Passion and Betrayal in “Roman Fever” Essay

roman Fever is a very propelling story, were things arnt necessarily what they appear. The characters have both faces the onenesss they show each opposite and the ones evident to the reader through the narration. The setting, the title, and the dialogue either develop the plot. trickery and deceit argon sacrifice passim the whole story, and they greatly bugger off the plot. Wharton uses irony, an omniscient narrator, and symbolism to convey the theme of passion and how it can poisonous substance the mind, leading to destructive actions.The way the author chose to narrate the story is life-sustaining to how it is perceived. The story is in a third person omniscient train of view, which greatly develops the characterization of kindness and Alida. Various times throughout the story, one of the women says something to the another(prenominal) and laterward that narrator will reveal to the reader what she is actually thinking. This helps show the reader the hypocrisy and deception in their words. champion standard of this is when the women ar talking about roman fever and its dangers. In the middle of this, the narrator tells us that Alida thinks she must make one more perspiration not to hate her (Wharton 115). This exposes to the reader directly for the first time that in that location are some underlying issues and unfinished business between these characters that they are avoiding.Another factor that contri yetes 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 unceasingly evokes images of passion and romance. Within this setting, the climate and time changes directly parallel the stepwise changes in the womens relationship. This is especially evident when Alida first reveals that she wrote the earn that Grace had though she received from Delphin many years ago. by and by this information is brought to light, the deuce women stand for a minute staring at each other in the last golden light (117). The last few moments of sunshine are representative of thelast moments of politeness between these two women. After the clear heaven overhead was emptied of all its gold (118), all of the womens passionate secrets start spilling out. Grace divulges that she answered to the letter, and that Delphin came to meet her that night. This revelation entirely changes Alidas idea of her relationship with her late hubby.The ruins that are described, the forum and the Colosseum, in any case mirror what happened between these two women. These structures, once representatives of Romes magnificence, are now reduced to a great accumulated wreckage of passion and sheen (114). The same goes for the friendship between these women. Love and passion came between them, causation great betrayal on both sides. This has diminished their friendship until it is rightfully no longer there, replaced by lies and treachery. Right befor e Grace reveals her greatest secret, that Barbara was really Delphins daughter, she is looking away from Slade toward the dusky secret gage of the Coliseums (119). The secret mass of ruins is a direct description of their friendship, which was destroyed 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. some(prenominal) of the women are victims of roman fever in the sense that they both send packing 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 olive-sized baby to the Forum after sunset to gather a night blooming flowerbut she really sent her because they were in lo ve with the same man (115). The sister died. It is possible that Alida was inspired by this story to write the fateful 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 split of the story. This is apparent 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 expect of Barbara. Through the use of irony, symbols, and an all-knowing narrat or, Edith Wharton presents passion, betrayal, and deceit 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 rise as the passion that drove Grace and Alidas friendship to ruin. in time though they had known each other for a long time, these two ladies visualized 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 childishness (112) discover that they truly know nothing about the other at all.