Your reflections on the novel by Laurie Halse Anderson. . .
Some quotes (and optional discussion questions) from the novel to think about. . . . How would you interpret the quote?How does it relate to the overall plot of the story?How does it relate to you?Into which theme do these quotes place Fever 1793? Why?
One of the most prominent elements of this novel is the historical vocabulary. It pulls the reader in, making us feel as if we are experiencing every event with Matilda, yet it has been erased from common language in today's society.
What words from our current language (meaning anything from the new millennium; does NOT include slang!) will be erased from our common language within the next 200 years?
"My city, Philadelphia, was wide awake. My heart beat faster and my head cleared."(page 4)
What is that makes you feel wide awake, heart beating, full of anticipation for a new day?
"A few blocks south lay the Walnut Street Prison where Blanchard had flown that remarkable balloon. From the prison's courtyard it rose, a yellow silk bubble escaping the earth. I vowed to do that one day, slip free of the ropes that held me." (pages 4-5)
How do you escape the stresses of everyday life?
"When Mother allowed herself a still moment by the fire on winter nights, I could sometimes see the face she wore when Father was alive. Back then Mother smiled at me with her eyes and her laughter and her gentle hands. But no longer. Life was a battle, and Mother a tired and bitter captain." (page 17)
We often judge others by their tone or expressions, yet after hearing Matilda's perspective on how her mother changed after her father's death, we are reminded to take time to consider another's viewpoint. Has there been a time when perhaps you may have judged another without giving a moment's consideration to the real source from where the tone, words, or expression stemmed?
" 'Wit is the most dangerous talent you can possess. It must be guarded with great discretion and good-nature, otherwise it will create you many enemies.' - John Gregory, A Father's Legacy to his Daughters, 1774"(page 46)
This quote reveals so much about the role of women in the earliest history of the United States. Women were expected to be seen, but not heard; to take on roles of homemaker, mother, and caretaker, but were rarely educated in the traditional schools for knowledge and careers; and to keep their opinions and thoughts to themselves as secondary citizens to boys and men. However, more than 200 years have passed since John Gregory wrote this and wit is still considered a "dangerous talent," for all people - men and women alike. Why?
Some quotes (and optional discussion questions) from the novel to think about. . . .
How would you interpret the quote?How does it relate to the overall plot of the story?How does it relate to you?Into which theme do these quotes place Fever 1793? Why?