Analysis Of Conflicts In Laurie Halse Anderson's Fever 1793
In the novel Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson the characters face many conflicts. Conflict is the struggle for a desired outcome or achievement. It is the adversity a person faces while going through with an action for or against something. Mattie, the main character, faces three challenges in the novel that help her mature from an unruly child to a mature young adult.
Mattie’s perseverance while facing the challenges of the yellow fever in 1793, grows her maturity and understanding of life. She goes through events that help her realize these things. Things like the death of her grandfather and illness of her mother help lead her on her path from childhood to adulthood.
One of the conflicts Mattie must face is her versus society. In 1793, …show more content…
The Ogilvie’s are rich, greedy, and selfish people. Mattie’s mother, Mrs. Cook wants Mattie to marry one of the Ogilvie boys. So when mother tries to hint at it, the Ogilvie girls realize it. In the text it says “‘Mama must you be so thick headed ? Mrs.Cook is asking if you might consider miss Cook as a wife for one of our brothers”’(53). One of the Ogilvie girls, Jeanine specifically points out that mother is planning on marrying Mattie to one of the Ogilvies. The Ogilvies believe that they are above the Cooks because of their money. There is an ironic part of the story though. Colette, the oldest Ogilvie girl had been faking being the wife of a respected figure, Roger Garthing and was actually married to her french tutor. In the novel it says “‘miss Colette came down with an awful case of the fever… The girl is burning up. The whole family gathers at her bedside, thinking she’s going to Jesus, when she sits straight up in bed and starts screaming for ‘Loueey!Loueey!’ Turns out this Louis is her husband”(186). This shows that although the rich seem better off, they have their flaws. It is ironic that the mean and selfish Ogilvies, who thought they were above everyone else, were then the laughingstock of the city. Mattie realizes that being humble and respectable pays off rather than being stuck - up and imperious. Mattie is starting to believe that what she is doing will lead to to good because
Mattie’s perseverance while facing the challenges of the yellow fever in 1793, grows her maturity and understanding of life. She goes through events that help her realize these things. Things like the death of her grandfather and illness of her mother help lead her on her path from childhood to adulthood.
One of the conflicts Mattie must face is her versus society. In 1793, …show more content…
The Ogilvie’s are rich, greedy, and selfish people. Mattie’s mother, Mrs. Cook wants Mattie to marry one of the Ogilvie boys. So when mother tries to hint at it, the Ogilvie girls realize it. In the text it says “‘Mama must you be so thick headed ? Mrs.Cook is asking if you might consider miss Cook as a wife for one of our brothers”’(53). One of the Ogilvie girls, Jeanine specifically points out that mother is planning on marrying Mattie to one of the Ogilvies. The Ogilvies believe that they are above the Cooks because of their money. There is an ironic part of the story though. Colette, the oldest Ogilvie girl had been faking being the wife of a respected figure, Roger Garthing and was actually married to her french tutor. In the novel it says “‘miss Colette came down with an awful case of the fever… The girl is burning up. The whole family gathers at her bedside, thinking she’s going to Jesus, when she sits straight up in bed and starts screaming for ‘Loueey!Loueey!’ Turns out this Louis is her husband”(186). This shows that although the rich seem better off, they have their flaws. It is ironic that the mean and selfish Ogilvies, who thought they were above everyone else, were then the laughingstock of the city. Mattie realizes that being humble and respectable pays off rather than being stuck - up and imperious. Mattie is starting to believe that what she is doing will lead to to good because