By Laurie Halse Anderson

Fever 1793

By Laurie Halse Anderson

Packet #2

Chapters 15 - Epilogue

Name ______

Period _____

Teacher ______/ Room _____

Chapter 15

Word / Definition
sorrows / the expressionof grief, sadness
destitute / without means of subsistence; lacking food, clothing, and shelter.
stench / an offensive smell or odor; stink
discharged / to be released
snippet / a small or insignificant person
impudence / rudeness; brass, brazenness

#1 How has life in Philadelphia changed due to yellow fever? Describe the awful events that Mattie hears about as she is recuperating at Bush Hill.

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Chapter 15 (continued)

#2 On page 110- 111, Mattie says she is, “not an orphan or a child.” How is she beginning to change physically, mentally and emotionally from the beginning of the novel?

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Chapter 16

Word / Definition
kerchief / a handkerchief
abates / to reduce in amount, degree, intensity
fret / to feel or express worry
minding / to look after; take care of
cobblestones / a naturally rounded stone, larger than a pebble and smaller than a boulder, formerly used in paving
reins / a leather strap, fastened to each end of the bit of a bridle, by whichthe rider or driver controls a horse
trenches / a deep furrow, ditch
Symbolism = ______
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#1 What is symbolic about the use of the color yellow throughout the novel?

What is symbolic about the second part of Mattie’s journey?

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Chapter 16 (continued)

#2 On page 115, Mrs. Bowels says to Mattie, “You are much more than a girl.” How can Mrs. Bowels make this statement after just meeting Mattie? What do you think she is basing her judgment on?

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#3 On page 120, Mattie describes Potter’s Field as, “a field plowed by the devil.” What does she mean by this statement?

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Chapter 17

Word / Definition
crocks / an earthenware pot, jar, container
preserves / to prepare fruit, vegetables to resist decay
salvage / the act of saving something
invalid / a person who is too sick to care for himself
yowl / to utter a long, distressful or dismal cry
recuperate / to recover from sickness; regain health
bedroll / bedding used for sleeping out-of-doors
edible / fit to be eaten as food
varmints / an objectionable or undesirable animal
infested / to be numerous
wretched / poor, sorry, or pitiful; worthless
stunted / slowed or stopped abnormally in growth or development

Directions: Mattie and her grandfather discover a surprising scene when they return to the coffeehouse. After reading chapter 17, draw a picture in the box on the next page depicting the scene. Include a quote or passage from the chapter with your picture and be sure to use colored pencils or crayons.

Chapter 17 (continued)

Quote or passage from the chapter: ______
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Chapter 18

Word / Definition
tinder / a highly flammable material
flint / used for striking fire
unburdened / to cast off or get rid
scavenged / to take or gather (something usable) from discarded material
sprite / elf, fairy, or goblin
dote / to express excessive loveor fondness
urchin / youngster; child
grimy / covered with grime; dirty
blustered / to roar and be loud
scrawny / gaunt, scrawny

#1 What is the importance of Mattie’s prayer on page 137?

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Chapter 19

Word / Definition
simmered / to become calm or quiet, as from a state of anger or turmoil
highwayman / a holdup man, especially one on horseback, who robbed travelers along a public road
haint / ain't; have not; has not
wench / a girl or young woman
lurched / to stagger
brandishing / to shake or wave, as a weapon
HOARSELY / having a vocal tone characterized by weakness of intensity and excessive breathiness

#1 How does Mattie’s life literally change overnight?

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Chapter 20

Word / Definition
heaved / to raise or lift with effort or force
shroud / a cloth or sheet in whicha corpse is wrapped for burial
sniveling / to weep or cry with sniffling
inventory / to take stock of; evaluate
exorbitant / highly excessive
wares / articles of merchandise or manufacture; goods
thrive / to prosper; be fortunate or successful
cowered / to crouch, as in fearor shame

#1 What does Mattie mean on page 151 when she says, “Death was a heavy companion.”?

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#2 Mattie’s mind is whirling with things to do. Describe some of the thoughts racing through her head.

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Chapter 20 (continued)

#3 What happens to Mattie outside Warner’s Hat Shop? Why do you think the woman reacts this may?

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#4 On page 160, Mattie says she has, “No hope.” Have you ever (or someone you know) ever felt so bad that you could not imagine things getter better? Did the situation improve? How?

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Chapter 21 & 22

Chapter 21

Word / Definition
mute / silent; refraining from speech
rowdy / a rough, disorderly person
wraith / a visible spirit
apothecary / seller of spices and drugs, medicines

Chapter 22

Word / Definition
cooper / a person who makes or repairs casks, barrels
mourns / to feel or express sorrow or grief
threshold / the entrance to a house or building
despair / loss of hope; hopelessness

#1 What is the importance of Mattie and Eliza’s reunion? How can Eliza help Mattie?

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#2 What role does Mattie take in Eliza’s home? Describe her tasks.

