Roman Fever

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. Ansley. The simple act of writing the letter to Grace that was suppose to be from Delphin was an indication of the fact that Alida was always jealous of Grace and wanted her to become ill so that she would not be around. The tone of the story is both vengeful and ...