On page 219-220, Mattie says that she is bitter about the people who are returning to Philadelphia after fleeing. Why is she irritated with these people?
For sure, Shelby. I thought the part where Mattie said, "It felt like they were dancing on a grave with no thought to the suffering they had escaped." The people who stayed in Philadelphia have seen so much pain and suffering, that it seems wrong to be happy and noisy now. The people who left don't understand that.
I really liked how in these chapters you could see just how much a lot of the characters had changed from the beginning of the book! Anyone care to share an example of this?
Carmelo, I totally noticed that too! On page 235 when she encounters Nathaniel, Mother says , "Nathaniel Benson, that's your name?" He responds with "Yes, Ma'am." Mattie is narrating the story and she says that she was waiting for her mother to make a "sharp-tongued remark (which would be to respond in a very short, and unfriendly way), but she didn't". I'm noticing that Mother seems to be much more tolerant with Nathaniel than she was at the beginning of the text.
because they both thought that Mother was dead and probably because Mattie needs more clothes so he told her to sell the coffee house to get some more.
Actually Kia. The mother did not think she treated her daughter wrong. Mattie was a bratty teen that was defiant. She changed because she was too sick to do anything. Also Mattie changed to a more responsible person. So no one had to tell her to do anything. The book says mother was withered and limp when she came back.
On pages 224-225, Mattie tells Eliza that she wants Eliza to be her business partner, but Eliza is VERY reluctant to accept Mattie's offer. Why is she so hesitant?
Shelby, I agree with you. On page 226, When Joseph is saying that they should get a lawyer to write out their partnership, he says "Some folk will say Eliza took advantage of you. They don't like to see black people move up."
I was just looking through the last few pages of the book which talks about the historical accuracy of the story, and guess what, mosquitoes have been determined to be the reason the disease spreads (page 251). Remember at the beginning of the story when I pointed out how the author was focusing on them? =) Are there any other predictions/ inferences that you guys can remember from the beginning of the book that were maybe answered by the end of the book?
I didn't like the end of the book because like what will happen next. -Will Mattie marry Nathaniel. -What will Nell be like when she grows up. -How would things change now that the fever is gone and everyone is going back to Philadelphia.
This is definitely one of those books where you fall in love with the characters and you want to know more about their future lives. The great thing is that you can imagine it to be any future you want. In my mind, Mattie and Nathaniel (Matthaniel) get married and have two kids. Nell is like their older sister, and she eventually goes off to college to become a nurse. Eliza ends up being one of the wealthiest African Americans in Philadelphia and uses her fortune to help others by opening the coffee shop early once a week to give poor people free food and drink. Mattie adds a store to the coffee shop like she always wanted to, and ends up going to France to buy items to sell there. Nathaniel paints her a beautiful scene of Paris to hang in her shop, and it becomes a famous piece of artwork after his death. Everyone is healthy and happy - even Mother, who can't move around as much anymore, but has fun with her grandchildren.
On page 232, Mattie thinks, "If the president was back, then the fever was truly over. If the president was back, we were safe." I know the president needed to keep himself healthy, but does anyone else feel kind of like he deserted the people of Philadelphia? I don't think I'm George Washington's biggest fan after reading this book!
I think that he did kind of deserted people of Philadelphia and he left his people on their own to survive, he could have helped them have food get more doctor's in and have nurses go check up on people everyday but he didn't he left so he wouldn't get sick and now that he's back he don't have to worry and everyone is worshipping him when he didn't even help at all. I don't think he should be worshiped and cheered on.
I guess for me, it's almost like he was the captain of a ship that was going down, and he left on the first lifeboat. The captain is supposed to go down with the ship! I'm not saying that I would have wanted him to get sick, but it seems odd to me that he completely deserted the Philadelphians. If nothing else, he should have tried to send help their way - food, water, more nurses and doctors. Anything would have helped!
i think they will get married or something, but i wonder if they try to get married if mother will try to stop them ( because mother really didn't like him the the banning of the book)
i don't really like how the book ended. It really left out a lot. For example, what will happen with Nell? What will happen with Mattie and Nathaniel? I hate the ending!
Way to remember the beginning of the book! I think it was rumored to be a bad shipment of coffee, not all coffee. But if it were me, I would probably still be a little hesitant to jump right into drinking it again. Also, I'm not sure how well that rumor was spread around town. The book made mention of it once at the beginning, but then we never really heard much about it again.
I liked it when mother burst into tears because she wasn't that stubborn and she showed some emotion and it kind of actually tells you something about mother. That's she not as stubborn as she seems. (pg.238) I also think that at the beginning of the book she was just trying to make Mattie grow up to be a mature, healthy girl.
