Fever 1793

“He who sitteth upon the Pale Horse, He whose name is Death, will be sent through the streets of Philadelphia.” This Quaker prophet put in the beginning of a chapter of the book Fever 1793 seemed like an exaggeration, but it was exactly what happened in Philadelphia centuries ago. With the population of over forty thousand people, Philadelphia was once the largest city in the United States. But that was all before the terrifying epidemic took place. The Yellow Fever, which lasted for months, took thousands of lives and deserted the crowdure, responsible girl.

Told by the fourteen-year-old girl, Matilda, this story revealed the society of Philadelphia and the desperate situation the victims of pestilence were trapped in. In the beginning of the book, the people remained calm toward the Yellow Fever since there were often diseases under the hot and humid climate of the region. However, as the number of death abruptly increased, the situation ran out of control. Resulted from the panic the epidemic had caused, the wealthier people and businesses fled out of the city to avoid being infected. No farmer dares to step in this dreadful city to provide produce, which lead to the dying of the market in town. With the lack of food and medical treatment, the people left in the city had to rely on themselves.

Matilda’s family was one of those who did not escape. Living with her mother and grandfather, Matilda and her family ran a small coffeehouse with the help of Eliza, a kind black woman. During the worst times of the epidemic, Matilda’s mother was taken to the countryside after she fell ill, and Matilda lost her grandfather in a fight with the invaders who wanted to rob them of valuables. Devastated and helpless, Matilda strolled on the deserted streets and fortunately met Eliza, who was a volunteer for helping the invalids. Matilda stayed with her to help taking care of the patients, and they managed to maintain their own health until the frost of winter killed the fever. Finally, the disastrous epidemic was over. As the city gradually revived, they reopened the coffeehouse with Matilda’s mother returning surprisingly after having recovered from the disease.

Throughout the entire book, the cruelty of human while facing difficulties was the most unforgettable thing that haunted my heart. People didn’t have the ability to even take care of themselves during the hard times when the Yellow Fever took place; needless to say, it was nearly impossible for them to help the others when they couldn’t even help themselves. Kindness and compassion vanished, and it seemed that the connection and friendship between people never existed in the dying city. The people had nothing to be blamed for, since they were all merely victims that were trying to survive. However, it is still unbearable to see people replacing the kind “How are you?” greetings by the “Do you have the fever?” in a cold and distant tone.

Another point that impressed me most was the change of young Matilda. She was first lazy, unwilling to do any extra work, and never got up from bed until her mother came “thundering” her to wake her up. After going through the crisis of Philadelphia, which broke her family and took her beloved’s life, she became more considerate and mature. In the very last part of the book, Matilda was the first one to wake up, and automatically did the chores so as to let her mother have more sleep. It is clear that the young-childish Matilda has grown up.

Fever 1793 is a book dealing with a tragical event that had really happened in history, but it is not a pure sad story. Through reading this book, I felt that I was growing up together with Matilda while facing those challenges and cruelty of life she encountered. What changed Matilda was also the most important thing that I learned: cherish the people you love before it is too late to regret.