Literary Elements
Peter Scott
Ms. Wiggins
Honors English 10
1st Block
O3/09/11
“Literary Elements of Wharton’s ‘Roman Fever’”
Peter Scott Scott 1
03/09/11
Ms. Wiggins 1st Block
“Literary Elements of Wharton’s ‘Roman Fever’”
The short story, “Roman Fever” by Edith Wharton, reveals numerous popular literary elements. Some of the most prominent examples of literary elements are irony, symbolism, and foreshadowing. All three elements create the feel and atmosphere of the short story. They add illustration, mystery, and humor to the storyline.
The irony in “Roman Fever” begins when the two daughters refer to their mothers as “young things”. This is verbal irony because their two mothers were described as aged and matronly, so the daughters were obviously mocking their mothers (Petry 1). When Alida Slade reveals that she wrote the letter to Grace Ansley telling her to meet Delphin at the Colosseum instead of Delphin himself, it is situational irony because all along, Grace thought that Delphin had wrote her the letter and had believed it for twenty five years. All that time, Alida had the idea that she had tricked Grace, but when Grace informed her that Delphin had actually showed up at the Colosseum that night, it is situational irony again. When Alida tries to regain her superiority again, she says “I had him for twenty-five years. And you had nothing but that one letter that he didn't write.", which is situational irony because Grace then reveals that Delphin was Barbara’s actual father, which Alida did not expect. Another thing that made it ironic was that she realized that Delphin had fathered a child that she felt superior to her own (Phelan 1).
Scott 2
Wharton incorporated many symbols into “Roman Fever”. The one that sets the story off is the knitting, which at first seems like a minor element. In fact, it is the first matter to receive attention in the story, brought about by the daughters. They say to leave the
Ms. Wiggins
Honors English 10
1st Block
O3/09/11
“Literary Elements of Wharton’s ‘Roman Fever’”
Peter Scott Scott 1
03/09/11
Ms. Wiggins 1st Block
“Literary Elements of Wharton’s ‘Roman Fever’”
The short story, “Roman Fever” by Edith Wharton, reveals numerous popular literary elements. Some of the most prominent examples of literary elements are irony, symbolism, and foreshadowing. All three elements create the feel and atmosphere of the short story. They add illustration, mystery, and humor to the storyline.
The irony in “Roman Fever” begins when the two daughters refer to their mothers as “young things”. This is verbal irony because their two mothers were described as aged and matronly, so the daughters were obviously mocking their mothers (Petry 1). When Alida Slade reveals that she wrote the letter to Grace Ansley telling her to meet Delphin at the Colosseum instead of Delphin himself, it is situational irony because all along, Grace thought that Delphin had wrote her the letter and had believed it for twenty five years. All that time, Alida had the idea that she had tricked Grace, but when Grace informed her that Delphin had actually showed up at the Colosseum that night, it is situational irony again. When Alida tries to regain her superiority again, she says “I had him for twenty-five years. And you had nothing but that one letter that he didn't write.", which is situational irony because Grace then reveals that Delphin was Barbara’s actual father, which Alida did not expect. Another thing that made it ironic was that she realized that Delphin had fathered a child that she felt superior to her own (Phelan 1).
Scott 2
Wharton incorporated many symbols into “Roman Fever”. The one that sets the story off is the knitting, which at first seems like a minor element. In fact, it is the first matter to receive attention in the story, brought about by the daughters. They say to leave the
Cited: Studies in Short Fiction 24.2 (1987): 163. MAS Ultra - School Edition. EBSCO. Web. 22 Feb. 2011. "Explanation of: "Roman Fever" by Edith Wharton." LitFinder Contemporary Collection. Detroit: Gale, 2010 University Press, 2007. 95-108. Rpt. in Short Story Criticism. Ed. Jelena O. Krstovic. Vol. 120. Voeller, Carey R. "Roman Fever: Domesticity and Nationalism in Nineteenth-Century American Women 's Writing. " Legacy: A Journal of American Women Writers. 25.1 (Jan 2008): 170(2). Academic OneFile. Gale. Alabama Virtual Library Remote Access. 22 Feb Selina, Jamil S. "Wharton 's Roman Fever. " The Explicator. 65.2 (Wntr 2007): 99(3). Academic OneFile. Gale. Alabama Virtual Library Remote Access. 22 Feb