Thesis statement:

In "Roman Fever " by Edith Wharton, jealousy, deceifulness, and

blind love were the main reasons that made the bad relationship

between Mrs. Grace Ansley and Mrs. Alida Slade .

1. The first thing that we caused the bad relationship between the two main

characters was the everlasting jealousy.

1.1. In the relationship between two main characters, we can find easily Mrs

Slade’s jealousy for Mrs Ansley that, first of all, is about Mrs Ansley’s attraction.

(Nguyễn Thị Sao Mai)

1.2. Mrs. Slade was richer than Mrs. Ansley but she was always jealous with

Ansley’s life.

(Hứa Ngọc Ngà)

1.3. Mrs Sladehas always envied Barbara’s brilliance and vivaciousness.

(Hồ Thị Hải Yến)

1.4. Although Mrs. Slade got married to Delphin, she always felt jealous with

Delphin’s love for Mrs. Ansley.

(Nguyễn Thị Hương)

2. The deceitfulness was the second reason which caused the bad

relationship between Mrs. Grace Ansley and Mrs. Alida Slade.

2.1. The relationship between Mrs. Ansley and Mrs.Slade had established

over a long period of friendship but this is deceitful friendship.

(Nguyễn Thị Ninh)

1

2.2. After many years, the secret about a letter in the name of Delphin

written to Mrs Ansley was revealed to make the bad relationship between Mrs.

Grace Ansley and Mrs. Alida Slade become worse.

(Bùi Thị Thu)

2.3. Although knowing the truth that Delphin was her close friend’s fiance’,

Ansley still went to the Colosseum, slept him and had his baby.

(Lê Anh Thư)

2.4. Mrs. Grace Ansley got pregnant by Delphin but she get married to

Horace Ansley to cover her pregnant.

(Nguyễn Thị Nguyệt)

3. The blind love was one of the main reason which made the bad

relationship between Mrs. Ansley and Mrs. Slade

3.1. Ansley and Slade friendship was bad because of the blind love between

Ansley and Slade's most loved fiance  - Delphin.

(Phạm Nhuệ Giang)

3.2. The blind love was a reason which made Mrs. Slade wrote a fake letter

in the name of Grace Delphin to luring Mrs. Ansley to the Colosseum as she wanted

to have Mrs. Grace killed by the deathly cold there.

(Nguyễn Huyền Trang)

3.3. Blind love of Ms Alade and Ms Ansley is worse and worse from they

were young, after marriage, until the death of Delphin.

(Trương Thị Bích Trâm)

2

Nguyễn Thị Sao Mai

**********

1.1 Mrs Ansley had the characteristics that made her more attractive than

Mrs Slade:

1.1.1 Mrs Ansley was more beautiful than Mrs Slade

1.1.2 Mrs Ansley owned the sweetness that made her more attractive than

Mrs Slade

1.1.3 Mrs Slade was envious of Mrs Ansley’s quietness

1.1.4 Mrs Ansley had a strong personality in love

*********

1.1.1 Mrs Ansley was more beautiful than Mrs Slade:

In the relationship among women, it can be said that jealousy is usually exist. And

this was expressed in Roman Fever by Edith Wharton. First, Mrs Slade was jealous

of Mrs Ansley’s beauty. In other words, she envied Mrs Ansley because Mrs Ansley

was more beautiful. For women, beauty was very important and it also was what

made them become jealous. And in Roman Fever, it was not difficult for us to

recognise this through Mrs Slade’s jealous thought for her friend, Mrs Ansley: “ Mrs

Delphin Slade, for instance, would have told herself, or anyone who asked her that

Mrs Horace Ansley, twenty five years ago, had been exquisitely lovely- no, you

wouldn’t believe it, would you! though of course, still charming, distinguished…”

1.1.2 Mrs Ansley owned the sweetness that made her more attractive than

Mrs Slade:

Second, what made Mrs Slade extremely envied and terribly hated Mrs Ansley

was her sweetness that Mrs Slade did not have. For a woman, with beauty, what

made her more attractive in other people’s feeling was sweetness that drove people

around feel friendly and wanted to stay beside. About this characteristic, there were

3

not many details to support as well as the writer did not spend much on

describing,but through Mrs Ansley’s words, we could feel the exist of his in Mrs

Ansley. For example, when talking about her daughter, Babs, through a simple

sentence: “ Babs is an angel too”, we still feel the sweet and warm affection for her

daughter. Or via the sentence “ I never should have supposed you were senimental,

Alida” that she spoke to Mrs Slade we could find Mrs Ansley’s beautiful thought for

Mrs Slade. Although Mrs Ansley was not as intelligent and strong as Mrs Slade in

personality, she still made Mrs Slade always envious with her own attraction.

