• Research Paper on:
    The Character of Alida Slade in 'Roman Fever' by Edith Wharton

    Number of Pages: 5

     

    Summary of the research paper:

    In five pages a synopsis of the short story is first provided before the character and what her role symbolizes are discussed with supporting text quotes. There is one source cited in the bibliography.

    Name of Research Paper File: D0_MBwharton.rtf

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    Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
    the success of a story, the characters or the plot itself. In the case of Edith Whartons, Roman Fever, a good case is made for the character making all the  difference between a boring travelogue, and an intense glimpse into the human psyche of the primary character, Alida Slade. Alida Slade is larger than life. She and her friend  Grace Ansley have determined to take their unmarried daughters on a continental tour, ostensibly to find their daughters something to marry. They are both widows. As the story opens, the  two older women are relaxing after a meal at a Roman restaurant. Their daughters are on an unchaperoned outing. The title of the short story collection, Roman Fever, is introduced  in this story as the two women are discussing the way in which they were raised in comparison to the liberal ways in which they are raising their own daughters.  However, it quickly becomes evident that Alida has asked Grace to come on the Continental tour for other reasons. She intends to confront her childhood friend about a matter  of betrayal. She tells Grace that she knew that Grace had feigned illness one night after a days sightseeing so many years before in order to slip out and meet  Delphin by the Forum for a clandestine meeting. This Delphin Slade happened to be engaged to Alida at the time. Alida says that she did it out of a sense  of humor, thinking that Grace would be waiting down there in the moonlight waiting for someone who would never come. However, this is not entirely true. In a purely selfish  fit of pique she is hoping that her friend will be exposed to the Roman Fever and will come down with something so that Alida and Delphin can be the 

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