Bryant Hill once said, “Suffering is one of life's greatest teachers,” and he couldn't have been more correct. Suffering teaches a person how to persevere and be patient in the most difficult times. People also learn to have empathy towards others and help them. In the novel Fever 1793 by Laurie Anderson, the characters face many challenges, trials, and calamities due to the fever. Sometimes the characters were on the verge of giving up, but they kept looking forward and moving forward. They struggled to find their way through the dark tunnel to find the light – the light of hope coming from their suffering. Ultimately, these experiences transformed the characters into a more mature character. I think suffering is an important theme in this book. So, read on to find out. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay First, suffering comes in the form of losing loved ones or a person becoming seriously ill. Matilda experiences the loss of someone she loves – her grandfather – and this fills her with pain, anguish, anger and fear. The trauma of loss is something that doesn't go away right away, it fades rather slowly over time. All the characters in the story face this type of pain at some point in the book. For example, Joseph lost his wife; Nell loses her mother, etc. The other type of physical pain that many characters had to deal with were the side effects of fever. The mother became frail and weak, to the point where she could no longer take care of the cafeteria. While Joseph and his sons suffered from a severe condition of yellow fever and it took days for them to recover. During that time it was a test for them that they managed to overcome. The pain of yellow fever has completely transformed Matilda's body and Matilda becomes pale and thin due to the intensity of the struggles she has faced and the yellow fever. Second, some characters in the story are mistreated, mistreated, and even exploited by others. This kind of suffering happened to anyone with a fever. Regardless of who they were, they were dumped, not taken care of, or simply kicked out. Mentioned on page 119, it is said that a family threw away their child for fear of catching a fever. Furthermore, when Matilda and her grandfather were traveling with the farmer to the Ludingtons, the farmer literally threw them out into the street and left, just out of fear that the grandfather would get sick. All their belongings were taken away and no mercy was shown to them. If this isn't abuse, then what is? Third, another type of suffering that takes place in this story is the suffering of poverty. As the fever raged, the prices of food and medicine rose, while the flow of money diminished. A huge difference between rich and poor led to the spread of fever and hunger. If only people had learned to sympathize and help each other, history would have been completely different. Instead of being selfish, the people should have united against the fever. This would have led to a healthier community which in turn would have meant less vulnerable people. However, people suffered from malnutrition and less food. Matilda became so thin that you could see her cheekbones; demonstrating that people like her have also faced this challenge. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay In conclusion, it can be said that while pain and suffering are terrible, we also learn that they are there.