Questions and Answers for Roman Fever
Roman Fever
What is the setting of the story "Roman Fever"? How does it help readers visualize the intense conflict between Slade...
It is ironic that Grace Ansley and Alida Spade return together to Rome, the scene of their surreptitious rivalry. Now, twenty-five years later, it is their daughters who seem to risk "Roman...
Roman Fever
Discuss the irony and the symbolic significance of the title "Roman Fever". What moral lesson, if any, can be taken...
Edith Wharton's title "Roman Fever" is symbolic of the passionate hatred and jealousy felt by Alida Slade, as well as the sexual passion experienced by Delphin Slade and Grace Ansley. The name for...
Roman Fever
What is the main conflict in "Roman Fever"?
The main conflict in the story is person versus person, or more specifically, woman versus woman. In the story, Mrs. Alida Slade and Mrs. Grace Ansley are rivals. In modern terms, we would call...
Roman Fever
What is the meaning of the comment about "the wrong end of [the] little telescope" (paragraph 24)? How is that...
Looking through the wrong end of the telescope reduces, rather than enlarges, an image. This phrase therefore means that each woman, Alida and Grace, is looking at the other in a way that...
Roman Fever
What are the literal and figurative meanings to the Roman fever in Edith Wharton’s short story, "Roman Fever"?
The double meaning of "Roman Fever" is that it refers literally to an feverish ailment to which one is susceptible in the cool air after sunset, and figuratively to a feverish battle for Delphin...
Roman Fever
How is Alida Slade characterized throughout "Roman Fever"?
Alida Slade is characterized throughout "Roman Fever" as a jealous and spiteful person who wants to assert her superiority over her friend. For no reason except to hurt her old friend, Grace...
Roman Fever
What is the significance of the letters in "Roman Fever"?
The letter is at the heart of the deception that Mrs. Slade believed she perpetrated on Mrs. Ansley many years earlier when they were both in love with Delphin Slade. One of these women married...
Roman Fever
How has the relationship between Mrs. Slade and Mrs. Ansley evolved in "Roman Fever"?
As "Roman Fever" opens, Mrs. Slade considers herself superior to her old friend—or frenemy—Grace Ansley. She thinks of Mrs. Ansley and her late husband as "two nullities." She condescendingly...
Roman Fever
Compare the description of Slade and Ansley in "Roman Fever".How does the contrast between these two characters...
Edith Wharton's "Roman Fever" describes the interaction between Mrs. Slade and Mrs. Ansley as they sit on a Roman terrace. Their conversation is intermingled with the women's (especially Mrs....
Roman Fever
Who is this narrator of "Roman Fever" by Edith Wharton?
Edith Wharton’s short story “Roman Fever” is written in a third person omniscient point of view. This means that the narrator, and by extension, the readers, can see and hear the characters’...
Roman Fever
What do Mrs. Slade and Mrs. Ansley have in common in "Roman Fever"?
Mrs. Shade and Mrs. Ansley share a similar social background. They're both part of the gilded upper-class world that Edith Wharton wrote about so often. More importantly, Alida and Grace are linked...
Roman Fever
In "Roman Fever," comment on the differences between the generations.
It is important to realise that both Alida Slade and Grace Ansley now have a very different social role than they did when they were young and single and travelling in Rome together before. Now...
Roman Fever
What is the climax of Roman Fever?
The climax of "Roman Fever" comes as the two matrons sit watching the Roman sunset, recalling events of their first visit to Rome so long ago, and both friends reveal truths that shock the other....
Roman Fever
In "Roman Fever," how was Rome different from one generation to the next?
The answer to this question can be found in the second section of this story, following the background we are given of these two women and their friendship. As they sit there watching the view...
Roman Fever
In "Roman Fever," is the colosseum a symbol, and if so, how is it important to the story
Certainly, the coliseum of Rome represents a well-developed society of ancient times, one against which the Gilded Age of America can be reflected as its notably named high society also placed its...
Roman Fever
What is the moral lesson of "Roman Fever"?
The moral lesson of "Roman Fever" is that often one misjudges a person who is close. In the exposition of Wharton's story, Mrs. Slade, with dramatic irony, remarks, "Grace Ansley was always...
Roman Fever
Discuss how dramatic irony plays out in "Roman Fever." What is the full story that neither Mrs. Slade nor Mrs. Ansley...
Dramatic irony occurs when the audience knows what characters in a work of literature do not. "Roman Fever" does not precisely show dramatic irony, as the audience learns surprising pieces of news...
