What Does Edith Wharton Symbolize In Roman Fever

Edith Wharton’s “Roman Fever” Edith Wharton is an author who represents herself in her short story “Roman Fever” by having a character that represents her and her beliefs. Edith Wharton was born in 1862 in New York City. Her parents were descendants from early American industrial families. Her writing career began at the early age of fifteen. Alida Slade in “Roman Fever” is the mirror image of Edith Wharton’s biography in many ways such as the appearance of a picture perfect life, marriage without true love for her husband, and a marriage that defines whom she is as a person. First, the appearance of a picture perfect life is shown in the short story that mirrors Edith Wharton’s life. Alida Slade in “Roman Fever” was in a typical love triangle. “Alida is very much in control of the situation, steadily steering the conversation to the matter of the love triangle” (Petry 164). Alida thought she won because she ended up marrying the man, Delphin Slade. Which gave her the appearance of a picture perfect life. When actually she did not completely win because what Grace told her. “‘I had Barbara,’ she said, and began to move ahead of Mrs. Slade” (Bowldy 38). Barbara’s father was Mrs.Slade’s husband. “As the wife of famous corporation lawyer…hurried dashes on legal business to London, Paris, Rome” (Mays 118). She had wealth …show more content…
Mrs. Slade states, “being the Slade’s widow was dullish… living up to such a husband all her faculties had been engaged” (Mays 118). She had lost her father then her son and the only way she could deal with it was through her husband Mr. Slade. In 1885, at the age of 23 Edith married Teddy Wharton. He was a banker. They moved to a favorite destination for the wealthy families (Belanger). Her marriage to him kept her in the upper class wealthy families. Since, her marriage kept her there it ended up defining who she was because of wealth from her