1.1.3 Mrs Slade was envious of Mrs Ansley’s quietness:

Third, the characteristic that made Mrs Slade feel jealous to her friend was Mrs

Ansley’s quietness. With beauty and sweetness, quietness made Mrs Ansley more

attractive than Mrs Slade.her quietness made people around feel easy and

comfortable when staying beside her. We could realise this through her words,

gesture, attitude and action. For example, tender words when talking with Mrs Slade,

moderate gestures in knitting and calm attitude as well as action when Mrs Slade tell

her the secret twenty-five years ago. Quietness is an exciting characteristic that made

Mrs Slade envious as well as readers feel more interested in Mrs Ansley.

1.1.4 Mrs Ansley had a strong personality in love:

Fourth, through the writer’s describe, we could imagine that Mrs Ansley was the

woman who had a slender and gentle beauty, yet behind this, there existed a strong

personality that was found in her love for Delphin Slade. Mrs Ansley was very

careful woman, especially about her health, but because of her love for Delphin

Slade, she went out home to come to the Colosseum, a very cold place, at a very cold

night. This could be very harmful to her life because, in the past, a poor girl caught

the fever and died when she went out to the Forum after sunset to gather a

nightblooming flower for her sister’s album. Mrs Ansley had heard already about the

story but she still went at that night. This characteristic made readers excited at Mrs

Ansley. ( 529 words)

4

Hứa Ngọc Ngà

********

1.2. Ms. Alida Slade was one of two main characters in “Roman Fever” by

Edith Wharton and she always had jealousy with Ms. Grace Ansley. That was

also a reason caused the bad relationship between two women in Wharton’s

story.

1.2.1. Characterization (Ms. Slade)

1.2.2. Although Ms. Slade could be richer than Ms. Ansley, but she always

followed up and shown contempt for Ms. Ansley’s life.

1.2.3. Mrs. Slade suffered from the deadly disease of jealously, a hardly

neglected in female avenger literature.

1.2.4. Their friendship was never close because of the rivalry between the two

main characters.

**********************

Ms. Alida Slade was one of two main characters in “Roman Fever” by Edith

Wharton and she always had jealousy with Ms. Grace Ansley. That was also a reason

caused the bad relationship between two women in Wharton’s story.

The first, Wharton portrayed a vigorous and strong woman “…higher in color, with

a small determined nose supported by vigorous black eyebrows, gave a good-

humored laugh…” Ms. Slade. And she was also a rich woman “two American ladies

of ripe”, her friend considered “I never should have supposed you were sentimental,

Alida”. She was a developing character in the sense that she changed as the reader

came to know more about her. At first, she appeared to be what she claimed to be: a

charming entertainer, a good hostess, and a vibrant person. Continuously, the wife of

a famous corporate lawyer, Ms. Slade found her married days filled with excitement

and adventure. “She had always regarded herself (with a certain conjugal pride) as

his equal in social gifts, as contributing her full share to the making of the

exceptional couple…”. She also was very intelligent in society “I’ll cure him of

5

wondering” said Mrs. Slade, stretching her hand toward a bag as discreetly opulent –

looking as Mrs. Anlsey’s”. She considered that money could solve difficult problems

in life.

The second, although she could be richer than Ms. Ansley, Ms. Slade always

followed up and shown contempt for Ms. Ansley’s life. “Mrs. Slade and Mrs. Ansley

had lived opposite each other actually as well as figuratively for years”. “…And of

all the moving, buyings, travels, anniversaries, illness – the tame chronicle of an

estimable pair. Little of it escaped Mrs. Slade”. Mrs. Slade thought Mrs. Ansley was

too quiet and boring, not fit for high society. Actually, Mrs. Slade was more

concerned about society than about anyone else.  In fact, the author writes that after

Mr. Slade passed away, “being the Slade's widow was a dullish business”.   It is as if

Mrs. Slade married him for the social benefits he gave her and not for love.  The

relationship between the two women is like a “frenemy”. They both dislike the other

but they act like polite friends.

The third, Mrs. Slade suffered from the deadly disease of jealously, a hardly

neglected in female avenger literature. She harbored an unending resentment for Mrs.

Ansley, her childhood friend, because of a romantic rivalry that occurred years prior.