Good thinking Shelby! I agree, and I think it worked. Even though Mattie was sometimes very frustrated by Mother, a lot of what Mother taught her helped her throughout the book. Her emphasis on hard work and not being lazy really helped Mattie take care of herself and others, and even helped her to re-open the coffee shop at the end of the book,.
So, now that we're seeing a kinder, gentler version of Mother, do you think that she regrets being hard on Mattie before? It does seem as though she doesn't care as much about Mattie being a proper lady or a hard worker, but is that because Mother has changed or because Mattie has? Hmmm...
I noticed that the coffee house isn't that much of a coffee house anymore Mattie is baking a lot of things besides coffee and its kind of like more of a café then a coffee house.
Hahahaha, probably not. :) But Mother does seem to be much more tolerant of Nathaniel now than she was at the beginning of the story. Maybe she'd be OK with Mattie being with him.
On page 219-220, Mattie says that she is bitter about the people who are returning to Philadelphia after fleeing. Why is she irritated with these people?
ReplyDeleteprobably because she has to deal with everything
DeleteTell me a little more Michele. What do you mean by this?
DeleteBecause everyone left and didn't help anybody but themselves and now their coming back and acting like nothing happened.
DeleteFor sure, Shelby. I thought the part where Mattie said, "It felt like they were dancing on a grave with no thought to the suffering they had escaped." The people who stayed in Philadelphia have seen so much pain and suffering, that it seems wrong to be happy and noisy now. The people who left don't understand that.
DeleteI really liked how in these chapters you could see just how much a lot of the characters had changed from the beginning of the book! Anyone care to share an example of this?
ReplyDeletewell, mother has changed. at the beginning of the book. she was always strict. now, she has really piped down.
DeleteMattie went from adventurous to serious fast.
DeleteCarmelo, I totally noticed that too! On page 235 when she encounters Nathaniel, Mother says , "Nathaniel Benson, that's your name?" He responds with "Yes, Ma'am." Mattie is narrating the story and she says that she was waiting for her mother to make a "sharp-tongued remark (which would be to respond in a very short, and unfriendly way), but she didn't". I'm noticing that Mother seems to be much more tolerant with Nathaniel than she was at the beginning of the text.
DeleteI feel like there is a second book that none has heard of yet an if not they should make one.
ReplyDeleteOn page 222-223, Eliza is getting frustrated with Joseph and the conversation he is trying to have with Mattie. Why does she want him to shut up?
ReplyDeletebecause they both thought that Mother was dead and probably because Mattie needs more clothes so he told her to sell the coffee house to get some more.
Deletei think mother seemed more caring at the and of the book.
ReplyDeleteWhy do you think that? Give me some evidence! :)
Deletei think that because when mother came home she was so much nicer to Mattie! in the beginning of the book mother was kind of mean.
DeleteWhy do you think she changed?
Deletei think she changed because when she went looking for Mattie and she couldn't find her that she realized that she could have treated her better!
DeleteThat makes a lot of sense to me. People are definitely changed some times by the threat of death.
DeleteActually Kia. The mother did not think she treated her daughter wrong. Mattie was a bratty teen that was defiant. She changed because she was too sick to do anything. Also Mattie changed to a more responsible person. So no one had to tell her to do anything. The book says mother was withered and limp when she came back.
DeleteOn pages 224-225, Mattie tells Eliza that she wants Eliza to be her business partner, but Eliza is VERY reluctant to accept Mattie's offer. Why is she so hesitant?
ReplyDeleteMaybe she just has to much on her hands, dealing with her brother and the boys, worrying about stuff and other things.
DeleteI want you to think about who Eliza is, and what it would mean for her to be a business owner.
Deleteshe would get more money than other African American's would and they'd think that she's taking advantage of Mattie?....maybe
DeleteShelby, I agree with you. On page 226, When Joseph is saying that they should get a lawyer to write out their partnership, he says "Some folk will say Eliza took advantage of you. They don't like to see black people move up."
DeleteI was just looking through the last few pages of the book which talks about the historical accuracy of the story, and guess what, mosquitoes have been determined to be the reason the disease spreads (page 251). Remember at the beginning of the story when I pointed out how the author was focusing on them? =) Are there any other predictions/ inferences that you guys can remember from the beginning of the book that were maybe answered by the end of the book?
ReplyDeletenot really but i want to know if Mattie an Nathaniel ever get married.
DeleteI didn't like the end of the book because like what will happen next.
ReplyDelete-Will Mattie marry Nathaniel.
-What will Nell be like when she grows up.
-How would things change now that the fever is gone and everyone is going back to Philadelphia.
i wounder if Mattie will raise Nell as her own.
Deletei think that everyone will move back to Philadelphia
DeleteKeyonna,
DeleteThat has already happened. Please put more effort into analyzing the text.
