Thesis statement:
In "Roman Fever " by Edith Wharton, jealousy, deceifulness, and blind love were the main reasons that made the bad relationship between rs! race #nsley and rs! #lida $lade ! %! The first first thin& that that we caused the bad bad relations relationship hip between between the two main main characters was the everlastin& jealousy! 1.1
. In the relationship between two main characters, we can find easily
Mrs Mrs Slad Slade’ e’ss jeal jealou ousy sy for for Mrs Mrs Ansle nsleyy that that,, firs firstt of all, all, is about about Mrs Mrs Ansle nsley’ y’ss attraction. (Nguyn !h" Sao Mai# 1.2
. Mrs. Slade Slade was richer than Mrs. Mrs. Ansley Ansley but she was always always jealous jealous
with Ansley’s life. ($%a Ng&c Ng'# . Mrs Sladehas always enied )arbara’s brilliance and iaciousness. ($* !h" $+i -n#
1.3
1.4
. Although Although Mrs. Slade Slade got married married to elphin, she always always felt jealous
with elphin’s loe for Mrs. Ansley. Ansley. (Nguyn !h" $/0ng# '! The deceitfu tfulness was the second reaso ason which caused the bad relationship between rs! race #nsley and rs! #lida $lade! 1.2. 1.2.
!he rela relattions ionshi hipp bet between ween Mrs Mrs.. Ans Ansle leyy and Mrs Mrs.S .Sllade ade had est estab abllishe ishedd
oer a long period of friendship but this is deceitful friendship. (Nguyn !h" Ninh# 1.1. After many years, the secret about a letter in the name of elphin writte writtenn to Mrs Ansley Ansley was reealed reealed to ma3e ma3e the bad relation relationshi shipp betwee betweenn Mrs. Mrs. 4race Ansley Ansley and Mrs. Alida Slade become worse. ()5i !h" !hu# 1.6. 1.6.
Alth Althou ough gh 3no 3nowi wing ng the the tru truth th that that elp elphi hinn was was her her clos closee frie friend nd’’s fia fianc nce’ e’,,
Ansley still went to the 7olosseum, slept him and had his baby. 1
(89 Anh !h/# 1.:.
Mrs. 4race An Ansley got pregnant by elphin but she get married to
$orace Ansley to coer her pregnant. (Nguyn !h" Nguy;t# (! The blind love was one of the the main reason which made the the bad relationship between rs! #nsley and rs! $lade 6.2. 6.2.
Ansl Ansley ey and and Sla Slade de frie friend ndsh ship ip was was bad bad beca becaus usee of of the the blin blindd lo loee bet betwe ween en
Ansley and Sladeh?m Nhu; 4iang# 6.1. 6.1.
!he bli blind nd lo loee was was a rea reaso sonn whi which ch mad madee Mrs. Mrs. Slad Sladee wro wrote te a fa3 fa3ee lett letter er
in the name of 4race elphin to luring Mrs. Ansley to the 7olosseum as she wanted to hae Mrs. 4race 3illed by the deathly cold there. (Nguyn $uy@n !rang# 6.6.
)lind lo loe of Ms Ms Al Alade ade and and Ms An Ansley is wo worse and and wors worsee from from th they
were young, after marriage, until the death of elphin. (!r/0ng !h" )ch !rBm#
)&uy*n Th+ $ao ai %!% rs #nsley had the characteristics that made her more attractive than rs $lade: %!%!% rs #nsley was more beautiful than rs $lade %!%!' rs #nsley #nsley owned owned the the sweetness sweetness that made made her more more attractive attractive than than rs $lade %!%!( rs rs $lade was envious of rs rs #nsley-s .uietness %!%!/ rs rs #nsley had a stron& personality personality in love %!%!% rs rs #nsley was more more beautiful than rs rs $lade: In the relationship among women, it can be said that jealousy is usually eCist. And this was eCpressed in Doman Eeer by Fdith Gharton. Eirst, Mrs Slade was jealous of Mrs Ansley’s beauty. In other words, she enied Mrs Ansley because Mrs Ansley 2
was more beautiful. Eor women, beauty was ery important and it also was what made them become jealous. And in Doman Eeer, it was not difficult for us to recognise this through Mrs Slade’s jealous thought for her friend, Mrs AnsleyH Mrs elphin Slade, for instance, would hae told herself, or anyone who as3ed her that Mrs $orace Ansley, twenty fie years ago, had been eCJuisitely loely= no, you wouldn’t beliee it, would youK though of course, still charming, distinguishedL %!%!' rs #nsley owned the sweetness that made her more attractive than rs $lade: Second, what made Mrs Slade eCtremely enied and terribly hated Mrs Ansley was her sweetness that Mrs Slade did not hae. Eor a woman, with beauty, what made her more attractie in other people’s feeling was sweetness that droe people around feel friendly and wanted to stay beside. About this characteristic, there were 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 eCist of his in Mrs Ansley. Eor eCample, when tal3ing about her daughter, )abs, through a simple sentenceH )abs is an angel too, we still feel the sweet and warm affection for her daughter. r ia the sentence I neer should hae supposed you were senimental, Alida that she spo3e 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 enious with her own attraction. %!%!( rs $lade was envious of rs #nsley-s .uietness: !hird, the characteristic that made Mrs Slade feel jealous to her friend was Mrs Ansley’s Juietness. Gith beauty and sweetness, Juietness made Mrs Ansley more attractie than Mrs Slade.her Juietness made people around feel easy and comfortable when staying beside her. Ge could realise this through her words, gesture, attitude and action. Eor eCample, tender words when tal3ing with Mrs Slade, moderate gestures in 3nitting and calm attitude as well as action when Mrs Slade tell her the secret twenty=fie years ago. Ouietness is an eCciting characteristic that made Mrs Slade enious as well as readers feel more interested in Mrs Ansley. 3
