The story "Roman Fever" by Edith Wharton is about two wealthy American women who spent some time in Rome when they were girls. They take their own daughters to Rome. They wish to show their daughters where they use to spend time in Rome and to allow them maybe find husbands as they did when they were there in their youth. The story comes to a head when Mrs. Slade reveals that she wrote the note that lead Mrs. Ansley to go to the coliseum after dark to meet Mr. Slade prior to their wedding. The point of view of limited omniscience is the dominant element as the perspective of Mrs. Slade is important to understanding the central idea of the story. The author reveals the futility of seeking revenge and how it can rebound upon the seeker.
The character of Mrs. Slade supports the main element by giving the reader an insight into her feelings of vindictiveness and duplicity. The observations of Mrs. Slade of her friend shows how there is both a like and dislike of her friend Mrs. Ansley. This element gave the reader a definite like or dislike of the character by revealing her thoughts and feelings about her friend. An example of this is "Yes; Horace Ansley was - well, just the duplicate of his wife. Museum specimens- The constant dialogue between the two women and the revelation of Mrs. Slade's negative thoughts about her friend helps the reader understand her feelings.
The conflict in this story is within Mrs. Slade. She is constantly comparing things in her life to those in Mrs. Ansley's life. When they were girls Alida was jealous of her friend Grace. She goes from comparing their living arrangements in New York, to their employment, and finally to their daughters. She has always tried to stay one step ahead of her friend and resents the fact that the other's daughter is so much more than her own. In doing these comparisons the author reveals that Mrs. Slade thinks that her life since marrying has been so much better than the life of Mrs.