This is definitely one of those books where you fall in love with the characters and you want to know more about their future lives. The great thing is that you can imagine it to be any future you want. In my mind, Mattie and Nathaniel (Matthaniel) get married and have two kids. Nell is like their older sister, and she eventually goes off to college to become a nurse. Eliza ends up being one of the wealthiest African Americans in Philadelphia and uses her fortune to help others by opening the coffee shop early once a week to give poor people free food and drink. Mattie adds a store to the coffee shop like she always wanted to, and ends up going to France to buy items to sell there. Nathaniel paints her a beautiful scene of Paris to hang in her shop, and it becomes a famous piece of artwork after his death. Everyone is healthy and happy - even Mother, who can't move around as much anymore, but has fun with her grandchildren.
Deletei was kind of thinking the same thing!!! i hope that's what happens to them!!
DeleteI would like to see a another book but it be about Mattie an her life with her family
ReplyDeleteme too, i want to see what happens when mother is all better.
DeleteOn page 232, Mattie thinks, "If the president was back, then the fever was truly over. If the president was back, we were safe." I know the president needed to keep himself healthy, but does anyone else feel kind of like he deserted the people of Philadelphia? I don't think I'm George Washington's biggest fan after reading this book!
ReplyDeletei was thinking that too! i was like why would the president leave, isn't he supposed to be in charge of things!!!!
Deletei think its wrong yeah he needs to be healthy but its not right to leave the people of Philadelphia.
DeleteI think that he did kind of deserted people of Philadelphia and he left his people on their own to survive, he could have helped them have food get more doctor's in and have nurses go check up on people everyday but he didn't he left so he wouldn't get sick and now that he's back he don't have to worry and everyone is worshipping him when he didn't even help at all. I don't think he should be worshiped and cheered on.
DeleteI guess for me, it's almost like he was the captain of a ship that was going down, and he left on the first lifeboat. The captain is supposed to go down with the ship! I'm not saying that I would have wanted him to get sick, but it seems odd to me that he completely deserted the Philadelphians. If nothing else, he should have tried to send help their way - food, water, more nurses and doctors. Anything would have helped!
Deletedose anyone else want to see what happens to Mattie and Nathaniel?
ReplyDeletei do i want to see what will happen latter in there life.
Deletei think they will get married or something, but i wonder if they try to get married if mother will try to stop them ( because mother really didn't like him the the banning of the book)
Deletei don't really like how the book ended. It really left out a lot. For example, what will happen with Nell? What will happen with Mattie and Nathaniel? I hate the ending!
ReplyDeleteWhy is everyone drinking coffee again didn't it help cause the fever.
ReplyDeleteWay to remember the beginning of the book! I think it was rumored to be a bad shipment of coffee, not all coffee. But if it were me, I would probably still be a little hesitant to jump right into drinking it again. Also, I'm not sure how well that rumor was spread around town. The book made mention of it once at the beginning, but then we never really heard much about it again.
DeleteGood memory! I had completely forgotten that. I'm sure they didn't know that coffee was ever an issue.
Deletei think the book said fish might have caused the fever too...
Deletei think because people said that it caused it i would not drink it.
DeleteI liked it when mother burst into tears because she wasn't that stubborn and she showed some emotion and it kind of actually tells you something about mother. That's she not as stubborn as she seems. (pg.238) I also think that at the beginning of the book she was just trying to make Mattie grow up to be a mature, healthy girl.
ReplyDeleteGood thinking Shelby! I agree, and I think it worked. Even though Mattie was sometimes very frustrated by Mother, a lot of what Mother taught her helped her throughout the book. Her emphasis on hard work and not being lazy really helped Mattie take care of herself and others, and even helped her to re-open the coffee shop at the end of the book,.
DeleteSo, now that we're seeing a kinder, gentler version of Mother, do you think that she regrets being hard on Mattie before? It does seem as though she doesn't care as much about Mattie being a proper lady or a hard worker, but is that because Mother has changed or because Mattie has? Hmmm...
Deletei think that too, but it kind of seemed like she was treating her like she was a little kid, like when she wouldn't let her go the the store.
DeleteI noticed that the coffee house isn't that much of a coffee house anymore Mattie is baking a lot of things besides coffee and its kind of like more of a café then a coffee house.
ReplyDeleteyeah i relized that to she makes alot of desserts to know but she still makes coffe but i think that it is like a cafe know
Deletei wonder if mother knows that mattie kissed nathanial
ReplyDeleteHahahaha, probably not. :) But Mother does seem to be much more tolerant of Nathaniel now than she was at the beginning of the story. Maybe she'd be OK with Mattie being with him.
Deletei was thinking about that! what do think she would do if she found that out?
DeleteI don't think she dose. that's another thing that the author left out i really don't like the way the book ended.
Delete