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Chapter 23

Word / Definition
trundled / to move or walk with a rolling gait
weary / physically or mentally exhausted
turncoat / a person who changes to the opposite party
traitor / a person who betrays another, a cause, or any trust
forbidding / grim; unfriendly; hostile; sinister
eloped / to run off secretly to be married, usually without the consent of one's parents
spiteful / full of malice; venomous
budge / to move slightly; begin to move
idling / not spent or filled with activity
imp / a mischievous child
knack / a special skill, talent, or aptitude

#1 What does Mother Smith mean on page 180 when she tells Mattie, “Don’t love her”?

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#2 What happens when Mattie takes Nell to the orphanage?

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Chapter 23 (continued)

#3 How is Mattie’s happiness symbolized and strengthened by the yellow daisies?

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Chapter 24

Word / Definition
looking glass / a mirror
stoke / to poke, stir up, and feed (a fire)
romp / to play or frolic in a lively or boisterous manner
sash / a long band or scarf worn over one shoulder or around the waist, as by military officers as a part of the uniform or by women and children for ornament
fiercely / furiously eager or intense

#1 How does Mattie help Eliza care for the fever victims?

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#2 What happens when Mattie and Eliza return to the cooperage? What is the significance of Mattie’s solution?

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Chapter 25

Word / Definition
jostled / to bump, push, shove, brush against
resolutely / characterized by firmness and determination
withered / wrinkle, shrink, dry, decline
mercury / metal used in medicine, usually for skin infections
calomel / a white, tasteless powder used chiefly as a fungicide
ominous / evil or harm; foreboding; threatening
frail / g delicate health; not robust; weak
ashen / ash-colored; gray
sputtering / to make explosive popping or sizzling sounds
banish / send, drive, or put away
ferried / to carry away or send back and forth

#1 What reminders of her loved ones does Mattie come across? How does this make her feel?

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#2 As the children become sicker, Mattie convinces Eliza to not follow a certain form of treatment. What does Mattie convince Eliza not to do? What is the importance of Mattie’s ability to persuade Eliza?

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Chapter 26

Word / Definition
burlap / a plain-woven, coarse fabric of jute
kneaded / pressing, folding, and stretching
quill / large feather of the wing or tail of a bird
lumbered / to move clumsily or heavily
fetid / having an offensive odor; stinking
rapscallions / a rascal; rogue; scamp
eavesdropping / to listen secretly to a private conversation
vigilant / keenly watchful to detect danger
haberdasher / a store that sells men's clothes
vanity / excessive pride in one's appearance
arsenic / An element, when heated, forms a poison
solemn / serious or earnest
absurd / utterly or obviously senseless

#1 What is the “ridiculous notion” that Eliza says is necessary? Why?

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#2 What is the importance of the Market reopening?

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Chapter 26 (continued)

#3 How does Mrs. Epler say Mattie is like her mother?

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#4 What does Mattie mean when she says, “yellow fever had certainly done away with vanity”?

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#5 On page 216, what does Mattie mean when she says, “I would set my own course”?

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#6 Nathaniel tells Mattie, “the important things haven’t changed.” What do you think he is referring to?

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Chapter 27 & 28

Chapter 27

Word / Definition
gaunt / extremely thin and bony, as from great hunger, weariness; emaciated
dosed / to give a dose of medicine to
feign / put on an appearance of
fretting / to feel or express worry, annoyance, discontent
dowry / the money, goods, or estate that a wife brings to her husband at marriage
jig / a rapid, lively, springy, irregular dance
larder / a room or place where food is kept; pantry
proprietor / the owner of a business establishment
convey / to communicate; impart; make known

Chapter 28

Word / Definition
surveyed / to view in detail, especially to inspect, examine
scraggly / irregular; uneven; jagged

#1 Why does the group hold a Thanksgiving Feast?

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#2 Who enters a partnership? Why is this important?

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Chapter 27 & 28 (continued)

#3 What is the significance of President Washington’s return to Philadelphia?

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Directions: The Cook Coffeehouse reopens in these chapters. Compare and contrast the restaurant how, compared to the shop in the beginning of the novel.

Chapter 29

Word / Definition
frantic / desperate or wild with excitement, passion, fear, pain, etc.; frenzied
fared / to go; turn out; happen

Directions: Compare and contrast the changes that Mattie and her mother have experienced.

Epilogue

Word / Definition
epilogue / a concluding part added to a literary work
watchman / a person who guards a building at night, to protect it from fire, vandals, or thieves
shawl / a square piece of wool worn by women, about the shoulders or the head, to protect against chill or dampness
trundle bed / a low bed with casters so that it could be pushed under a bed when it was not in use
ruckus / a noisy commotion; fracas
mincemeat / a mixturecomposed of minced apples, suet, and sometimes meat, together with raisins, currants, candied citron for filling a pie
begrudge / to envy or resent the pleasure or good fortune of someone
crockery / collection of crocks
lamplighter / a person employed to light and extinguish street lamps, especially those burning gas
reluctantly / unwillingly
idleness / not working or active

#1 How have the roles and responsibilities changed for Mattie and her mom? Support your opinion with examples.

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Epilogue (continued)

#2 Rate the novel on a scale of one (lowest) to four (highest).

What did you like and dislike about the novel?

Would you recommend the novel to a friend? Why or why not?

Did the novel help you to better understand this period in social studies? How?

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