Edith Wharton, the America writer, in her piece of writing “Roman Fever”,

published in November 1934, portrays the social life of the upper class society
during those days. For that reason, she offers to the readers a distinctive
variety of themes to be analyzed and discussed. In this work only some
aspects will be considered. Those considered being the most outstanding
ones. While reading the story, many aspects can be inferred as regards the
author opinion about friendship, envy, and also the hidden love supported by
two of the characters within the story. Although they are not written directly,
the author transmits them by means of the unfolding of the characters
throughout the pages. Henceforth, a brief comment is made. In addition to this,
certain interesting elements that are common or else contrastive between
particular characters along the story are taken into account. So this analysis
will be, at the same time, centred on the two main ones: Mrs. Grace Ansley and
Mrs. Alida Slade who share similarities and differences.

To begin with, the first point for analyses is friendship. This term can be
defined as a co-operative and supportive behaviour between two or more
social entities. In this sense, the term connotes a relationship which involves
mutual knowledge, esteem, and affection. Friends will welcome each other's
company and exhibit loyalty towards each other, often to the point of altruism.
Their tastes will usually be similar and may converge, and they will share
enjoyable activities. They will also engage in mutually helping behaviour, such
as exchange of advice and the sharing of hardship. A friend is someone who
may often demonstrate reciprocating and reflective behaviours. Considering
this long and deep definition of friendship, it can be said that the friendship
between Mrs. Alida Slade and Mrs. Grace Ansley is the visible face of a false
one. Throughout the story the reader is led to believe the two women are close
and best friends. They are introduced at the beginning of the narrative as best
friends since childhood and as intimated acquaintances. This can be
interpreted in the following passage: “well perhaps I wasn’t”. “Mrs. Slade drew her
lids together in retrospect; and for a few moments the two ladies, who had been
intimate since childhood, reflected how little they knew each other”. (Edith Wharton,
1934, p. 2) But as the story goes on, the reader discovers how much they
disliked each other, envied and lied to each other. These feelings are
emphasised when Alida reveals the truth of the author of the letter. Grace
becomes very sad, but not because she has been hurt by her friend, it is
because Delphin himself did not write the letter to her. Grace cares more about
Delphin ´s memory than the friendship between her and Alida. This is portrays
in the following passage:

“So in a blind fury I wrote that letter ... I don’t know why I’m telling you now”. “I
suppose”, said Mrs. Ansley, “it is because you’ve always gone on hating me”…
“Mrs. Ansley relapsed into silence, and Mrs. Slade, leaning above her, was
conscious of a strange sense of isolation, of being cut off from the warm current of
human communion”… “You think me a monster!” “I don’t know…It was the only
letter I had. And you say he didn’t write it” “Ah, how you care still for him!” “I care
for that memory, said Mrs. Ansley”. Mrs. Slade continued to look down on her.”
(Edith Wharton, 1934, p. 7)

Secondly, there is another particular topic for discussion. It has to do with

envy. Although it is not directly expressed by the author, there are many
peculiar traits present in one of the main characters along the narrative that
lead the readers to think of her as envious person. This is the case of Alida
Slade ´s character. Many features in her personality put in evidence that she is
an envious old woman: “Mrs. Slade broke off his prophetic flight with a recoil of self
disgust. There was no one of whom she had less right to think unkindly of Grace
Ansley. Would she never cure herself of envying her! Perhaps she had begun long
ago”. (Edith Wharton, 1934, p. 7) Another example is when she feels envious as
regards Grace ´s daughter, Barbara:

“It ´s all very well to say that our girls have done away with sentiment and
moonlight. But if Babs Ansley isn’t out to catch that young aviator-the one who ´s a
Marchese-then I don’t know anything. And jenny has no chance beside her! My
poor jenny as a foil-! Mrs. Slade gave a hardly audible laugh, and at the sound
Mrs. Ansley dropped her knitting.” (Edith Wharton, 1934, p. 4)

And at the same time, it can be seen that Mrs. Slade feels envious towards Mrs.
Ansley. This feeling can be inferred when she tells directly Grace what she
thinks: “Mrs. Slade tone grew easier. No I don’t. I appreciate her. And perhaps envy
you”. (Edith Wharton, 1934, p. 4) Through the development of this character the
author reflects the behaviour and personality of many well-off women in those
times.

In the third place, the next topic for analysis is the hidden love between Grace
Ansley and Delphin (Alida‘s fiancée). Both of them feel love and affection, but
as Delphin is engaged to her best friend, it is not possible for them to start a
romantic life together. So, they encounter in hidden places so as not to be
seen. They believed nobody knows about the relationship they keep. But Alida
is suspicious that both of them love each other secretly and ends up feeling a
great distrust towards her intimate friend. “I knew you were in love with Delphin-
and I was afraid of you, all your quiet ways, your sweetness... your… well I wanted
you out of the way, that ´s all. Just for a few weeks; just till I was sure of him”. (Edith
Wharton, 1934, p. 7) This same feeling (while engaged to her fiancée Delphin)
leads her to write a romantic letter addressed to Grace Ansley. Alida makes
believe it was Delphin who wrote it. This is shown in the following passage: “…
because I simply can’t bear any longer-“…”Can’t bear what?”…”you went to meet the
man I was engaged to-and I can repeat every word of the letter that took you
there”…”Well my dear, I know what was in that letter because I wrote it”. (Edith
Wharton, 1934, p. 6) Finally, Alida tells her acquaintance that was she who
wrote the letter. As a consequence, Grace feels very unhappy because it was
not Delphin himself who created it. And after that Grace confessed Alida that
she met him all the same because she replied Delphin ´s letter. Whatsmore,
Delphin arranged everything and came to the place to meet her. This can be
shown in the following passage: “Mrs. Ansley voice grew clearer, and full of
surprise. ”But of course he was there. Naturally he came-“…”But I answered the
letter. I told him I’d be there. So he came.” (Edith Wharton, 1934, p. 8) Mrs. Alida is
surprised and feels a great distrust towards Grace. After some minutes of
silence she gives an unquiet laugh and finishes saying that after all she has
everything and mainly she had Delphin for twenty-five years. “After all, I had
everything; I had him for twenty-five years. And you had nothing but that one letter
that he didn’t write”. (Edith Wharton, 1934, p. 8) After hearing this, Mrs. Ansley
remains quiet for some minutes and then adds that in fact the resulting of the
strong feeling of attraction was Barbara. “Mrs. Ansley was again silent. At length
she took a step toward the door of the terrace, and turned back, facing her
companion. “I had Barbara””. She said, and begun to move ahead of Mrs. Slade”.
(Edith Wharton, 1934, p. 8)

