Roman Fever

- Short Story Analysis -

Miranda, Daniela - Ricci Pimenides, H. Luna

English Language II - 2016

 Biographical Sketch of The Author: Edith Wharton
“There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it”

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.

 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
 SETTING
Place: 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.
 Plot - Structure of the Story

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
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
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.

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.
 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.
 Characters

Main Characters: Secondary Characters:

● Alida Slade (Mrs Slade)
● Grace Ansley (Mrs Ansley)
● Barbara Ansley
● Jenny Slade
● Delphin Slade
● Horace Ansley
● Aunt Harriet and her sister
 Main Characters
Grace Ansley Alida Slade
● Middle aged rich american woman ● Middle aged rich american woman
● Widow of Horace Ansley ● Widow of Delphin Slade
● Mother of Barbara Ansley ● Mother of Jenny Slade
● Paler and thinner than Mrs Slade ● Fuller and darker in color than Grace

- Beautiful and passionate woman - Loud and outstanding.

capable of loving deeply. - Determined and cunning woman.
- Capable of betraying her best friend - Envious, jealous and resentful.
for the love of a man.
- Capable of lying to her loved ones and
keeping important secrets.
 Secondary Characters
Barbara Ansley Jenny Slade
Young - beautiful - vivacious - outgoing - Young - beautiful - probably shy - quiet -
successful with men - brilliant described by her mother as “an angel”

Horace Ansley Delphin Slade

Rich- described by Mrs Slade as “null” - Successful - rich - handsome - charming -
unaware - easily deceived unfaithful

Aunt Harriet and her sister

Harriet 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
(Malaria)
An infectious disease
Roman Fever: that causes chills and
Symbol of the
passionate secret
high fevers, among Roman Fever:
other symptoms. Symbol of the
relationship Eventually, it can kill secret strong
between Mrs. the patient. jealousy and
Ansley and
rivalry between
Delphin
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 ● Enlightenment of
● Frump strangers
● Out- maneuvered ● Clangour of bells
● Have more edge ● Wrath
● Nullities ● Wreckage of passion
● Speakeasy ● Nightblooming flower
● Dashing girl ● Wicked
● Deepened attention ● Scatter
● A puff of dust
★ Run Across ★ Find out
★ Keep up with ★ Cut off
★ Live up to ★ Look down on
★ Sum up ★ Wait around
★ Take up ★ Get away
★ Do away with PHRASAL VERBS: ★ Let in
★ Bring Back ★ Come along
★ Settle down ★ Keep out
★ Break off ★ Stand up
★ Break out ★ Rush off
★ Go on ★ 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 Kids have such silly
I was easily
reasons for doing
frightened because I The most prudent the most serious
was too happy. girls aren't things.
always prudent.

Well, girls are

ferocious sometimes, I was blind
you know. Girls in with rage.
love especially.