Chapter 4 Summary

During the afternoon, the coffeehouse crowd is abuzz with talk of fever. Various wild theories are put forward accounting for the origin and effects of fever. Mattie's grandfather and a few regulars doubt that any fever is spreading in the city, and instead tease Mattie about finding a husband. The talk then turns to politics and further discussion of fever is abandoned. The day concludes and, as the last guests leave for the evening, Mattie helps her mother clean the coffeehouse.

Chapter 4 Analysis

Chapter 4 concludes the events of August 16, the first day of the novel's primary timeline. The first day of the primary timeline is not particularly eventful, but four chapters are devoted to it to firmly establish setting and characterization. The novel's construction is thus carefully crafted to allow a chronologically slow but developmentally complete introduction to events. Following chapters typically contain...