RAMOS, Vercita R.

  Occasional Paper #2
BSED 3-1A ENGL                 October 18, 2020

Roman Fever by Edith Wharton

 
1. Analyze the implications of Wharton’s choice of Rome as the “site of memory.” 
- Rome is a place full of memories. In the real world, Rome is a place where the
game between life and death occurs because of politics. Those actions did not
create a stronger Rome. People remembered that the fall of Rome was due to
their self-inflicted wounds of creating internal struggle and civil war that is not
needed. The Romans were deceived by their actions. Rome represents the lost
youth of the characters. The memory of Rome resembles the memory of Mrs.
Ansley and Mrs. Slade. Like Romans, Mrs. Slade created her own fate because
of jealousy. She used Rome to depict what happened to Rome and on the plot of
the story.

2. What are the literal and figurative meanings of the story’s title?
- Roman fever also known as malaria. It is a serious disease that causes fever and
chills, it can be passed from one person to another through the bite of the
mosquitoes. . Figuratively, Roman fever means strong emotions, negative
emotions like jealousy and hatred.

3. Find as many examples as you can of foreshadowing , and analyze Wharton’s use of
this technique to prepare the reader for the ending.
- The selection made different foreshadowing that when the reader digs deeper
into its message, they will be prepared for what is coming in the story. I’ve found
four foreshadowings that revealed and prepared me for the ending. First, when
Mrs. Slade said “After all, it’s still the most beautiful view in the world” then Mrs.
Ansley assented “It always will be, to me” this was just a simple line from Mrs.
Ansley but it gives different meanings, especially that the tone of the voice was
described in the story. It seems that Mrs. Ansley was pertaining to some other
kind of view, not just the view on the place they’re eating. Second, the phrase “A
full moon bright, they would remember”, the phrase suggests that something
unordinary might happen. The full moon has some relationship with the idea of
lunacy, or in the story, it was shown as the insanity of a person to the one he
loved. Mrs. Slade showed this in the story when she wrote a letter to Mrs. Ansley
and pretended to be her husband. Third, the phrase “Well, why not! We might do
worse. There’s no knowing, I suppose,….” This conveys that someone might do
something beyond what they’re thinking or what they’re capable of. Fourth, the
line of Mrs. Ansley saying “And perhaps, we didn’t know much more about each
other” suggests that even when we’ve known our friend for many years, it doesn’t
mean that we already know each other deeply. Sometimes, they’re the one who
betrays us. Fifth, when Barbara was described as someone who’s way different
from her parents. The sentence “Funny where she got it, with those two nullities
as parents” can mean that Barbara was not her father’s/mother’s real daughter.
Sixth, “I don’t care to at all. It’s so lovely here; and so full of old memories, as you
say.” This is a simple innuendo of what other things happened in that place.
 Seventh, “Lovers met there, who couldn’t meet elsewhere” portrayed to be the
place she’s pertaining was somewhere she met someone surreptitiously. Eight,
on the second to last sentence of the first part, it is stated there that “Mrs. Ansley
had always been rather sorry for her”. At first glance, I cannot decipher the
reason why Mrs. Ansley was feeling sorry for Mrs. Slade but that made me
thought of something that may come. When I’m done reading the selection, I fully
understand why she’s feeling sorry for her, it is because she was unaware that
there is an affair between her friend and her husband, Mrs. Slade knew nothing
about what had happened. Ninth, the phrase “The most prudent girls aren’t
always prudent”, According to Merriam Webster Dictionary- prudent means
having or showing careful good judgment. This suggests that someone can act
as good as they wanted; honesty, caring, and thoughtful but in reality, it can be
the complete opposite. This helped the reader understand that there will be a
twist on the latter part of the story, where someone who’s acting well will reveal
her true color as time pass by. Lastly, “Well, girls are ferocious, sometimes, you
know, girls in love especially” this line was intended for Mrs. Ansley’s mother who
has immediately arranged the marriage of her daughter after knowing that Mrs.
Slade was already married to a man they were both in love. People were doing
vicious things where they're in love.

4. Why is the Colosseum such an important element in the setting of Wharton’s story?
- Colosseum is a symbolic and important element in the story because when
people are talking about colosseum, in reality, it means the battlefield in ancient
times. A ruined place because of either battlefield or its hoariness. In the story,
the colosseum serves as a battlefield but not for war, it is the battle between Mrs.
Slade and Mrs. Ansley, they fought for the man they loved. They were using
words that describe their life full of lies, husbands, and daughters to condemn
each other. Every important detail in the whole story happened when they were
in the colosseum. Mrs. Ansley and Mrs. Slade fought their battle for love in the
colosseum. Its literal and figurative meaning served its purpose well.
5. Contrast the attitudes of the protagonists toward aging and widowhood.
- Mrs. Slade’s attitude towards widowhood is boring, dull, and less exciting. She
was used to living full of responsibilities to serve her husband. She’s doing
different things such as going to different places, traveling to international
gatherings to be with his husband who’s known for being a famous corporate
lawyer, preparing speeches, and serve his husband well. She misses her life with
her husband.