The Fever
By: Cortavia Southard
The novel The Fever by Megan Abbott the secrets of the group of girls are threatening to unravel their friendships, families, and the town’s fragile idea of security. Through the use of tone, mood, imagery and dialogue she shows us that fear and hysteria created by fear can unravel people’s lives.
In the novel Abbott uses dialogue to show how fear can unravel people’s lives. By saying “suddenly the front door swung open. It was an older woman her short white hair closely cropped coat half open purse slipping from her arm. “Oh!” the woman said, startled “Honey what you are doing here?” “I came to see how Lise was” Deenie said. “I was there when she-,” “she’s not here” “they took her to the hospital I’m going there now” (Abbott pg. 29.). Lise grandmother was cutting off Deenie because she was in a rush to get to the hospital. She also didn’t want to know what happened to her at school. Nor tell anyone information about Lise to be spread around the school. Lise grandmother shows fear that can unravel people’s lives because if she says something to Deenie it could scare her and run back and tell other people. Dialogue can specify how two people are talking to one another by the tone of their voice.
Another example of how dialogue is “Dad,” she said softly. “I think something really bad is happening.” He imagined how Deenie looked to her, her parka sleeves too long, her brother’s old trapper hat slipping from her brown hair. “She got spooked seeing her friend faint,” he said. “Now she’s just scared out of her mind. I promised I’d find something.” (Abbott pg. 33). Deenie’s fear of the truth coming out about what could possibly be wrong with Lise was very scary for her. Especially when the nurse at the hospital wasn’t telling Deenie and her father what was happening to Lise. The nurse couldn’t tell them anything because she was scared that she would either lose her job, or Deenie and her father would go back and tell the information to other people, that weren’t supposed to know what was happening to Lise.
Abbott also uses imagery in the novel to give you a picture of how fear can unravel people’s lives. When Deenie’s father was a teenager he and an old friend of his used to go swimming in the town’s lake all the time. But it wasn’t until one night when his friend started to feel ill. “One night she came home, her face deathly pale and her mouth black inside. She told him the algae was like she’d never seen it, a lush green carpet, and she couldn’t stop swimming, even when it started to hurt her eyes thicken in her throat.” All night she threw up, her body was shaking, so I drove her to the emergency room;” (Abbott pg. 58). Deenie’s dad was scared that the same thing that was happening to Lise was happening to his friend he grew up with. She ended up experiencing the same symptoms Lise was having but it wasn’t as server. This is an example of how fear can unravel people’s lives because he didn’t tell the friend that this is what was happening to her had happened to his daughter’s friend. Because he was scared that she would start panicking about the situation and he would have to worry about someone else having the same problems.
Another example of imagery that can unravel people’s lives and to have the truth come out “There was talk of designating it was a dead lake, the worst phrase dad, has ever heard. At some point, people started calling it that, overrun by plants and no fish to be found, and the department of health coming all the time to take water samples. Ten years ago a little boy died there, his body seizing up and his lungs filling with furred water. After, that the city threw up high sheet fences and ominous skull-and cross bones signs.” After people heard about what happened to the little boy who drowned they were skeptical and scared to go back to the lake. But it seems like that after the little boy died and the government put up fences to block people from getting into the lake, they still went. They continued to get in the lake and now some of the people are getting sick. This can unravel people’s lives because one they wasn’t supposed to be at the lake and they don’t want to tell whoever what they did so they have to keep it a secret, but they don’t know that they wasn’t the only ones who has also been at that lake.
Megan Abbott has several different examples of tone that the characters express in the novel. “It started with her chin, then her whole jaw. He washed as Gabby’s face started to tremble, and then the way the light hit it was like her face itself was bending. For one terrifying instant, gone.” (Abbott pg. 70). Everyone was scared and didn’t know what was going on with Gabby. They tried to explain what was happening to Gabby in order to the doctor to get a better understanding on what was wrong with her. But there was something Gabby wasn’t telling everyone because she kept on saying she was sorry. This shows how fear can unravel people’s lives even if they can’t express how they are feeling. She’s scared that someone will find out what happened to her and doesn’t want to get into trouble.
Another example of tone supporting my thesis is “Why couldn’t we go to the hospital?” Deenie said. “Gabby wanted me to.” When Lara Bishop arrived, soon after the EMS, Gabby’s embarrassment seemed heavy and tortured. She couldn’t even look her mother in her eyes.” (Abbott pg. 73) This quote tells me that Gabby was shamed on what happened to her at school. She was holding back because of fear to prevent her from telling the truth.
Lastly, the author uses mood to give the readers the impression of how the characters feelings and emotions that could change each other’s lives. “Skye why did you mention the lake?” “What do you mean?” “It doesn’t have anything to do with any of this,” Deenie whispered.” “So why bring it up?” “I don’t think,” she said, closing her locker door, “we really know what this has to do with.” (Abbott pg. 84). Mood is a state of mind or feeling, which creates panic and different ideas on what the cause of the problem is with their friends. The girls think that their two friends got sick from when they were all swimming in the banded lake where they wasn’t supposed to be at. But can’t tell anyone because they think they going to get into trouble especially since the health department has been at the lake taking water samples.