When they had chance meet each other in Rome, she feigns friendship, all the while

knowing the terrible deed that she carried out against Mrs. Ansley years earlier. Yet

she feels her revenge-the falsifying of a love letter from her husband to Mrs. Ansley-

is incomplete until Mrs. Ansley understands it was she that wrote it. Only then will

Mrs. Ansley truly suffer, for, as Mrs. Slade put it, "all these years the woman had

been living on that letter".

We soon see that this tension has always existed between the supposedly intimate

friends, as they sit in silence, each reflecting on their view of the other. The rivalry

prompted Mrs. Ansley, near the end of the story, to disclose that Delphin Slade was

the father of her daughter, Barbara. Alida Slade attempted to murder her rival Grace

6

Ansley. However, it’s Grace who wins triumphs at the Coliseum. Their friendship

was never close because of the rivalry between the two main characters.

HỒ THỊ HẢI YẾN_11LT701239

***********

1.3 Another reason making the bad relationship between the two main

characters was envious of the daughters.

1.3.1 Mrs. Slade was envious of Barbara’s brilliance and vivaciousness.

1.3.2 Mrs. Slade envied Mrs. Ansley because Jenny was always inferior to

Barbara.

1.3.3 It was easy to find a spice of envy in Mrs.Slade’s tone about Barbara’s

beauty.

1.3.4 Mrs.Slade began to envy Mrs.Ansley for her daughter’s future.

**************************

Another reason making the bad relationship between the two main characters

was envious of the daughters . First of all, Mrs. Slade was envious of Barbara’s

brilliance and vivaciousness. Although Mrs.Slade and Mrs. Ansley were friends for

a long time, they had not been honest with each other in their friendship. Mrs.Slade

always envied Mrs.Ansley for her daughter. Barbara Ansley was the gifted daughter

of Mrs.Ansley, and she was also friend of Mrs.Slade’s daughter. In Mrs.Slade’s

opinion , Mrs. Ansley had led a staid, uneventful life, but Mrs.Ansley had a dynamic

daughter. This maked Mrs Slade have a envious feeling; for example, she thought

that “ Funny where she got it. With those two nullities as parents.” She said in

falsetto “ how two such exemplary characters as you and Horace had managed to

produce anything quite so dynamic.” Accordingly, Mrs.slade also envied Mrs.

Ansley because Jenny was inferior to Barbara. “ Mrs.Slade sometimes half-

7

enviously reflected; but Jenny, who was younger than her brilliant friend”. Mrs .

Slade thought Jenny was such a perfect daughter the she needed no excessive

mothering, so she could not expose herself when she and Barbara went together.

“But if Babs isn’t out to catch that young aviator- the one who’s a Marchese”, “Jenny

has no chance beside her”, “my poor Jenny as a foil.” On Mrs. Slade’s mind, Jenny

was like an angle while Barbara was so dynamic; in addition, Barbara also inherited

her mother’s good looks. She was active as well as beautiful. Her beauty

extinguished that of all others. Consequently, it was easy to find a spice of envy in

Mrs.Slade’s tone about Barbara’s beauty “ though certainly Babs, according to the

new standars at any rate, was more effective - had more edge, as they say.” It seemed

that she did not want to admit Barbara’s good looks. She said, adding that “ as they

say”. Mrs.Slade showed depression for Barbara was too brilliant, and Jenny would

not be able to get any chances. Barbara combined both vivaciousness and beauty. It

would be a heaven – sent opportunity to prove herself . Barbara had satisfied the

conditions for making a bright future. Therefore, Mrs.Slade began to envy Mrs.

Ansley for her daughter’s future. Barbara would help Mrs. Ansley live in peace

and happiness. Mrs. Slade thought about that with a touch of asperity.“ what was

there for her to worry about! She knew that Bads would almost certainly come back

engaged to the extremely eligible Campolieri.” Mrs.Slade thought Mrs. Ansley will

have a comfortable living that anyone had always wanted “ she’ll sell the New York

house, and settle down near them in Rome, and never be in their way… She’s much

too tactful. But she’ll have an excellent cook, and just the right people in for bridge

and cooktails. And a perfectly peaceful old age among her grandchildren.” Indeed,

would Mrs.Slade never cure herself of envying Mrs.Ansley! She had begun too long

ago.Their friendship was undercut by the deeper, hostile feelings they had for each

other, feeling that they hardly dare to admit. Mrs. Slade always wondered why

Barbara was so brilliant with those two nullities as parents, but she really didn’t

know who was her real father. Untill the end of this conversation, Mrs .Ansley

revealed to Mrs.Slade that Barbara was the daughter of Mrs.Slade’s late husband,

Delphin.

