Edith Wharton’s Roman Fever is the story of two middle-aged women reflecting on their friendship. The story unfolds on a terrace of a Roman restaurant with a wonderful view of the city. Mrs. Slade and Mrs. Ansley reminisce on their experiences of Rome when they were their daughter’s ages. This story is a very telling story of how people can think they know someone, but find out later on that they never really knew them at all. Mrs. Slade, professes herself as a friend to Mrs. Ansley, but in reality has, pitied, envied and coveted her for years. In doing this she has shown herself to be a self-serving, backstabbing, snob.
Mrs. Slade emphasizes her pity for her friend when she thinks to herself of “ Yes; Horace Ansley was—well just the duplicate of his wife. Museum specimens of Old New York.” She felt that her friend was boring. She grew tired of living across from her, with the only excitement being the renewal of the drawing-room curtains. But yet she also envied her friend, her daughter. She felt that Mrs. Ansleys’s daughter was more vivid then her own. She felt that Babs had more of an edge and was more effective then her daughter. Her daughter was the responsible one, always looking after he mother instead of going off in search of adventure.
Mrs. Slade a very self-serving person, if something did not benefit her then it was of no use. She enjoyed being the center of attention. She enjoyed the impromptu entertaining and the travel. She loved hearing people say “What, that handsome woman with the good clothes and eyes is Mrs. Slade—was the Slade’s wife? Really? Generally the wives of celebrities are such frumps.” This is how she wanted to live, she was delighted when her husband made it big and moved them away from the Ansleys. To Mrs. Slade, this move just showed how much better she was than them.
The Essay on Contrasting Friendship Mrs Slade
... two characters, Mrs. Ansley and Mrs. Slade, in the short story "Roman Fever." These two women who are supposed to be friends, led envious ... course, still charming, distinguished... far more beautiful than her daughter. Horace Ansley was just the duplicate of his wife. Museum ... as she thinks. Mrs. Slade had been an extremely dashing girl; much Jesuit 2 more so than her daughter who was pretty, ...
Both ladies lost their husbands around the same time. While the appropriate condolences were made, Mrs. Slade still felt superior to her friend. She felt that the situation affected her more then it did Mrs. Ansley. It was a major change for her and hard to except that fact that she was now the Slade’s widow. She no longer had all of important tasks to carry out as a famous person’s wife. Even though she thinks, “There is nothing left but to mother her daughter”, she is still thinking of no one but herself. Why should she have such a sensible daughter, when her boring friend had the exciting one? She wishes her daughter “would fall in love—with the wrong man even”, at least then she would be a little more exciting.
This story is a wonderful rendering of how you never know people as well as you think you do. While posing as a friend Mrs. Slade has lied to and kept secrets from Mrs. Ansley over the years. In fact the friendship really starts out with the biggest lie. Mrs. Slade feels that Mrs. Ansley wants her fiancé so she sets up a “meeting” between the two. Mrs. Slade thinks it a good “joke” and has kept it a secret for years. She thought it a good way to teach her friend a lesson and keep her fiancé for herself. By being envious and setting up a pretend meeting, she actually hurt herself. Her fiancé and her friend did meet that night. As a result the daughter of her friend that she covets so much, was actually conceived with her husband. The irony is, if you are not so busy worrying about yourself, you can actually see and understand the feelings of others.
