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Edith Wharton, "Roman Fever"

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"Roman Fever": Criticism

A good writer makes a work seem effortless, yet it is carefully constructed to lead the reader to a particular understanding of both the plot and the broader underlying meaning. In this story, the plot is easily understood, but the underlying meaning is more illusive. Read this short article on "Roman Fever as Metaphor." Roman fever can stand for several ideas in the story: physical disease, illicit sex, and betrayal. Using references from the text, explain each of these uses of the metaphor.

The Edith Wharton Society presents these excerpts about "Roman Fever" from three longer works of criticism. After you read the excerpts from one critical source, describe the new insights it gives you into the story.

Edith Wharton's Works

"Roman Fever"is a short story, but Edith Wharton is better known for her novels: The Age of Innocence (for which she won the Pulitzer Prize in 1920), The House of Mirth, and Ethan Frome, among others. Here is a link to all the downloadable full texts of her works. Read one and compare the idea of marriage, or hoped-for marriage, in it to the marriages of Mrs. Slade and Mrs. Ansley.

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