8

(532 words.)

Nguyễn Thị Hương

***********

1.4. Although Mrs. Slade got married to Delphin, she always felt jealous with

Delphin’s love for Mrs. Ansley.

1.4.1.

9

10

Nguyễn Thị Ninh – 10LT143

*************

2.1. The friendship between Mrs. Ansley and Mrs. Slade was a deceitful

friendship.

2.1.1. There were more and more that they have not told each other.

2.1.2. They had a label ready to attach to the other’s name.

2.1.3. They injured each other because of their personal interest.

********************

The relationship between Mrs. Ansley and Mrs.Slade have established over a

long period of friendship.They have practically grown up with together and they

think that they know pretty much everything about one another. But as the story

progresses, they realized that there is more and more that they have not told each

other.They have not met for a long time but when they met at Roman restaurant they

only looked at each other with a tinge of smiling embarrassment. They did not give a

greeting and then down on the outspread glories of the Palatine and the Forum with

the same expression of vague. Besides, Ansley have not told about the reason why

she married to Horace Ansley and Barbara and Jenney were half sisters with Slade.

Perhaps they did not know much more about each other.

They had been intimate since childhood but they had a label ready to attach to

the other’s name. Ansley never should have supposed Slade was sentimental. Slade,

for instance, would have told herself, or anyone who asked her, that Mrs.Ansley,

11

twenty – five years ago, had been exquisitely lovely – no, you would not believe it,

would you! Though, of course, still charming distinguished…Well, as a girl she had

been exquisite. Slade always wanted Barbara, Mrs. Ansley ’ s daughter, the girl who is

as pretty and charming as her mother used to be. And she is a brilliant and effective

girl with more edge. She was feeling funny where Bab got it, with those two nullities

as parents. When they lived opposite each other, all the movings, buyings, travels…

little of it escaped Mrs.Slade. She had grown bored and she begun to think: she

would rather live opposite a speakeasy for a change; at least one might see it raided

and it did the irreproachable no harm to laugh at them a little. Two ladies visualized

each other, each through the wrong end of her little telescope.

Ansley and Slade were intimate friends since childhood, but they turned out to

be love rivals. Moreover, their relationship is worse when the truth of the fake letter

is revealed. Although, Ansley knew Delphin was a Slade ’ s fiancé but she was in love

with Delphin and answered the letter and they spent a romantic night together. At the

result, she was pregnant with him. It is unfair to do this with a friend. Mrs. Slade has

lived with jealous, envy, hate and fear. She afraid of losing Delphin, she decided to

write a fake letter in the name of him to lure Ansley to the Colosseum as she wanted

to have her killed by the deathly cold there. Ironically, she herself gave them a gold

opportunity to date each other because of Grace’s reply. They injured each other

because of their personal interest.

12

Bùi Thị Thu

***********

2.2. After many years, the secret about a letter in the name of Delphin written to

Mrs Ansley was revealed to make the bad relationship between Mrs. Grace Ansley

and Mrs. Alida Slade become worse.

2.2.1. Both two women had deceifulness actions

Alida was deceiful Grace

Mrs. Ansley had a betrayal to Mrs. Slade

2.2.2. The letter from “Delphin” foretold its production of a future event

a friendship was increasingly worse

it was not only their friendship become worse but also their family could be

broken

2.2.3. The fake letter affected their lives in a very big way

Mrs Slade accidentally helped indirectly her husband to have adultery

Mrs Ansley had Barbara with Delphin

2.2.4. The results of Mrs. Slade's actions were fairly repaid by her friend Mrs.

Ansley and her husband.

Mrs.Ansley wanted to meet her husband so she replied the letter

Her husband went to meet Mrs.Ansley

2.2.5. Their friendship was be dying and couldn't be saved.

The truth of letter was revealed and its consequence

The two friends became enemies and deceived each other in many years

********************

13

The bad relationship between Mrs. Grace Ansley and Mrs. Alida Slade became

worse because both of them had deceifulness actions.Even in her youth, Alida was

jealous of Grace. The letter she forged from Delphin urging Grace to meet him at the

Coliseum was motivated solely by her insecurity about her relationship. Towards the

end, Mrs. Slade admited it was she who sent the letter. Mrs. Slade deceived Mrs.