Finally, similarities and differences between Mrs. Slade and Mrs. Ansley will be
considered and discussed. As regards similarities, a very significant
characteristic is that likewise Alida, Grace is proud of her daughter. Both
women believe their daughters to be the most important thing in the world.
Henceforth, they want their girls to be engaged to a good match. That is why
both mothers quarrel with each other and, from time to time, offend each other.
As it is shown in the following example:

“It is all very well to say that our girls have done away with sentiment and
moonlight. But if Babs Ansley isn’t out to catch that young aviator-the one who is
Marchese-then I don’t know anything. And Jenny has no chance beside her. I
know that too. I wonder if that ´s why Grace Ansley likes the two girls to go
everywhere together!” (Edith Wharton, 1934, p. 4)

Whatsmore, the idea of pride is emphasized in many parts of the narrative, as it

can be seen in the following passage:

“No I don’t appreciate her. And perhaps envy you. 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 I never quite
understood why I got an angel instead! Mrs. Ansley echoed a laugh saying: Baths
is an angel too”. (Edith Wharton, 1934. p. 5)

To follow with the description of the two main characters, from now on
differences between them will be given careful consideration. On the one hand,
Mrs. Slade is a middle aged woman staying in the city of Rome. She was the
wife and now is the widow of a famous corporation lawyer. In contrast with
Ansley, she is physically described as a fuller, higher in colour, having a small
nose and vigorous black eyebrows, apart from a good sense of humour. With
respect to her personality, the author describes her as an extroverted and
mature woman. Generally speaking, she is said to be outspoken, ironical and
noisy. But from a deeper view, she is characterized as committed mother who
dedicates her life and widowhood to raise her daughter, Jenny. Mrs. Slade has
also a sensitive side. She suffered a lot when her toddler died. When this
happened she found support in her husband. As it is portrays in the example:

“Now she had only her daughter to live up to, for her son who seemed to have
inherited his father ´s gifts had died suddenly in boyhood. She had fought through
that agony because her husband was there, to be helped and to help; now, after
the father ´s death, the thought of the boy had become unbearable”. (Edith
Wharton 1934, p. 6)

On the other hand, Mrs. Grace Ansley is the opposite of Mrs. Slade. Unlike
Alida, Grace is physically different from her. She is represented as smaller as
and paler than her. As regards her personality, Grace is relaxed, quiet and
even shy. The writer makes a withdrawn description oh her throughout the
story: “the two women stood for a minute staring at each other in the last golden
light. Then Mrs. Ansley dropped back into her chair. “Oh” she murmured. There was
no reply. She just relapsed into silence”. (Edith Wharton, 1934, p. 6) As for her
character, Grace has a very distinctive one. With the exception of her shyness,
she becomes embarrassed very easily and knitting is her way to cover her
embarrassment. At the same time, it can be inferred that she is a sensitive
woman because at some point she feels sorry for her friend. Grace believes
Alida led a sad and frustrating life: “Mrs. Ansley thought Alida Slade was
disappointed, on the whole she had a sad life, full of failures and mistakes. Mrs.
Ansley had always been rather sorry for her”. (Edith Wharton, 1934, p. 3) This same
feeling of pity is also seen in the following passage: “Mrs. Ansley rose and drew
her fur scarf about her. “I am sorry for you” she said, as she clasped the fur around
her throat “. (Edith Wharton, 1934, p. 8) As it can be clearly seen, Edith Wharton
unrolls two particular female characters that helped the smoothly flow of
themes and development of the amazing story.

Edith Wharton story “Roman Fever” offers a variety of topics for analysis and
discussion. Those that were chosen convey the author personal interpretation
as regards friendship, envy and hidden love in the time the story was written.
Although the narrator does not directly express her point of view, she makes it
through the development of two main characters, Mrs. Alida Slade and Mrs.
Grace Ansley. She does it in such a way that readers become involved in the
story from the very beginning. Furthermore, it can be said that this story is the
perfect example of this American writer ´s greatness and skilfulness by means
of which her memory remains alive in the American Culture.
 References

 Edith Wharton. Roman Fever. U.S.A, Appleton-

Century, 1934

 Donna Campbelld, “The Edith Wharton Society”.

Retrieved on November 13th, 2006 at
http://www.wsu.edu/-campbelld/wharton/index.html

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edith_Wharton

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friendship
 Instituto Superior Antonio Ruiz de Montoya

Research paper on:

“Roman Fever”
By Edith Wharton

Teacher: Lic. Ana Carolina de Giacomi

Subject: American History and Literature
Student: Noguera Adriana E.
Date: February 12th, 2007