'Fever 1793' is the famous book authored by Laurie Halse Anderson primarily aims to portray the conflict between nature and human spirit of survival during a large-scale epidemic.
As per the question, the 'print shop apprentice' represents the idea that 'the epidemic Yellow fever begins always with the lowest part of populous mercantile town near the water, and continues there, without affecting the higher parts.' The central cause of yellow fever is the <u>falvivirus spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito which breeds easily in standing water commonly traced near lowest part of the towns</u>. Thus, this justifies his idea that the epidemic begins here and hence, <u>option C</u> is the correct answer.
An indirect or passing reference during someone's speech is called an allusion.The allusion is designed to call something to your brain without mentioning it explicitly or directly.Its an indirect way to remind you of something.