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Symbolism In Laurie Halse Anderson's Fever 1793

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Laurie Halse Anderson’s historical fiction novel, Fever 1793, depicts the life of Mattie Cook, a young girl growing up in Philadelphia. After yellow fever strikes, Mattie flees Philadelphia only to learn that the fever epidemic is everywhere and she must learn to survive in a city turned frantic with disease. She finds herself caring for others all while keeping herself alive. Anderson creates the lesson that while becoming independent can be difficult, it is an important part of every person's life by using symbolism and terminology from the time period. Anderson teaches many lessons in her novel but among the most important is taught by showing the many steps Mattie took to reach full independence. She began as a bratty teenager with her head in the clouds, and ended as an independent woman with dreams and aspirations. She discovers her identity and while her situation is out of the ordinary, she proves that aging and revealing your true personality can make the difference between life and death. In the beginning of the novel, Mattie feels that she should be praised whenever she does something for someone else. For example, in the beginning of the book on page 3 it says, “I made a face at the doorway. I had just saved her precious quilt from disaster, but would she appreciate it? Of course not.” This demonstrates that Mattie wants perpetual praise from others, an expectation that children often possess. Mattie is also too young to understand the responsibilities that come with adulthood. This is evident in the novel when Mattie is dreaming of a future with no responsibility. Mattie …show more content…

Using these strategies may connect the story to the lives of the readers, as it has mine, by showing that we all must grow up and become

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