Roman Fever Essay

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Roman Fever The short story “Roman Fever” by Edith Wharton takes place in Rome, Italy. The story is about two women and the relationship they have developed over many years. In the beginning of “Roman Fever”, Grace Ansley and Alida Slade run into each other while vacationing in Rome with their daughter’s. Although these women have grown up together as one can see after getting deeper into the story they do not know as much as they think of one another. In a recent article it’s written “The paradox of course is the combination of intimacy and ignorance, and the tension involves the explanation of the paradox—and more generally, a question about the precise nature of their relationship. The term “Roman Fever” will have an interesting twist. Roman fever was a sickness that was caught in the old days of Rome. Anyone could catch roman fever by being out at late nights and not keeping covered. In the story “Roman Fever” Wharton reveals that that the longtime friendship is rooted with envy and deceit. Throughout “Roman Fever” one can see the many way’s that Mrs.Slade has always been envious of Mrs. Ansley while the opposite seemed to be for Anslely’s opinion of Slade. One of the first things one can see is the envy that Slade has for Ansley’s daughter Barbara. In “Roman Fever” the two women go back and forth speaking of Barbara, Ansley believes that Slade gives to much praise to Barbara while Slade does not think Ansley gives her enough (Wharton 1082). Wharton yields “Mrs. Slade’s tone grew easier. ‘No; I don’t appreciate her. And perhaps envy. Oh my girl’s perfect; if I were a chronic invalid I’d-well, I think I’d rather be in Jenny’s hands. There must be times…but there! I always wanted a brilliant daughter… and never quite understood why I got an angel instead” (1082.) It is clearly stated that Slade is jealous of the women Barbara is becoming and
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