The paragraph expands on the central idea that malaria was a deadly disease in Elizabethan England. However, it explains Elizabethan misconceptions about the spread of malaria.
I think that it is mostly Jeannette that has a strong reaction to fire. After returning from the hospital, Jeannette becomes enthralled by fire. Her parents support this, insistent that she not be defeated or afraid of that which led to her injury. Not only does Jeannette resume cooking hot dogs on the stove (to the delight of her mother) but she also starts to steal her father’s matches.
past is the correct answer!