Ansley thinking Delphin wanted to meet her. Mrs. Slade felt guilty that she ended

with Delphin as her husband and all Mrs. Ansley had was a fake letter until Mrs.

Ansley said “I had Barbara". This was Mrs. Ansley betrayal to Mrs. Slade. She kept

the truth of Barbara’s real father a secret for years, and when Mrs. Slade confessed

her deceit, Mrs. Ansley confessed her betrayal.

The letter from “Delphin” foretold its production of a future event. In this story,

a friendship that went wrong when Mrs. Slade had sent a fake letter to Mrs. Ansley

telling her it was written by Delphin, and that he wanted her to meet him at the

Colosseum after dark. Mrs. Slade wanted her to catch a bad pneumonia and pay for

her wrong of cheating. The whole plan turned around and bit her in the butt because

Mrs. Ansley had written a letter back to Delphin telling him she would be there.

Then Delphin went to meet her.That made the relationship be increasingly worse

when the truth of the letter was revealed after many years. It was not only their

friendship become worse but also their family could be broken. When the secret of

the fake letter was being revealed also when the actual face of two women and one

man were showed. They could confront with the risk of broken family because of

their deceifulness.

The fake letter affected their lives in a very big way. For years Mrs. Slade thought

her letter to the younger Mrs. Ansley lead to nothing permanent or life altering. It

was a fake note addressed to Mrs. Ansley from Mr. Slade. This small deception,

though seemingly ineffective, affected their lives in a very big way. Mrs Slade

14

accidentally helped indirectly her husband to have adultery. Mrs Ansley had Barbara

with Delphin.

The results of Mrs. Slade's actions were fairly repaid by her friend Mrs. Ansley

and her husband. Mrs.Ansley wanted to meet her husband so she replied the letter.

Her husband went to meet Mrs.Ansley. A letter sent by Mrs. Slade to Mrs. Ansley

resulted in the adultery of her husband. Moreover, Barbara, a daughter of Mrs.

Ansley, comes to be the daughter of Mrs. Slade’s husband. Mrs. Slade, who easily

made evil to others, did not think about possible consequences of her actions. Finally,

the results of her actions were fairly repaid by her friend Mrs. Ansley and her

husband.

Their friendship was be dying and couldn't be saved when the truth of letter was

revealed and its consequence.The two friends became enemies and deceived each

other in many years. They do not share sincere and honest relations. They are

haunted by deceifulness and jealousy to each others. The letter was also the reason

caused the bad relationship between Mrs. Grace Ansley and Mrs. Alida Slade

15

Lê Anh Thư

************

2.3. Ms. Grace Ansley and Ms. Alida Slade’s friendship became bad because of

Ansley’s deceitfulness in her sneaky relationship with Slade’s fiancé, Delphin.

2.3.1. Ansley was still in contact with, Delphin; though he was her best friend’s

fiance’.

2.3.2. Ansley went to the Colosseum to meet Delphin.

2.3.3. Ansley slept with Delphin.

2.3.4. Ansley had Delphin’s daughter, Barbara.

**************************

In the story ‘Roman Fever’ by Edith Wharton, Mrs. Grace Ansley’s deceitfulness

in her sneaky relationship with Mrs. Alida Slade’s fiance’, Delphin was one of the

reasons caused the bad relationship between these two women.

The first deceitfulness was that Mrs. Ansley was still in contact with Delphin,

though he was her best friend’s fiance’. Through this story, we all recognized Mrs.

Ansley and Slade were close friends and they were in love with the same man,

Delphin. However, he was Alida’s fiance’. Thus, Ansley still kept in touch with

Delphin was a deceitful action and the bad thing was Slade also knew about this.

Ms. Grace Ansley went to the Colosseum to meet Delphin was her second

deceitfulness. In fact, Alida Slade wrote a letter to Grace Ansley telling her to meet

Delphin in order to get rid of Grace by disappointing her with his absence. Alida’s

intention in this case was definitely bad, but Grace’s action once again was

16

unacceptable. Even though how much her love for Delphin was, she should not come

to the Colosseum for a romantic meeting. In addition, as a best friend of Alida, Grace

had to stop her sneaky actions and should not think about Delphin any longer.

Unfortunately, she did not do that.

Mrs. Ansley slept with Delphin was her third deceifulness. She betrayed Slade by

having sexual relationship with her fiance’. This led their relationship to become

worse and worse. In terms of moral concepts, I could not agree with her action. In

my view, even if they were not close friends, she should not do this. She ignored and

did not care whether the bad results might have from this action. What a good friend

like her! There were no excuses that I could make me think this action acceptable.

