Irony In 'Roman Fever' By Edith Wharton

“Roman Fever” starts out as what one may think of being a tale between two dear, childhood friends. However, as the reader gets deeper into the heart of the story, this is clearly not the case. Looking within the pages, one can see how Wharton uses irony to tell her tale. The irony brings the story to life and makes it an exciting, passionate story of romance and revenge. Wharton uses irony as a way to draw the reader in, with twists and turns and flare that make the story unique and addicting. Imagine the story without irony; it would be a story about a love triangle that ended in a pregnancy and was a secret for many years until the two women talked. It seems very dry, and seems like every other love triangle story. Although, it is a typical love triangle/affair story, the irony makes it stand out and gives it humor. …show more content…
They use the term “friend” when describing one another, although Wharton soon shows these women are anything but friends. The term friend can be defined as: an individual who has some sort of attachment with feelings of special regard to another individual. When reading the first couple paragraphs one gets the illusion that these two women are friends with caring nature for one another. This illusion sets up the irony for the rest of the story and makes the irony bring the story to life. In the case of Wharton’s story, the word friend is more likely a synonym for an attachment of jealously. Reading “Roman Fever” for a second time, one is able to hear the coldness in the tone of the word “friend.” It can be compared to nails on a chalkboard, where the one using the term is trying to make the other uncomfortable and feel power over them. Wharton’s use of irony in the term “friend” allows the reader to see the dramatic depth in these two women’s relationship and feel how deep Mrs. Slade’s jealously for Mrs. Ansley