Abstract This paper examines how Edith Wharton's short story, "Roman Fever", offers a dark glimpse into the characters of two upper-class women, Mrs. Ansley and Mrs. Slade, who have known each other for years in New York City, and who serendipitously meet in Rome where they are vacationing with their daughters. It analyzes how Wharton's exploration of the characters of these two women illustrates much about the nature of female friendships, jealousy, and forgiveness. It also shows how the character study illuminates Ansley and, especially, Slade as exemplifying few of the cardinal virtues of wisdom, temperance, courage, and justice.
From the Paper "As they sit knitting together on the terrace, Slade muses about their pasts, insulting Mrs. Ansley thoroughly in her mind. This silent, passive character assault indicates that Slade lacks true courage. Although her past action of luring Ansley with a fake letter by her fianc? demonstrates a degree of compunction, brashness, and guts, Slade nevertheless acts passive-aggressively. She allowed an irrational, as yet unfounded jealousy cause her to entrap her friend. Then she lets the wound fester for decades. Her envy of Ansley and her upper-crust lifestyle also cause her to compare their daughters and Slade feels that her Jenny is inferior to the livelier, spunkier Babs Ansley."
Abstract This paper examines the irony and foreshadowing evident in the short story "Roman Fever" written by Edith Wharton. The paper discusses how Wharton creates a thrilling short story that takes place in just a few hours on a terrace. It is through the setting of the story and the conversation between Mrs. Ansley and Mrs. Slade that Wharton employs irony and foreshadowing to add tension and drama.
From the Paper "Wharton uses the setting of this story to set the mood. The Colosseum is clearly a place that holds tender memories for both of the women. We are introduced to feelings of young love and night skies filled with the full moon. These images work to convey a romantic mood as the two companions reflect on their pasts. Wharton also employs irony in the setting as well. For instance, the women are sitting on a "lofty terrace of the Roman restaurant," which implies a lovely scene. The view also includes a "serenity which might have been borrowed from the spring effulgence of the Roman skies" (Wharton 1025). In addition, the ladies are reminiscing about their younger days. The setting of the story indicates that we are about to read about love and to make that matter more interesting, it is a love from years past."
Abstract This paper briefly summarizes the plots of two of Edith Wharton's stories and then examines the social statement Wharton was making about the times in which she lived. The paper looks at Wharton's treatment of the gender roles, class roles, and relationships in Victorian society and how her stories depict people of the Victorian era as having a dualism of behavior ? the outer personification of conformity, and the inner, private life that allows for deviancy and experimentation.
From the Paper "It's a natural part of life to question the past as one looks into the future, however, there are certain regrets that mark the passing of particular lives that most people would rather not have as a part of their own lives. The stories of Edith Wharton, specifically Roman Fever and The Other Two, embrace the past in a manner that brings to light the changing social configuration of the present. The stories are imbued with aspects of Romanticism and grounded in the Victorian ethic but wander into the changing social world of the modern era. The intricacies of time, place, love and relationships have a strong influence on the best of people; however, it seems as though they are a tidal wave of authority to the weak and the superior. Wharton's characters reflect this sentiment, that strength of character is not always a matter of beauty, intelligence or social standing but, rather, a belief in oneself as the vehicle for happiness."
Abstract This paper reviews, discusses and analyzes the book, 'Roman Fever' by Edith Wharton. According to the paper, this book that was written in 1936, traces changes in sexual mores from the turn of the century to the time of the writing. This paper summarizes the events of the story, examines the feelings of the two characters and discusses the author's purpose for writing this story.
From the Paper "Mrs. Ansley seems to be the more honest character in the story. She admits, for example, that she was not always wise. "The most prudent girls aren't always prudent" (p. 41). It was she who told the story long ago to Mrs. Slade and gave her the idea for the dirty trick. A wicked aunt of Mrs. Ansley's had sent a younger sister to the Forum "after sunset to gather a night-blooming flower for her album"(p. 40) hoping she would get sick. The night-blooming flower is a metaphor for sexual activity. The aunt and her sister were in love with the same man, and the younger sister got the fever and died. Thus, Mrs. Ansley gave Mrs. Slade the idea that led to the letter. Afterwards, instead of reporting that she was pregnant, her family told the community that she had gone to the Forum "to see the moon rise" and had caught a chill. Of course, people wondered because Mrs. Ansley had always careful about her health. "