Roman Fever
How does Alida Spade view her life while her husband is alive, and then afterwards in "Roman Fever" by Edith Wharton?
When Mrs. Slade was younger and her husband Delphin was still alive, every day was exciting; however, after her husband's death, she finds being Slade's widow a "dullish business." Mrs. Slade's...
Roman Fever
What are the first hints of submerged conflict between Mrs. Slade and Mrs. Ansley in part 1 of "Roman Fever"?
The discrepancy between what is spoken and what is privately thought represents the first hints of submerged conflict between the two women. Mrs. Slade unceremoniously thinks that Mrs. Ansley is...
Roman Fever
What is the tone of Edith Wharton's "Roman Fever"?
Wharton's story contains several tone shifts. 1. At the beginning of "Roman Fever," Wharton is reminiscent. She might even imagine herself as Mrs. Slade or Mrs. Ansley. The two women enjoy their...
Roman Fever
How did the relationship between Mrs. Slade and Mrs. Ansley change by the end of "Roman Fever"? And how did the last...
Mrs. Slade and Mrs. Ansley have never had a close relationship. They lived across the street from one another, but there has always been animosity between them, although unspoken, so in a way, the...
Roman Fever
Please help to address these questions about the character's behaviors. Q1) What purpose is served by the discussion...
There are some very in-depth questions there, a bit much to answer all in the space I am provided. Therefore, I will deal with Q2 - the development and revelation of animosity of Mrs. Slade...
Roman Fever
In "Roman Fever", is the friendship between Alida and Grace nurtured by a destructive passion?
"Roman Fever" reunites the traits that describe revenge literature at its very best. Using two women as main characters, Wharton effectively includes the basic elements of a love-hate relationship....
Roman Fever
Analyze Edith Wharton's handling of motivation in "Roman Fever." Describe what motivates the actions of Mrs. Slade...
Mrs. Slade has always been jealous of the beautiful and quietly composed Mrs. Ansley. She knew, when they were both young, that Mrs. Ansley, then single, was in love with her fiancé, Delphin. Now...
Roman Fever
By what characterizing devices does the author imply the superiority of Mrs. Slade?
In "Roman Fever," Edith Wharton expertly sets up the twist ending by spending a lot of time drawing such a sharp contrast in personality between Grace and Alida. Grace is presented to us as a...
Roman Fever
"Let us leave the young things to their knitting," Barbara says in "Roman Fever." What is the symbolic meaning of...
Along with symbolic meaning, the suggestion of Barbara Ansley that she and Jenny Slade "...leave the young things to their knitting" contains much irony. For, the knitting to which Mrs. Slade and...
Roman Fever
What is the importance of the setting (both present and historical) in "Roman Fever"? Just wondering what the setting...
A most significant setting to Wharton's story, Rome is a city of passions much different from upper society's Victorian New York. Far removed from their own society, in Rome the Ansley and Spade...
Roman Fever
In “Roman Fever,” which character does the author portray as more sympathetic, Mrs. Slade or Mrs. Ansley?
Judging by the manner in which Edith Wharton characterizes Mrs. Slade and Mrs. Ansley, it is safe to say that it is not too difficult for a female reader to identify with either of the two. For...
Roman Fever
In "Roman Fever," how does Edith Wharton criticize the double standard of Puritan morality in the American society?
In his essay, "'Roman Fever': A Mortal Malady," Lawrence Berkove writes, Wharton’s genius, it turns out, is moral as well as aesthetic; the story...is a powerful exemplum about the dangerous...
Roman Fever
Apply characteristics of naturalism to "Roman Fever" and give an example.
Naturalism as a literary movement moves away from the idea of a universe controlled by God in which people operate out of moral values. Instead, the genre depicts a mechanistic, Godless universe...
Roman Fever
Given past history in Wharton's "Roman Fever," should Jenny be wary of Barbara?
Jenny is quiet and refined. She is the daughter of dynamic and powerful Mrs. Slade. Mrs. Slade had always wanted a daughter who was "brilliant" but got one who was "an angel." Barbara is bright...
Roman Fever
What can be learnt from Wharton's "Roman Fever"?
There seem to be two main moral lessons that we can draw from this excellent and surprising tale. The first lies in the way in which Mrs. Slade completely underestimates her friend, Mrs. Ansley,...
Roman Fever
In Wharton's "Roman Fever," what is the relationship between Aunt Harriet's story and the story of Alida and Grace...
In her youth, Alida used Aunt Harriet's story as a rationale for her spiteful behavior. At present, she uses Aunt Harriet's story to put her past actions in a meaningful context for Grace. Alida...