The last deceitfulness that I wanted to mention was Ansley’s secret ‘She had

Delphin’s daughter, Barbara’. Even Slade married to Delphin, Ansley had his

daughter and kept her secret twenty five years. Having not only slept with Delphin,

but also given birth to his daughter; this truth absolutely made their bad relationship

could not be improved. Ms. Ansley was totally a deceitful woman with her twenty-

five- year- secret. Her lie made many people including Ms. Alida Slade, Delphin, her

husband and even her daughter to become puppets and I wondered how she could

keep that for such a long time.

In conclusion, I wanted to emphasize again Ansley’s deceitfulness was one of the

main reasons which made her friendship with Slade become bad. There were many

lies hidden and most of them were by Ansley. For any reasons, if I were Alida Slade,

I did not want to make a friend with a person like her because her deceitfulness

caused their bad friendship.

Total: 463 words.

17

Nguyễn Thị Nguyệt

****************

2.4. Mrs. Grace Ansley got pregnant by Delphin but she got married to

Horace Ansley to cover her pregnant.

2.4.1. She wanted to hide from people her faults.

2.4.2. She was a victim of circumstances.

2.4.3. She did not want Delphin to meet the awkward situation in choosing

between Alida and her.

2.4.4. She did not to bring her parents into disrepute.

2.4.5. She did not want to offend Alida.

************************

Mrs. Grace Ansley got pregnant by Delphin but she got married to Horace Ansley

to cover her pregnant. In fact, after Mrs. Grace Ansley had received a letter from

Delphin Slade inviting her to meet him one night at the Colosseum, she had replied

to the letter and met him. She had a daughter with him after their love meeting, but

she has kept it a secret because of many reasons.

-The firstly, she wanted to hide from people her faults. She had been ill after

her late-night “sight-seeing” and she was “married to Horace Ansley two months

afterward”. People were rather surprised and did not know the reason - they

wondered at its being done so quickly. Even Alida though she knew the reason why

Grace was married to Horace Ansley so quickly: “I had an idea you did it out of

pique”. Therefore, she hidden from people her fault to avoid censure and biased

against her.

18

The second, she was a victim of circumstances. In the 19th and 20th century,

society did not accept pregnant women before marriage. Women‘s place in society

were limited such as: not working out, being dependent, nursing home, no job.etc.

They were dependent on their parents, husbands and children. She had known she

did not observe the law, so she has concealed her pregnant from everybody. If she

revealed about that she got pregnant by Delphin, she would be condemned to death.

-The third, she did not want Delphin to meet the awkward situation in

choosing between Alida and her. Although Grace knew Delphin was Alida's fiance,

she still loved Delphin and accepted to meet him. They spent a romantic night

together. After that, she was pregnant, so Babs was Delphin’s bastard. She knew she

was pregnant and “cared for that memory” but she did not talk with him about that

and ask him about marriage because of her love for him.

-The next reason, she did not to bring her parents into disrepute. As soon as

she could get out of bed, her mother rushed her off to Florence and married her.

Although she did not want, under the circumstances, she agreed to according to her

parents’ plan. Moreover, she did not want to be doubted of her pregnant by Delphin.

If everyone knew about that, they would dishonor her family and parents. Her

parents could not sit down under a stream of abuse.

- The finally, she did not want to offend Alida. They were intimate friends since

childhood, they both came from the same social class and had successful husbands,

but they turned out to be love rivals. Grace always felt half-guilty, whereas Alida had

lived with jealous, envy, hate and fear. To Alida, Grace always had something she

didn’t. She knew Alida has always been envious of her, so she only let it out at the

last minute when Alida wanted to humiliate her. Her reaction was understandable

because it was not revenge but self-defence. Moreover, their relationship was worse

when the truth of the fake letter and the fact “Barbara is her daughter with Delphin”

were revealed.

19

(517 words)

Phạm Nhuệ Giang

*****************

3.1. Ansley and Slade friendship was bad because of the blind love between

Ansley and Slade's most loved fiance  - Delphin.

3.1.1. The friendship between Mrs.Ansley and Mrs.Slade was good

because they shared the same family background and they were neighbors.

3.1.2. Ansley loved Delphin who was not only Slade's boyfriend but also

her fiancé.

