Roman Fever
Edith Wharton
Roman Fever
Edith Wharton
The author
January 24, 1862 – August 11, 1937
A Pulitzer Prize-winning
American novelist, short story writer,
and designer.
Many of Wharton's novels are characterized by
a subtle use of dramatic irony. In addition to
writing several respected novels, Wharton
produced a wealth of short stories and is
particularly well regarded for her ghost stories.
Roman Fever
Edith Wharton
Major characters
The protagonists are Grace Ansley and Alida
Slade, two middle-aged American women who
are visiting Rome with their daughters, Barbara
Ansley and Jenny Slade. The elder women
grew up in Manhattan, New York, and were
friends from childhood. A youthful romantic
rivalry led Mrs. Slade to nurture feelings of
jealousy and hatred against Mrs. Ansley.
Roman Fever
Edith Wharton
Plot summary
In the opening pages of the story, the two
women compare their daughters and reflect on
each other's lives. Mrs. Slade reveals a secret
about a letter written to Mrs. Ansley on a visit to
Rome many years ago. Mrs. Ansley responds,
in the last sentence of the story, "I had
Barbara." This implies that Barbara is an
illegitimate child she had with Delphin.
Roman Fever
Edith Wharton
Setting
The setting of the story takes place in the
afternoon, in the city of Rome. Two wealthy
middle-aged widowed women are visiting Rome
with their two bachelorette daughters. The
exotic setting illustrates the power and class
from which the women hail, but the Old Rome
context, such as the Colosseum, insinuates
Roman Empire-style intrigue.
Roman Fever
Edith Wharton
Themes
Power struggle for those in the upper classes.
Betrayal and deception: The two chief
characters use subterfuge and machination in
order to improve their engagement prospects as
youths.
Grudges: And in their middle age, Mrs. Slade
and Mrs. Ansley introduce decades-old
surprises, unexpected in characters so similar
in proximity, age, and class.
Roman Fever
Edith Wharton
Representation of Female Relationships
Mrs. Ansley and Mrs. Slade have a bittersweet
relationship filled with envy, betrayal, and
competition. They compare their lifelong battle
for one man, Delphin Slade, and now quarrel
regarding who has the more impressive
daughter, both of whom, ironically, share the
same father.
Roman Fever
Edith Wharton
Further readings
Roman Fever (1993), Robert Ward's opera
at Duke University is based on this work.
Roman Fever (1996), Hungarian
composer Gyula Fekete's opera premiered
at Budapest's Merlin Theatre.
Daisy Miller (1878), novel by Henry James.