ipl-logo

Figurative Language In Yellow Fever

798 Words4 Pages

Literary Essay: Fever 1793 Laurie Halse Anderson's historical fiction novel, Fever 1793, takes place in the prosperous city of Philadelphia, which at the time was the capital of the United States. In the year 1793, Yellow Fever hit the city of Philadelphia—hard. This epidemic was ripping the city apart, as a result having unruly consequences. This including sorrow, rage, and perhaps the most grievous, fear. Anderson uses figurative language and sentence variety in order to establish the lesson that fear can change someone into a completely different person. Fear is an overpowering emotion that can force one into doing things it never otherwise would have. The fear of contracting Yellow Fever was overwhelming the city of Philadelphia. Families …show more content…

“Yellow Fever was wrestling the life out of Philadelphia,” shows the intense impact Yellow Fever has taken on Philadelphia (119). This personification shows that everyone is so caught up in their fear, they are failing to realize some of the hideous actions they are completing. As a result, families, friends, and people are being ripped apart. Some might argue that the metaphor is just providing and image for the reader to think of. While this is a good point, the metaphor has a deeper meaning. The metaphor is clearly describing the intense toll this Yellow Fever has taken on Philadelphia. Anderson also uses sentence variety to depict the results of fear. One example of this is the long sentence, “Yellow rags fluttered from railings and door knockers—pus yellow —fear yellow—to mark the homes of the sick and the dying” (118). This illustrates an image for the reader. The fact that the color yellow is so menacing to them shows just how scared the people have become. Consequently, horrible decisions were made in fear of contracting the fever. People have changed into entirely new people because of the fear that is taking over them. Anderson uses this along with personification to help communicate the meaning of Fever

Show More
Related

  • Summary Of Laurie Halse Anderson's Fever 1793

    468 Words  | 2 Pages

    Laurie Halse Anderson's historical fiction book, Fever 1793, takes place in Philadelphia in the year 1793. The Epidemic Yellow Fever is spread all over the city and people are dying left and right. Mattie has to survive the epidemic with her mother sick and he Grandfather dead. Mattie never gives up though she perseveres through it all. Since Mattie never gives up, and good things happen to her after the bad times end.

    Read More

  • A Book Review Of The Fever 1793 By Laurie Halse Anderson

    448 Words  | 2 Pages

    A Book Review of the Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson The Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson is a well-crafted book with many historical facts and a very interesting plot line. With 243 pages of will thought out historical grabber, the book brings life into the characters and even the reader. Though Laurie Halse Anderson never wanted to be a writer, she prefers writing as a hobby. Laurie Halse Anderson really wanted to have a history profession, for she thinks that history fascinates her.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Perseverance In Fever 1793

    294 Words  | 2 Pages

    Did you know that in 1793, more than 5000 people died from the Yellow Fever in Philadelphia? The book Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson, is a historical fiction about a girl named Matilda trying to survive against yellow fever with Her Mother, Grandfather, and Eliza in Philadelphia. The theme of the book is “Perseverance allows the overcoming of hardships and brings hope to those who persevere.” During the novel Fever 1793, Matilda endured through the entire Yellow Fever epidemic with it having ups and downs that built hope and destroyed it completely, this is a reason that perseverance allows the overcoming of hardships and brings hope to those who persevere. One example is when Mattie was with a child to take care of and is trying

    Read More

  • The Great Influenza Rhetorical Analysis

    429 Words  | 2 Pages

    Author John M. Barry, in The Great Influenza, claims that scientists must embrace uncertainty and doubt their ideas in order to be successful in their research. To support his claim, he first states that “uncertainty creates weakness”, then lists the traits required by scientists (including curiosity and creativity), and finally explains that experiments must be made to work by the investigator. The purpose of this is to further support his claim in order to encourage readers to embrace uncertainty because certainty creates something to lean on, while uncertainty forces one to manipulate experiments to produce answers. Barry adopts a formal tone to appeal to a worldwide audience, specifically those interested in scientific research, by using

    Read More

  • Essay On Fear In The Crucible

    634 Words  | 3 Pages

    What is fear? Fear is an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief of someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain or threat. In my own words fear is a feeling people get when someone is going to kill them. But not all fear is bad because some people feel fear differently How is fear used in “The Crucible” ?

