Passion and Betrayal in “Roman Fever” Essay

papistical Fever is a very dynamic humbug, were things argonnt necessarily what they break through. The characters have deuce faces the ones they show individu aloney other and the ones homely to the reader through the narration. The setting, the title, and the dialogue all develop the plot. Hypocrisy and deceit argon endue throughout the whole story, and they greatly drive the plot. Wharton uses irony, an omniscient narrator, and symbolism to convey the theme of angerateness and how it can poison the mind, leading to destructive actions.The way the author chose to narrate the story is vital to how it is perceived. The story is in a third person omniscient point of view, which greatly develops the characterization of thanksgiving and Alida. different times throughout the story, one of the women says whatsoeverthing to the other and afterwardsward that narrator will reveal to the reader what she is genuinely thinking. This helps show the reader the hypocrisy and deception in their words. One example of this is when the women argon talking to the highest degree roman fever and its dangers. In the midst of this, the narrator tells us that Alida thinks she must make one much effort not to hate her (Wharton 115). This exposes to the reader directly for the first time that there ar some underlying issues and unfinished business between these characters that they argon avoiding.Another factor that contributes to the progress of the plot are the numerous symbols that Wharton chose to employ. One of the most noticeable of these is the setting. Rome is a city that almost always evokes images of passion and romance. Within this setting, the climate and time changes directly parallel the gradual changes in the womens relationship. This is especially evident when Alida first reveals that she wrote the letter that Grace had though she received from Delphin many years ago. After this information is brought to light, the devil women stand for a minute staring at each other in the last flourishing light (117). The last few moments of sun are representative of thelast moments of politeness between these deuce women. After the clear heaven overhead was emptied of all its gold (118), all of the womens torrid secrets start spilling out. Grace divulges that she answered to the letter, and that Delphin came to meet her that night. This revelation completely changes Alidas idea of her relationship with her late husband.The ruins that are described, the forum and the Colosseum, also mirror what happened between these two women. These structures, once representatives of Romes magnificence, are right away reduced to a great accumulated wreckage of passion and splendor (114). The same goes for the friendship between these women. eff and passion came between them, causing great betrayal on both sides. This has diminished their friendship until it is in truth no longer there, replaced by lies and treachery. Right before Grace reveals her greatest secret, that Barbara was really Delphins female child, she is feel away from Slade toward the dusky secret mass of the Coliseums (119). The secret mass of ruins is a direct description of their friendship, which was finished because of jealousy and lies. Another important symbol in the sort story is the title. Roman Fever has a double meaning it was an outburst of malaria that plagued Rome in the past, but it also represents the feverish passion present in the womens story.It is a symbol for Alidas jealousy of Grace, and how it has simmered inside her for all of these years. Both of the women are victims of roman fever in the sense that they both fell into dangerous games of love, passion, and betrayal. This betrayal is also alluded to in the story about Aunt Harriet. The story goes that Aunt Harriet sent her little sister to the Forum after sunset to gather a night blooming flowerbut she really sent her because they were in love with the same man (115). The sister died. It is p ossible that Alida was inspired by this story to write the smutty letter to Grace. An element that greatly contributes to the overall tone of the story is irony. Many lines throughout the narrative all culminate to the final line of the story I had Barbara(119). Here, Grace is revealing that her daughter Barbara is also daughter of Alidas husband Delphin. This line alone exposes the irony in many other parts of the story. This is ostensible when Alida is thinking about Barbara Ansley. Babs had more edge.Funny where she got it, with those two nullities as parents (112). Irony is also present when Alida tells Grace that she was wondering how two such exemplary characters as youGrace and Horace had managed to produce anything quite so dynamic? (114). These lines are very ironic because the reader later learns that Horace Ansley had nothing to do with the birth of Barbara. Through the use of irony, symbols, and an omniscient narrator, Edith Wharton presents passion, betrayal, and dece it between two women. It is repeatedly conveyed in the story that things are not always what they appear on the surface, it takes a second look to realize the underlying sentiments that are occurring. This is present both in the infinite symbols in the story as well as the passion that drove Grace and Alidas friendship to ruin. Even though they had known each other for a long time, these two ladies visualised each other, each through the wrong end of her little telescope(113). Because of the destruction that their betrayals had caused when they were young women, these two people who had been intimate since childhood (112) discover that they truly know nothing about the other at all.