your own unique website with customizable templates.