The final example of mood from the novel is “The situation has escalated beyond one mother’s personal tragedy to a potential public health crisis, he said. “ We can’t rely on the public health department as our sole information source. After all, they were the ones who promoted this particular vaccination.” (Abbott pg. 108). This changes the moods of the parents because the media has released information on their daughters to the public, which is going to concern others about their health and if they are going to get sick or not. The information the media puts out will unravel people’s lives and homes, when they think they might get sick whoever they go to because no one knows where the sickness is coming from.
There are several different sources that gives you information about the novel The Fever. Www.nytimes.com Megan Abbott based the novel off real life events that happened to a group of 14 year old girls and one boy that was afflicted with undiagnosed verbal and physical tics. That no one has an understanding where they could have come from and people in the town doesn’t know what to do, nor if they should tell the truth on where it could have come from. This website tells how the truth could unravel people’s lives was because Lize was the first victim to fall to whatever it is, and she has the most dangerous illness. Then sexual confessions spill out as possible explanations about what could have been wrong but then the girl’s tenuous friendships are frayed by revelations of backstabbing.
One resource that gives good information on what the book is about and how it can unravel people’s lives is www.goodreads.com because this website tells that a rumor of a hazardous outbreak that spreads through families, schools and the community. After people started getting sick secrets emerges, and the friendships were breaking.
The last resource about the novel “The Fever” is www.bookslut.com and this website was an opinion of what that person thought about the book and the different situations that were taken place. Walter Briggins thought this book was interesting and had a lot of different fear that was in different people. One quote he used from the novel about Deenie and how it can unravel people’s lives was “she was next to get sick, because her two best-friends were lying in a hospital bed with no understanding what happened to them.” She didn’t know if she was next, or if she should tell someone what they did in order to find a cure for their problems.
The Fever gives you an understanding on what happened to the group of friends including their families. Fear can unravel people’s lives by the littlest of information that is kept within the person’s mind. The Fever has several different fears that people were keeping to their selves as in sexual activities between people, the fear of them being pregnant, and swimming in the town’s lake that was banned. Fear has a strong hold on people’s lives that can either make the outcome good or make the outcome bad, fear can really unravel people’s lives.
Abbott, Megan (2015). The Fever. New York. Little Brown
By: Cortavia Southard
The novel The Fever by Megan Abbott the secrets of the group of girls are threatening to unravel their friendships, families, and the town’s fragile idea of security. Through the use of tone, mood, imagery and dialogue she shows us that fear and hysteria created by fear can unravel people’s lives.
In the novel Abbott uses dialogue to show how fear can unravel people’s lives. By saying “suddenly the front door swung open. It was an older woman her short white hair closely cropped coat half open purse slipping from her arm. “Oh!” the woman said, startled “Honey what you are doing here?” “I came to see how Lise was” Deenie said. “I was there when she-,” “she’s not here” “they took her to the hospital I’m going there now” (Abbott pg. 29.). Lise grandmother was cutting off Deenie because she was in a rush to get to the hospital. She also didn’t want to know what happened to her at school. Nor tell anyone information about Lise to be spread around the school. Lise grandmother shows fear that can unravel people’s lives because if she says something to Deenie it could scare her and run back and tell other people. Dialogue can specify how two people are talking to one another by the tone of their voice.
Another example of how dialogue is “Dad,” she said softly. “I think something really bad is happening.” He imagined how Deenie looked to her, her parka sleeves too long, her brother’s old trapper hat slipping from her brown hair. “She got spooked seeing her friend faint,” he said. “Now she’s just scared out of her mind. I promised I’d find something.” (Abbott pg. 33). Deenie’s fear of the truth coming out about what could possibly be wrong with Lise was very scary for her. Especially when the nurse at the hospital wasn’t telling Deenie and her father what was happening to Lise. The nurse couldn’t tell them anything because she was scared that she would either lose her job, or Deenie and her father would go back and tell the information to other people, that weren’t supposed to know what was happening to Lise.
Abbott also uses imagery in the novel to give you a picture of how fear can unravel people’s lives. When Deenie’s father was a teenager he and an old friend of his used to go swimming in the town’s lake all the time. But it wasn’t until one night when his friend started to feel ill. “One night she came home, her face deathly pale and her mouth black inside. She told him the algae was like she’d never seen it, a lush green carpet, and she couldn’t stop swimming, even when it started to hurt her eyes thicken in her throat.” All night she threw up, her body was shaking, so I drove her to the emergency room;” (Abbott pg. 58). Deenie’s dad was scared that the same thing that was happening to Lise was happening to his friend he grew up with. She ended up experiencing the same symptoms Lise was having but it wasn’t as server. This is an example of how fear can unravel people’s lives because he didn’t tell the friend that this is what was happening to her had happened to his daughter’s friend. Because he was scared that she would start panicking about the situation and he would have to worry about someone else having the same problems.
