Roman Fever - Short Story Analysis -

Miranda, Daniela - Ricci Pimenides, H. Luna

English Language II - 2016

Biographical Sketch of The Author: Edith Wharton

1862: Edith was born in New York.

1866 - 1872: The family spent 6 years in Europe.

1872: The family returned to USA. 1877: She wrote Fast and Loose at the age of

15.1885: Edith married Edward Robbins

Wharton. 1913: She Divorced after 28 years of

marriage.1914: World War I broke out.

1920: Pulitzer Prize for literature.

1923: Honorary doctorate degree.

1934: Roman Fever was first published.

1937: she died at the age of 75, in France.

“There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it”

Roman Fever -1934-

● Setting● Plot - Structure of the Story - Point of View● Characters (Description - Comparison - Relationships)● Subject Matter - Theme - Dominant emotion● Importance of the title ● Focus on language ● Conclusion - Feelings and Reaction ● Discussion

SETTINGPlace: The terrace of a restaurant in Rome / Weather conditions: spring / Time:

Afternoon (1920s)

Sociocultural context: New York upper class society - first half of the 20th century - greater independence

for women.

Introduction: Two middle aged women who have known each other all their lives sit together at a restaurant in Rome after their respective young daughters leave to meet two italian aviators. They decide to spend the entire day there.

Plot - Structure of the Story

Plot - Structure of the Story

Rising Action: After Alida asks Grace if she thinks the girls are as sentimental as they were at their age, both women start to bring back memories of their past. They share some stories , including a story about Grace’s aunt, until they reach a particular period of their youth in which both had been in love with the same man.

Climax: Mrs Slade admits that she had always known Grace had been in love with her husband and that she had received a letter from him inviting her to the Colosseum. Mrs Slade reveals that she had been the one to write the letter and is convinced that Grace had waited alone that night and became sick as a consequence of that.

Plot - Structure of the Story

Resolution: Once the secrets have been revealed, both women exchange fake apologies and Alida tries to taunt her friend one last time reminding her that she had been the one to have Delphin for 25 years when the only thing Grace had was a letter he never wrote. Mrs Ansley reveals one last secret by answering “I had Barbara” in the last line of the story.

Falling action: Grace is crushed after learning that the only letter she ever had from Delphin was fake but then she turns the tables on Alida and confesses that she had answered the letter and that Delphin had actually been there that night with her.

Point of view : Third Person Omniscient

An all knowing narrator that knows not only the story but also what is going on inside the character’s minds.

Presenting the characters:

The characters in the story are presented through a combination of different techniques.

- Some physical characteristics are mentioned by the narrator.

- Description through dialogue.- Description of characters from another character’s point of

view.- Establishing parallels between different characters.

Main Characters:

● Alida Slade (Mrs Slade) ● Grace Ansley (Mrs

Ansley)

Characters Secondary

Characters: ● Barbara Ansley ● Jenny Slade ● Delphin Slade ● Horace Ansley ● Aunt Harriet and her

sister

Grace Ansley● Middle aged rich american

woman● Widow of Horace Ansley● Mother of Barbara Ansley ● Paler and thinner than Mrs Slade

- Beautiful and passionate woman capable of loving deeply.

- Capable of betraying her best friend for the love of a man.

- Capable of lying to her loved ones and keeping important secrets.

Alida Slade● Middle aged rich american

woman ● Widow of Delphin Slade● Mother of Jenny Slade● Fuller and darker in color than

Grace

- Loud and outstanding.- Determined and cunning woman.- Envious, jealous and resentful.

Main Characters

Barbara AnsleyYoung - beautiful - vivacious -

outgoing - successful with men - brilliant

Secondary Characters

Jenny SladeYoung - beautiful - probably shy -

quiet - described by her mother as “an angel”

Horace AnsleyRich- described by Mrs Slade as

“null” - unaware - easily deceived

Delphin SladeSuccessful - rich - handsome -

charming - unfaithful

Aunt Harriet and her sisterHarriet and her sister loved the same man. To get rid of her sister, Harriet

supposedly tricked her into exposing herself to Roman fever. She later died of the disease.

Subject Matter of the

story:Toxic friendships

between upper class society women

Theme of the story:

Jealousy and rivalry

Importance of the title

Roman Fever:

Symbol of the passionate

secret relationship

between Mrs. Ansley and

Delphin

Roman Fever

(Malaria)

An infectious disease that

causes chills and high fevers, among other symptoms. Eventually, it can kill the patient.

Roman Fever:

Symbol of the secret strong jealousy and

rivalry between Alida and

Grace

FOCUS ON LANGUAGE“A good deal of time to kill”:

(p.20)“It made a hit, and went the rounds”:(p.23)

“They had run across each other in Rome” (p.23):

“In living up to such a husband” (p.24)

“The spice of disobedience thrown in” (p.26)

“How your Babs carries everything before her” (p.27)

“I shouldn’t have thought she had herself so well in hand” (p.31)

vocabulary:● Girlish voice

● Frump● Out- maneuvered● Have more edge● Nullities● Speakeasy● Dashing girl● Deepened attention

● Enlightenment of strangers

● Clangour of bells● Wrath● Wreckage of passion● Nightblooming flower● Wicked● Scatter● A puff of dust

PHRASAL VERBS:

★ Run Across★ Keep up with★ Live up to★ Sum up★ Take up★ Do away with★ Bring Back★ Settle down★ Break off★ Break out★ Go on

★ Find out★ Cut off★ Look down

on★ Wait around★ Get away★ Let in★ Come along★ Keep out★ Stand up★ Rush off★ Gather up

Discussion

To what extent do you think Edith Wharton drew upon her own experiences when she wrote Roman Fever?

After the disclosure of all this secrets, do you think

Alida and Grace will continue to be friends?

Conclusion

I was blind with rage.

Well, girls are

ferocious sometimes

, you know. Girls

in love especially.

The most

prudent girls

aren't always

prudent.

I was easily

frightened

because I was too happy.

Kids have such silly reasons

for doing the most serious things.