To get a general understanding of the plot of this story; The story is about a nine year old boy named Schatz, his father and his doctor. Schatz thought he was going to die when the doctor told him that his temperature was 102.

The story took place before 09:00 a.m. one morning when Schatz came into his father`s room looking very sick and later on the same day being quite uncooperative. The time of the year must be either fall or early/late winter, because of the ice on the ground. The story took place at Schatz`s house and appeared to be set in a country other than France. Schatz being diagnoses with such a high fever and a belief that he was going to die, started the conflict. And when he learned that there was a difference between the thermostats he calmed down, which was the end of the conflict.

The story`s structure showed a hard process. The complications started when Schatz walked into his father`s room and moved as if he was in pain.

The big issue started when the doctor diagnosed him with a fever of 102 degrees, the doctor gave him a prescription for a medication. Schatz had the thought that he would die because the schoolboys in France said that individuals died from a fever of forty-four. The ending of this big issue was when his father told him about the different thermostats. So obviously the climax was when he realized that he was actually not going to die and that he simply, just had a seasonal fever. And the resolution was when he relaxed after realizing and when he cried of no importance.

The characterization of Schatz is that he is the main character in this short story and he shows both positive and negative sides of himself. Schatz is a very determined young boy and he is shown as with a strong willpower and does not seem easily shocked by his position. Apparently he has quite a significant memory because he remembers what the French schoolboys told him once.

Schatz could also be seen as a rival against himself by fighting not to overcome his illness. Basically he was his own enemy. He believed in everything he heard. It sounds like he is as a brat, not listening to his father nor the helpers at home under the circumstances of his father`s absence.  

The main “movers” in this story are Schatz´s father who made him calm down and the doctor who gave him the diagnosis of a very high fever. The background people are the schoolboys who gave him the idea of death from high fevers in Schatz´s head. The helpers who tried to take care of Schatz when his father went out hunting are also movers, together with the unknown person in the beginning of the story (probably a parent who is not named).

So over to the theme, this short story actually has several! I think the first suitable theme is “do not believe in everything you hear” because Schatz believed in the facts the French boys gave him. He did not check facts and therefore he believed he would die. The second theme I mean is “Don’t give up so easily” because Schatz didn’t bother fighting for his flu but at the same time, he was too young to realize this. He gave up and was actually just waiting for death. The third theme is “After dark, there is always sunlight” because Schatz was relieved that he was not going to die.

The resolution (or result) was when Schatz returned to normal and accepted that he was wrong about the fever drama. He became friends with everyone and everything returned to normal.

The father misunderstands what the son is trying to say. And therefor sounds like he doesn’t care. For example, when Schatz says to his father that he can leave the room if it bothers him, he means death. When the father responds that it doesn’t bother him, it sounds like he doesn’t care if Schatz is going to die or not. The father also communicates quite cool and sounds like an ego. But this seems to even out because he calls his son Schatz which means honey in German.