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Devices In Dave Cullen's Columbine

    1428 Words  | 6 Pages

    He displays the image of “half of Denver on fire: napalm streams eating the skin off skyscrapers” (276). He describes this haunting scene in order to let readers see into Eric’s disturbing mind and what he is envisioning as he writes in his journal. Cullen’s diction is very important in these lines. Instead of just saying burning, he instead uses “eating the skin.” As Cullen dives into more journal entries, the diction and imagery he uses helps to convey the vicious tone in order to help readers see just how ruthless Eric

    Read More

  • Literary Devices In Tangerine, By Edward Bloor

    1143 Words  | 5 Pages

    Throughout the entire novel, the author’s use of literary devices is very clear. These literary devices, specifically similes and personification, help the reader get a better idea of the exact sounds and feelings which will allow them to know what it feels like to be there in that moment. “ I stood there, trying to think of a comeback, when suddenly, I heard a whooshing sound, like the sound you get when you open a vacuum-sealed can of peanuts. Then the brown water that had puddled up all over the field began to move. It began to run toward the back portables, like someone pulled the plug out of a giant bathtub.

    Read More

  • Fear Exposed In Richard Connell's The Most Dangerous Game

    824 Words  | 4 Pages

    Fear is not real. It is the product of thoughts you create. Danger is very real, but fear is a choice. In the short story “The Most Dangerous Game” the main character Rainsford is being hunted which creates fear in him. He is scared of dying but overcame his fear by facing the danger of the hunting game.

    Read More

  • Quotes From Fever 1793

    599 Words  | 3 Pages

    ‘Fever 1793’ Yellow Fever, one of the most deadliest diseases in the world. It’s already enough for them to go through; but can you imagine suffering from it? Their emotional state of mind is the least of our worries, but then again; should we worry? The author uses this deadly disease to develop the character traits of the citizens that live in this horrified town. They had many reasons for acting the way they did.

    Read More

  • Figurative Language In Lord Of The Flies

    624 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding, there is a scene in the book where a little boy named Simon talks with the sow head, or “The Lord of the Flies”. In my opinion, this is one of the most important scene in the book. The Lord of the Flies has become a physical manifestation of the Beast as well as a symbol for the power of evil and darkness that lies within each human being. It is within this scene that the embodiment of reason collides with the embodiment of evil. In the movie, directed by Peter Brooks, there are many differences in that scene.

    Read More

  • Symbolism In The Watsons Go To Birmingham

    534 Words  | 3 Pages

    I gave the shoe on more hard tug and it popped loose from a frilly white sock. I got real scared. I walked as slowly and as quietly as I could out of the church.” Because of the bombing is the symbol of fear and death, the reader can better understand that the bombing was scary thus meaning morality was in the book and that it took a huge part of the book. This illustrates that the author’s message that there has been bad things in our history just like the bombing of the birmingham church.

    Read More

  • The Devil In The White City Language Analysis

    841 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Chicago World’s Fair of 1893 was a masterpiece of the 19th century. It represented the grand facade of glamour and American achievement. The World’s Fair was a spectacular event, bursting with bright lights and daring sights that left visitors speechless, but The World’s Fair wasn’t the only phenomenon happening in Chicago during this time. Innocent people were being brutally murdered alongside this brilliant piece of American good fortune. Architect Daniel Burnham and psychotic serial killer H. H. Holmes are the two main characters of this story and embody the light and the dark.

    Read More

  • How Does Santiago Overcome Fear In The Alchemist

    522 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the novel “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho there is a young shepherd named Santiago who is in search for his personal legend. Santiago’s personal legend is to find the treasure at the pyramids. Throughout his journey, there are a lot of emotions especially the emotion fear. Santiago encountered a lot of challenges like crossing the desert, being in a war and turning himself into the wind. He learned the different levels of fear; fearing fear, being in fear, and overcoming fear.

    Read More

  • Fear In Brave New World

    647 Words  | 3 Pages

    Are You Ruled by Fear or Pleasure? “We are born with the fear of falling and the fear of loud noises. All other fears are imposed by society” -Paulo Coelho. Neil Postman would disagree with this quote and say that we are fascinated with ourselves, technological advancement, and always distracted by social media. However, there’s a bigger force that drives people through today’s society than pleasing yourself with the latest commodities.

    Read More

  • Comparing The Poem Between The World And Me By Richard Wright

    451 Words  | 2 Pages

    Wright creates and revisits the existence of “a whore’s lipstick” on the trampled grass. The lipstick is red, a color symbolic of passion and rage and bloodshed. The narrator analyzes the lipstick as belonging to a prostitute, due to the fact that the woman in question is concerned about her appearance during a horrific, brutal murder. Makeup is used to change one’s appearance, and the narrator feels an inexplicable rage towards the woman and her lipstick in this context, possibly because the victim of the lynching was killed for his own appearance. The symbol of the discarded lipstick exemplifies the callous nature of the witnesses that the persona is able to interpret from the aftermath of the

    Read More

More about Figurative Language In Yellow Fever

Open Document