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Lea L.

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English 6-11 Literary Criticism Roman Fever By:Edith Wharton

Dr.Francisca R. Reyes

Life of Author Edith Wharton was born on January 24, 1862.She was born to George Frederic Jones and Lucretia Stevens Rhinelander in New York City. She had two brothers, Frederic Rhinelander and Henry Edward. The saying "Keeping up with the Joneses" is said to refer to her father's family. She was also related to the Rensselaer family, the most prestigious of the old patroon families. She had a lifelong friendship with her Rhinelander niece, landscape architect Beatrix HYPERLINK Point in Bar

"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beatrix_Farrand"Farrand of Reef Harbor, Maine, and often traveled with Henry James in Europe.

In 1885, at 23, she married Edward (Teddy) Robbins Wharton, who was 12 years older. From a well-established Philadelphia family, he was a sportsman and gentleman of the same social class and shared her love of travel. At that time his depression manifested as a more serious disorder, after which they lived almost exclusively at The Mount, their estate designed by Edith Wharton. In 1908 her husband's mental state was determined to be incurable. She divorced him in 1913. Around the same time, Edith was overcome with the harsh criticisms leveled by the naturalist writers. Later in 1908 she began an affair with Morton Fullerton, a journalist for The Times, in whom she found an intellectual partner

In addition to novels, Wharton wrote at least 85 short stories. She was also a garden designer, interior designer, and taste-maker of her time. She wrote several design books, including her first published work, The Decoration of Houses of 1897, coauthored by Ogden Codman. Another is the generously illustrated Italian Villas and Their Gardens of 1904.She died of a stroke in 1937 at the domaine Le Pavillon Colombe, her 18th-century house on Rue de Montmorency in Saint-Brice-sous-Fort. RomanFever A Short Story by Edith Wharton (1862-1937) Settings The action takes place in the afternoon and evening on the terrace of a Roman restaurant with a view of the Forum, the Colosseum, and other sights. Although no scenes take place elsewhere, the narration refers to activities in Tarquinia, a small town about fifty miles northwest of Rome, and to events that took place years before in New York City. Characters Alida Slade: Middle-aged widow of Delphin Slade, a corporation lawyer. While she is dining in Rome with her old friend, Grace Ansley, the narrator reveals that she really despises Grace, who once was intimate with Delphin before he married Alida. Delphin Slade: Late husband of Alida. Grace Ansley: Middle-aged widow of well-to-do Horace Ansley. When Alida Slade reveals her long-simmering enmity for Grace, the latter counters with a shocking revelation.

Horace Ansley: Late husband of Grace. Barbara Ansley: Vivacious daughter of Grace Ansley. Alida Slade resents her because of her obvious superiority to her own daughter. The last sentence in the story reveals that Barbara is really the daughter of Delphin. Jenny Slade: Daughter of Alida Slade. She is beautiful but lacks the charisma and charm of Barbara Ansley. Headwaiter: Supervising waiter at the terrace restaurant overlooking the Roman Forum, the Colosseum, and other ancient ruins. After receiving a gratuity from Alida Slade, he invites Alida and Grace to remain at the restaurant to enjoy the view. Son of Alida Slade: Child who "inherited his father's gifts," according to Alida, but died while still a boy. Harriet: Deceased great-aunt of Grace. According to a story handed down, 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. Type of Work and Year of Publication Roman Fever" is a short story centering on the relationship of two women. The story has a surprise ending. It first appeared in Liberty magazine in 1934. Narration Wharton wrote the story in omniscient third-person point of view, enabling her to reveal the thoughts of the two main characters. Plotting The opening scene in which their daughters, Barbara and Jenny, run off to meet

young men triggers Mrs. Slades memories of her and Mrs. Ansleys romantic adventures in Rome twenty-five years before. Mrs. Slade recalls that Mrs. Ansley was more beautiful then than Barbara Ansley is now. However, she notes to herself that Barbara is more vivacious; she has edge. How could this be? After all, Mrs. Slade thinks, Barbara is the offspring of nullities. . . museum specimens of old New York. Her observation introduces the secret rancor she feels toward her companion and foreshadows ever so obliquely the ironic ending. Moreover, the reference to New York enables the author to shift the scenein Mrs. Slades mindto Manhattan, where they were neighbors in an upscale neighborhood. In turn, the thoughts of Manhattan call up memories of the womens lives there and the deaths of their husbands, Delphin Slade and Horace Ansley. .......Mrs. Slade then recalls the effect of her husbands death on her social life. And so the story goes, with one thought or one line of dialogue linking the plot to the next developmentuntil Mrs. Slade reveals her knowledge of Mrs. Ansleys nighttime visit to the Colosseum twenty-five years before to rendezvous with Mrs. Slades fianc, a revelation that leads Mrs. Ansley to reveal her own secrets about that night. .......Perhaps the one flaw in the plot is the contrived chance meeting of Alida Slade and Grace Ansley at the same restaurant of the same hotel in Rome. Climax .......The climax occurs when Mrs. Slade reveals what she knows about Mrs. Ansleys late-night excursion to the Colosseum twenty-five years before to rendezvous with Mrs. Slades fianc, Delphin. Some readers may regard the shocking denouement

(conclusion) of the storyrevealing that Mrs. Ansleys daughter is the child of Mrs. Slades late husband. What was Roman Fever? Roman fever refers to a particularly deadly strain of malaria that affected Rome, Italy, throughout various epochs in history; an epidemic of Roman fever during the fifth century AD may have contributed to the fall of the Roman empire. It was thought that Roman fever was contracted at night, and thus that it was dangerous to venture out, a belief that American authors Henry James and Edith Wharton employ in their stories "Daisy Miller" and "Roman Fever," respectively. Symbolic Meaning Roman Fever Symbolizes the passion that drives the plot .This passion manifests itself in the coliseum tryst between Grace Ansley and Delphin Slade and in Alida Slades long-suppressed enmity and jealousy of Graces daughter. Four Questions and Answers: 1.) What does the artist say? The author of this story tries to say that the two women Grace Ansley and Alida Slade have a secret on each other. In which those secrets will reveals the truth, that Mrs. Grace Ansleys daughter Barbara is the child of Mrs. Alida Slades late husband, Delphin Slade. 2.) How does she say it?

When Mrs. Alida Slade reveals her secret about the letter that she wrote, Mrs. Grace Ansley suddenly replied to Mrs. Slade that not only the letter from Delphin that I had for 25 years but also Barbara.Mrs. Grace Ansley used that conversation to tell the truth and to reveal also her secret about Barbara. 3.) How well does she say it? Mrs. Grace Ansley and Mrs. Alida Slade tell their thoughts unexpectedly and surprisingly .As they are childhood friends their relationship was filled with envy, betrayal, competition and they compare their lifelong battle for one man, Delphin. 4.) Is it worth saying? Yes, because theres nothing wrong in telling the truth. In the case of Mrs. Slade and Mrs. Ansley that was the good time to tell the truth in a long time ago.

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