3.1.3. The friendship was destroyed by the blind love.

3.1.4. The relationship once again turned bad and could not be recovered

when Barbara's real identity was revealed

***********************

The friendship between Mrs.Ansley and Mrs.Slade was good because they shared

the same family background and they were neighbors. They grew up in Manhattan,

New York and they were childhood friends. When they were young ladies, once they

visited Roma and later they both got married. They had the sympathy for each others

because both of them now were widows. They met each other again in Roma by

chance but now, they were only supporting characters in their daughters' story. The

similarity in their fate drew them back together.

The friendship was destroyed by the blind love.

Ansley loved Delphin who was not only Slade's boyfriend but also her fiancé.

Ansley was a gorgeous lady and Delphin was attracted  by her beauty, charm and

20

kindness. Delphin had fallen head over heal for Ansley. The Ansley's deed was

terribly wrong because it was a selfish love. She seduced her childhood friend's

husband. Moreover, Slade and Delphin would get married in few weeks.  Ansley's

act of replying the letter and having an affair with Delphin was a risk and wrong

action. She risked her health in the cold and Roman Fever as well as she was wrong

when she betrayed her friend- Slade. After that meeting, Ansley kept a secret for

herself that she had a baby as an outcome of her forbidden love.

The friendship was destroyed by the blind love. Standing in front of the romantic

of the ruin in Rome, Slade revealed the secret of the letter which was considered as a

success in her plan for separating Ansley and Delphin. In order to keep Delphin's

love, she did not mind to trick Ansley and she also said to her friend: "I horrify you".

It was a clear evidence to show that though everything happened in the past long

time ago as well as the friendship improved a bit, it could not settle the dispute

between the two. To Ansley, at first she tried to hide but later she cried and bursted

out. Her bursting out was because of the only letter that she had thought it was sent

from Delphin. Then, she revealed the secret meeting between her and Delphin in

Colloseum as well as she had replied that letter. Although Slade had been with

Delphin for 25 years, she was a lose one. Barbara was Delphin and Ansley's

daughter. The two women used the mistakes and tricks to fight each other. Finally,

the truth was revealed and both of them felt fully the jealous, the lie, the selfishness

and the betrayal.

The relationship once again turned bad and could not be recovered when

Barbara's real identity was revealed. From the beginning of the story we could see it

seemed that Slade always took over Ansley. However after the skeleton in the

cupboard was found, it helped Ansley won over Slade with a firm declaration "I had

Barbara”,she said, and began to move ahead of Mrs. Slade toward the stairway.

Before that event, Ansley had showed a "sorry" attitude toward Slade and which

really made Slade felt hurt, Ansley was a very strong competitor. Thus, they would

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never forgive each others. As a result, their friendship had no reason to keep

being. (526 words)

Full name: Nguyễn Huyền Trang

Code: 10LT219

*********************

3.2. The blind love was a reason which made Mrs.Slade wrote a fake letter in

the name of Delphin to lure Mrs.Ansley to the Colosseum as she wanted to

have her killed by the deathly cold there.

3.2.1. Mrs.Ansley has the passion of love.

3.2.2. Mrs.Alida was jealous and envious of Grace

3.2.3. Mrs.Slade and Mrs.Ansley have been rivals throughout their

longtime.

3.2.4. Mrs.Alida always has fear feeling.

*****************

Intense passion in the forms of love, fear, vengefulness, enmity, and jealousy

poisons the relationship between Alida Slade and Grace Ansley. Although she knew

he was engaged to her friend, she still went to meet him at the Colosseum at deathy

cold night. As the result, she got pregnant. In addition, she married to Mr.Horace

Ansley, she still remembered him and still treasured the memory even if it was ash.

“It was the only letter I ever had from him”. She kept the image of him through her

daughter, Barbara, Delphin’ bastard. Ironically, Mrs.Ansley emerges as the more

passionate of two women. Although she seems to be involved in more mundane

activities, such as knitting and playing bridge her revelation of the night that she

spent with Delphin at the Colosseum demonstrates that she was capable of hidden

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depths of passion. Living across the street from Delphin for twenty-five years and

raising his child suggest that she was capable of enduring love as well.

The tension continues to build between Alida and Grace, and Alida

became increasingly uncomfortable. It was obvious she still envies Grace and she

said that: “I hated you, hated you. I knew you were in love with Delphin – and I was

afraid; afraid of you, of your sweetness”. She wrote a fake letter in the name of

Delphin to lure Grace to the Colosseum and hoped Grace would catch cold and die

after that. For the next twenty-five years, Alida seethes with enmity for Grace while

pretending to be her friend. She also developed intense jealousy of Grace’s daughter,

Barbara, because of her obvious superiority to her own daughter, Jenny. She wonders

“how two such exemplary characters as you and Horace had managed to produce

anything quite so dynamic.”

