Explore Activities Related to "Lady Eleanore's Mantle"

Illustration "Keep my Image in your Remembrance" by Frank T. Merrill for "Lady Eleanore’s Mantle" (courtesy of ...)

First, look up the symptoms and history of smallpox:

• Where does it break out?
• What are its effects?
• How does it spread?

Next, apply that to the story, "Lady Eleanore's Mantle":

• In your opinion, after studying about smallpox, does Lady Eleanore appear to have symptoms of the disease?
• How is it affecting the people of the city? Why were the citizens so fearful of this disease?
• How many would have become sick?

Learn about the outbreak of smallpox in 1721 by visiting the following web sites:

• http://www.dotnews.com/peterhistory1.html
• http://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/smallpox/sp_threat.html
  
  
• Who is Cotton Mather and why is he important to the story?
• How were the first inoculations performed?
  
  
• Why might Hawthorne have chosen this disease for his story?

• Were you vaccinated? Find at least 3 people who were (hint: check with your parents). Were they re-vaccinated to travel outside the United States?
• Does smallpox still occur today?
• List several of the current questions surrounding smallpox and outline the current vaccination program.
• How might an author today use smallpox in a story?