Another example of imagery that can unravel people’s lives and to have the truth come out “There was talk of designating it was a dead lake, the worst phrase dad, has ever heard. At some point, people started calling it that, overrun by plants and no fish to be found, and the department of health coming all the time to take water samples. Ten years ago a little boy died there, his body seizing up and his lungs filling with furred water. After, that the city threw up high sheet fences and ominous skull-and cross bones signs.” After people heard about what happened to the little boy who drowned they were skeptical and scared to go back to the lake. But it seems like that after the little boy died and the government put up fences to block people from getting into the lake, they still went. They continued to get in the lake and now some of the people are getting sick. This can unravel people’s lives because one they wasn’t supposed to be at the lake and they don’t want to tell whoever what they did so they have to keep it a secret, but they don’t know that they wasn’t the only ones who has also been at that lake.
Megan Abbott has several different examples of tone that the characters express in the novel. “It started with her chin, then her whole jaw. He washed as Gabby’s face started to tremble, and then the way the light hit it was like her face itself was bending. For one terrifying instant, gone.” (Abbott pg. 70). Everyone was scared and didn’t know what was going on with Gabby. They tried to explain what was happening to Gabby in order to the doctor to get a better understanding on what was wrong with her. But there was something Gabby wasn’t telling everyone because she kept on saying she was sorry. This shows how fear can unravel people’s lives even if they can’t express how they are feeling. She’s scared that someone will find out what happened to her and doesn’t want to get into trouble.
Another example of tone supporting my thesis is “Why couldn’t we go to the hospital?” Deenie said. “Gabby wanted me to.” When Lara Bishop arrived, soon after the EMS, Gabby’s embarrassment seemed heavy and tortured. She couldn’t even look her mother in her eyes.” (Abbott pg. 73) This quote tells me that Gabby was shamed on what happened to her at school. She was holding back because of fear to prevent her from telling the truth.
Lastly, the author uses mood to give the readers the impression of how the characters feelings and emotions that could change each other’s lives. “Skye why did you mention the lake?” “What do you mean?” “It doesn’t have anything to do with any of this,” Deenie whispered.” “So why bring it up?” “I don’t think,” she said, closing her locker door, “we really know what this has to do with.” (Abbott pg. 84). Mood is a state of mind or feeling, which creates panic and different ideas on what the cause of the problem is with their friends. The girls think that their two friends got sick from when they were all swimming in the banded lake where they wasn’t supposed to be at. But can’t tell anyone because they think they going to get into trouble especially since the health department has been at the lake taking water samples.
The final example of mood from the novel is “The situation has escalated beyond one mother’s personal tragedy to a potential public health crisis, he said. “ We can’t rely on the public health department as our sole information source. After all, they were the ones who promoted this particular vaccination.” (Abbott pg. 108). This changes the moods of the parents because the media has released information on their daughters to the public, which is going to concern others about their health and if they are going to get sick or not. The information the media puts out will unravel people’s lives and homes, when they think they might get sick whoever they go to because no one knows where the sickness is coming from.
There are several different sources that gives you information about the novel The Fever. Www.nytimes.com Megan Abbott based the novel off real life events that happened to a group of 14 year old girls and one boy that was afflicted with undiagnosed verbal and physical tics. That no one has an understanding where they could have come from and people in the town doesn’t know what to do, nor if they should tell the truth on where it could have come from. This website tells how the truth could unravel people’s lives was because Lize was the first victim to fall to whatever it is, and she has the most dangerous illness. Then sexual confessions spill out as possible explanations about what could have been wrong but then the girl’s tenuous friendships are frayed by revelations of backstabbing.
One resource that gives good information on what the book is about and how it can unravel people’s lives is www.goodreads.com because this website tells that a rumor of a hazardous outbreak that spreads through families, schools and the community. After people started getting sick secrets emerges, and the friendships were breaking.
The last resource about the novel “The Fever” is www.bookslut.com and this website was an opinion of what that person thought about the book and the different situations that were taken place. Walter Briggins thought this book was interesting and had a lot of different fear that was in different people. One quote he used from the novel about Deenie and how it can unravel people’s lives was “she was next to get sick, because her two best-friends were lying in a hospital bed with no understanding what happened to them.” She didn’t know if she was next, or if she should tell someone what they did in order to find a cure for their problems.
The Fever gives you an understanding on what happened to the group of friends including their families. Fear can unravel people’s lives by the littlest of information that is kept within the person’s mind. The Fever has several different fears that people were keeping to their selves as in sexual activities between people, the fear of them being pregnant, and swimming in the town’s lake that was banned. Fear has a strong hold on people’s lives that can either make the outcome good or make the outcome bad, fear can really unravel people’s lives.
Abbott, Megan (2015). The Fever. New York. Little Brown