Free Essays on Roman Fever

Friendship In Edith Wharton’s Roman Fever two wealthy American widows Alida Slade and Grace Ansley have taken their two marriageable daughters on a Continental tour. The older women linger at a restaurant with a view of the Forum while their daughters leave for an unchaperoned outing. The women talk of how carefully their mothers guarded them, and how their own mothers were in turn warned of Roman fever to keep them in at night. As the tale progressed in Rome Mrs. Slade finally, after all these years tells Mrs. Ansley that she was the one who sent her the note from Mr. Slade, asking her to meet him at the colloseum. Mrs. Slade was jealous and wanted to keep Mr. Slade at any cost, including letting Mrs. Ansley catch Roman Fever. At the end of the tale, Mrs. Slade realizes that her plan all those years ago failed, and that Mr. Slade and Mrs. Ansley did meet that night, but Mrs. Slade still felt she ultimately won the war, because she ended up with Mr. Slade in the end, and had him for 25 years, where as Mrs. Ansley only had him for that one night. Mrs. Ansley not only didn't have to wait at the colloseum, but she gave Mr. Slade what Mrs. Slade had thought she had given him, his first-born. In the end, if Mrs. Slade hadn't sent the original note to the young Mrs. Ansley, none of this would have turned out as it did, so in a way Mrs. Slade had no one to blame for the consequences but herself. After all, Grace does get Roman fever after going to the Colosseum at night but she also gets the type of daughter that Alida has always wanted. The final thought is that people are not what they seem to be. Alida and Grace have been friends for many years yet they know nothing about each other. They both know about Grace’s affair with Alida’s fiancà © but it takes twenty five years before they learn important details about the evening that change their lives- Grace finds out that Delphin did not write the letter that has been so import... Free Essays on Roman Fever Free Essays on Roman Fever Throughout human history, societies have always fabricated tales. These tales collectively known as urban myths scare people into avoiding certain activities or behaviors. In the short story â€Å"Roman Fever† by Edith Wharton, the main characters are â€Å"warned† about â€Å"Roman Fever† from their elders, and thus passed the idea of this fever to their kin in the hopes that they might heed the warning, and not give in to the â€Å"roman fever.† â€Å"Roman Fever† is recklessness it is freedom. This freedom is particularly present in the city of Rome, Italy. Here, their mothers told their daughter characters Jenny and Barbara that terrible things can happen, as soon as the sun goes down. Mrs. Ansley and Mrs. Slade adore the city of Rome, yet worry that their daughters will be corrupted by its dark charms come nightfall. They take themselves to be proper ladies, while they think sometimes there daughters are too but sometimes think otherwise. Their daughters go about the town, and their activities are completely unknown to their mothers. This mystery is part of â€Å"Roman Fever† as Mrs. Ansley and Mrs. Slade have never experienced a night in Rome without being met with misfortune or confusion. The city of Rome is also a place where mystery and betrayal took place for the women, as Mrs. Ansley had once tried to covet Mrs. Slade’s fiancee, a long time ago. Rome, for the ladies, reminds them of confusion it brings feelings they cannot truly make sense of. As the truth about Mrs. Slade’s than fiancee comes out, they women realize they have deep seeded resentment for each other. In Rome together, they see they do not really know one another. The only real thing the ladies have in common is there fear of â€Å"Roman Fever† â€Å"Roman Fever† according to Mrs. Ansley and Mrs. Slade was something that would make anyone ill in their own terms. The ladies believe this to be true and are sure it happens when one visits certain parts of the ci... Free Essays on Roman Fever Friendship In Edith Wharton’s Roman Fever two wealthy American widows Alida Slade and Grace Ansley have taken their two marriageable daughters on a Continental tour. The older women linger at a restaurant with a view of the Forum while their daughters leave for an unchaperoned outing. The women talk of how carefully their mothers guarded them, and how their own mothers were in turn warned of Roman fever to keep them in at night. As the tale progressed in Rome Mrs. Slade finally, after all these years tells Mrs. Ansley that she was the one who sent her the note from Mr. Slade, asking her to meet him at the colloseum. Mrs. Slade was jealous and wanted to keep Mr. Slade at any cost, including letting Mrs. Ansley catch Roman Fever. At the end of the tale, Mrs. Slade realizes that her plan all those years ago failed, and that Mr. Slade and Mrs. Ansley did meet that night, but Mrs. Slade still felt she ultimately won the war, because she ended up with Mr. Slade in the end, and had him for 25 years, where as Mrs. Ansley only had him for that one night. Mrs. Ansley not only didn't have to wait at the colloseum, but she gave Mr. Slade what Mrs. Slade had thought she had given him, his first-born. In the end, if Mrs. Slade hadn't sent the original note to the young Mrs. Ansley, none of this would have turned out as it did, so in a way Mrs. Slade had no one to blame for the consequences but herself. After all, Grace does get Roman fever after going to the Colosseum at night but she also gets the type of daughter that Alida has always wanted. The final thought is that people are not what they seem to be. Alida and Grace have been friends for many years yet they know nothing about each other. They both know about Grace’s affair with Alida’s fiancà © but it takes twenty five years before they learn important details about the evening that change their lives- Grace finds out that Delphin did not write the letter that has been so import...