Roman Fever analysis

There are two main characters in the story Roman Fever. They are middle aged American women vacationing in Italy with their daughters. Mrs. Slade and Mrs. Ansley are the weird characters in the story. They first talk about their daughters and then somehow the conversation turns to a memory that happened in Italy years ago. They talk about they both loved the same man, and talks of what they did in Rome with the man. They say something about a moonlight meeting at someplace in Rome, but they weren’t supposed to be out at night because people were afraid of catching the Roman fever. They live at an apartment as neighbors and Mrs. Slade was always jealous of Mrs. Ansley because of her husband. Mrs. Slade did something to Mrs. Ansley through her friends, but Mrs. Ansley never noticed what was going on. After that, their husbands died within months of each other. Mrs. Slade’s husband was a famous corporation lawyer and he always had something interesting going on with his clients and that kept her busy. Now Mrs. Slade is bored because all the excitement and social activity has stopped and her daughter takes care of her. Mrs. Slade considers Jenny an accident but I think it means an unplanned pregnancy. Mrs. Slade has always envied Mrs. Ansley about her daughter because Jenny is beautiful but not smart, while Barbara was both beautiful and smart. Mrs. Slade starts talking about meeting a man at the Coliseum because of a letter. Mrs. Slade confesses that she had written the letter to Mrs. Ansley that was supposed to be from Delphin Slade. Mrs. Slade starts taunting Mrs. Ansley by quoting the letter and Mrs. Ansley said that she had burned the letter. Mrs. Ansley was in love with Mrs. Slade’s husband that time and Mrs. Slade knew about it and was jealous of them so she wrote the letter. She saw Mrs. Ansley as a threat to their courtship. Mrs. Ansley confessed that Delphin did meet her at the Coliseum because she had written him a letter in response. Mrs. Slade mocks Mrs. Ansley because the only thing that she has from Delphin is the letter. Mrs. Ansley ends up confessing that Barbara’s father is Delphin. I think that both ladies were in love with the same man but they were friends. They let that problem come between their friendships, so every time they are together it is awkward.