Mrs Slade and Mrs Ansley have been rivals throughout their long

friendship. Sometimes this rivalry was expressed subtly, as when Mrs Ansley said

that the view upon the palatine ruins would always be the most beautiful view in the

world “to me” as if she alone was privy to the glories of Rome. Sometimes the rival

was expressed directly through the women’s thoughts. For example, Mrs Slade

compares herself directly to Mrs Ansley. She believes that her widowhood was more

difficult than Mrs Ansley’s widowhood, for she had led a full, active life as the wife

of an international corporate lawyer while Mrs Ansley and her husband were more of

“museum specimens of old New York or in even less kind terms, nullities. The cause

of this barely acknowledged rivalry became clear as the story develops.

Fearing for losing him, Alida decided to wrote a fake letter in the name

of him to lure Grace to the Colosseum as she wanted to have her killer by the deathly

cold. Unfortunately, she herself gave them a wonderful chance to date each other

because of Grace’s reply. At the end of the story, the truth of the fake letter was

revealed by Mrs.Slade, and Babs was Delphin’s bastard.

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Trương Thị Bích Trâm

****************

3.3. Blind love made the relationship between Mrs Slade and Mrs Ansley

were worse and worse from they were young, after they married, until Delphin

died and continued to their daughter grown up.

3.3.1. Blind love when they were young made the relationship between Mrs

Slade and Mrs Ansley was bad started.

3.3.2. Blind love when they were married made the relationship between

Mrs. Ansley and Mrs. Slade was bad.

3.3.3. Blind love when Mr Delphin died made the relationship between Mrs.

Ansley and Mrs. Slade was bad.

3.3.4. Blind love when their daughter grown up made the relationship

between Mrs. Ansley and Mrs. Slade was still bad.

Mrs. Ansley and Mrs. Slade had been relentless and unscrupulous, using

their bodies, their husbands, their daughters, and their lives of lies and

blindness as weapons to score on each other.

**************************

Blind love made the relationship between Mrs Slade and Mrs Ansley were worse

and worse from they were young, after they married, until Delphin died and

continued to their daughter grown up.

Fristly, Blind love when they were young made the relationship between Mrs

Slade and Mrs Ansley was bad started. Two main characters in the story Roman

Fever are Mrs Slade and Mrs Ansley who both loved the same man – Mr Delphin.

However, they did not show their love to partner. Mrs Ansley loved Mr Delphin but

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dare to say and Mr Delphin were not admitted that love. Mrs Ansley and Mr Delphin

had a secret meeting at Coliseum because of a letter of Mrs. Slade. Although, The

result was Mr Delphin married Mrs Slade without love.

Secondly, Blind love when they were married made the relationship between Mrs.

Ansley and Mrs. Slade was bad. Mrs. Ansley and Mrs. Slade are married to husbands

seemed very happy. Mrs. Slade and Mrs. Ansley had lived opposite each other—

actually as well as figuratively—for years. Although understanding her husband did

not love her, but Mrs. Slade still living together. Mrs. Slade did not have faith in his

fiancée. This was show that she was blind in love and do everything to be possessed

on regardless.

Nextly, Blind love when Mr Delphin died made the relationship between Mrs.

Ansley and Mrs. Slade was bad.A few years later their wedding, and not many

months apart, both ladies lost their husbands. Mrs. Slade had always regarded herself

as her husband equal in social gifts, as contributing her full share to the making of

the exceptional couple they were. She blind that Mr Delphin was only of her, not

realized that Mrs. Ansley not only slept with Delphin, but laso given birth to the

daughter.

After that, Blind love when their daughter grown up made the relationship

between Mrs. Ansley and Mrs. Slade was still bad. Now, each of Mrs. Ansley and

Mrs. Slade the modest appendage of a salient daughter. The similarity of their lot had

again drawn them together. Barbara was likely to become the fiancée of a promising

bachelor. She muses that : “Bads would almost certainly come back engaged to the

extremely eligible Campolieri.” Twenty-five years before, Alida herself was engaged

to a promising bachelor. This promises to be more blind love in the future.

The central action of the story takes place in the Colosseum, a place where

gladiators fought. Mrs. Ansley and Mrs. Slade had been relentless and unscrupulous,

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using their bodies, their husbands, their daughters, and their lives of lies and

blindness as weapons to score on each other.

(504 words)

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