"Roman Fever" Was Not Pneumonia

Paper Summary:

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. "

Sample of Sources Used:

• Wharton, E. (1936). Roman fever. In

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• Analytical Essay # 49766 : "Two Women Characters in "Roman Fever"

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