Roman Fever
Both girls in "Roman Fever," have the same father, so what do the daughters' personalities infer about the...
It helps us to understand that Mrs. Slade's opinion of Mrs. Ansley is very off-center. Mrs. Slade is a very domineering woman who is used to getting her way because of her wealth, and she assumes,...
Roman Fever
What is a clear summary of Roman Fever?
The summary of Roman Fever is tricky, I find, because the women's names tend to swim together in my mind and their identities become blurred and confused. Having said this, the theme of Roman Fever...
Roman Fever
How does this setting exemplify some general characteristics of realism? "Roman Fever" by Edith Wharton
The relative presence or absence of literary “realism” in the setting of Edith Wharton’s short story “Roman Fever” is an intriguing issue. The Cambridge Companion to Literature in English, edited...
Roman Fever
What are styles used in "Roman Fever"? Wharton seems to write so many details that make me confused. I'm...
The story is written to both describe and inform. Wharton describes the Roman ruins and the areas in Italy where the families visit and stay beautifully. She also describes the characters of the...
Roman Fever
How does "Roman Fever" by E.Wharton portray marriages based not on love, respect or commitment, but one based on...
In one of her greater works of fiction, Edith Wharton portrays the class from which she herself came, the social elite of New York, to whom name and social status are all-important. Relationships...
Roman Fever
What does the Forum symbolize in Wharton's short story, "Roman Fever"?
In ancient Rome, the Forum was the center for rituals and civic and political events. Also, because there were citizens of all levels present for these events, the forum was the heartbeat of Roman...
Roman Fever
What is the resolution of "Roman Fever"?
One of the things I love about this story is that the resolution that Edith Wharton gives us seems not to represent a resolution at all in terms of the external conflict that Mrs. Ansley and Mrs....
Roman Fever
How does the meaning of the term "Roman Fever" change throughout this story?
Mrs. Slade and Mrs. Ansley have known each other for a long time. When they were young girls both competing for the attention of Delphin Slade, Mrs. Slade had hoped that Mrs. Ansley would catch...
Roman Fever
How has their relationship changed by the end?
At the start of Edith Wharton's "Roman Fever," the characters of Mrs. Slade and Mrs. Ansley are civil with each other but not especially warm. The two women knew each other as young girls and as...
Roman Fever
What is the significance of the title, "Roman Fever" and how does it relate to the characters?
"Roman Fever," by Edith Wharton is a story about two close Victorian friends who do not know each other. These women revisit Rome years after their first youthful visit; this time they have their...
Roman Fever
What details in Part 1 of Roman Fever bring out the differences in the personalities and the lives of Alida Slade and...
In a story reflective of Old New York's stifled Victorian society, Mrs. Ansley and Mrs. Slade are thrown into intimacy simply by their social class because they differ markedly in personalities and...
Roman Fever
Does "Roman Fever" side with Mrs. Slade or Mrs. Ansley or neither? Does the story seem to favor one women's behavior...
The author favors Mrs. Ansley over Mrs. Slade. Both women are equal socially, financially, but Mrs. Slade is bitter. Mrs. Ansley is sympathetic, genuine and sincere. When the discussion turns to...
Roman Fever
Irony in Roman Fever: Discuss how dramatic irony plays out in "Roman Fever"?
Dramatic irony is a literary device whereby the reader knows something that the characters do not. At the same time, we cannot know too much, as that would spoil the ending. So a skillful author...
Roman Fever
What kind of person is Delphin Slade in “Roman Fever” and what does his character tell us about Mrs. Ansley and Mrs....
Delphin Slade was clearly a very handsome, charismatic man. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been competing for the attention of not one, but two women at the same time. A wealthy, successful corporate...
Roman Fever
Discuss the inner conflicts of Grace Ansley in the story "Roman Fever" written by Edith Wharton.
A story reflective and yet contrary to the Old New York's stifled society, Mrs. Ansley and Mrs. Slade, rather than being truly friends, have been thrown into intimacy by their social class. They...
Roman Fever
What is Alida Slade's opinion of Grace? And on what is based on?
Alida Slade makes no secret of the fact that she looks down on Grace. She sees her as a little mouse of a woman, who lacks the toughness and assertiveness to get what she wants in life. According...
Roman Fever
Examine the figurative dimensions of the act of knitting and the Colosseum while commenting on the use of symbolism...
In this short story, Mrs. Ansley is the only one of the women who knits. Knitting symbolizes her self-possession. Mrs. Ansley is a woman content with her life and able to produce good work....
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