%!%!/ rs #nsley had a stron& personality in love: Eourth, 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 eCisted a strong personality that was found in her loe for elphin Slade. Mrs Ansley was ery careful woman, especially about her health, but because of her loe for elphin Slade, she went out home to come to the 7olosseum, a ery cold place, at a ery cold night. !his could be ery harmful to her life because, in the past, a poor girl caught the feer and died when she went out to the Eorum 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. !his characteristic made readers eCcited at Mrs Ansley. ( P1Q words#
01a )&2c )&3 %!'! s! #lida $lade was one of two main characters in 4Roman Fever5 by Edith Wharton and she always had jealousy with s! race #nsley! That was also a reason caused the bad relationship between two women in Wharton-s story! %!'!%! 6haracteri7ation 8s! $lade9 %!'!'! #lthou&h s! $lade could be richer than s! #nsley, but she always followed up and shown contempt for s! #nsley-s life! %!'!(! rs! $lade suffered from the deadly disease of jealously, a hardly ne&lected in female aven&er literature! %!'!/! Their friendship was never close because of the rivalry between the two main characters! RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR Ms. Alida Slade was one of two main characters in Doman Eeer by Fdith Gharton and she always had jealousy with Ms. 4race Ansley. !hat was also a reason caused the bad relationship between two women in Gharton’s story. !he first, Gharton portrayed a igorous and strong woman Lhigher in color, with a small determined nose supported by igorous blac3 eyebrows, gae a good= humored laughL Ms. Slade. And she was also a rich woman two American ladies of ripe, her friend considered I neer should hae supposed you were sentimental, 4
Alida. She was a deeloping character in the sense that she changed as the reader came to 3now more about her. At first, she appeared to be what she claimed to beH a charming entertainer, a good hostess, and a ibrant person. 7ontinuously, the wife of a famous corporate lawyer, Ms. Slade found her married days filled with eCcitement and adenture. She had always regarded herself (with a certain conjugal pride# as his eJual in social gifts, as contributing her full share to the ma3ing of the eCceptional coupleL. She also was ery intelligent in society I’ll cure him of wondering said Mrs. Slade, stretching her hand toward a bag as discreetly opulent loo3ing as Mrs. Anlsey’s. She considered that money could sole difficult problems in life. !he 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 lied opposite each other actually as well as figuratiely for years. LAnd of all the moing, buyings, traels, anniersaries, illness the tame chronicle of an estimable pair. 8ittle of it escaped Mrs. Slade. Mrs. Slade thought Mrs. Ansley was too Juiet 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
Mrs. Ansley truly suffer, for, as Mrs. Slade put it, Tall these years the woman had been liing on that letterT. Ge soon see that this tension has always eCisted between the supposedly intimate friends, as they sit in silence, each reflecting on their iew of the other. !he rialry prompted Mrs. Ansley, near the end of the story, to disclose that elphin Slade was the father of her daughter, )arbara. Alida Slade attempted to murder her rial 4race Ansley. $oweer, it’s 4race who wins triumphs at the 7oliseum. !heir friendship was neer close because of the rialry between the two main characters.
0 T0; 0)?%%@TAB%'(C 2.6 #nother reason maDin& the bad relationship between the two main characters was envious of the dau&hters! 2.6.2 rs! $lade was envious of arbara-s brilliance and vivaciousness! 2.6.1 rs! $lade envied rs! #nsley because enny was always inferior to arbara! 2.6.6 It was easy to find a spice of envy in rs!$lade-s tone about arbara-s beauty! 2.6.: rs!$lade be&an to envy rs!#nsley for her dau&hter-s future. RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR Another reason making the bad relationship between the two main characters was envious of the daughters. Eirst
of all, rs! $lade was envious of arbara-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 enied Mrs.Ansley for her daughter. )arbara 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, uneentful life, but Mrs.Ansley had a dynamic daughter. !his ma3ed Mrs Slade hae a enious feelingU for eCample, she thought that Eunny where she got it. Gith those two nullities as parents. She said in falsetto how two such eCemplary characters as you and $orace had managed to 6
produce anything Juite so dynamic. Accordingly, rs!slade also envied rs! #nsley because enny was inferior to arbara! Mrs.Slade sometimes half= eniously reflectedU but Venny, who was younger than her brilliant friend. Mrs . Slade thought Venny was such a perfect daughter the she needed no eCcessie mothering, so she could not eCpose herself when she and )arbara went together. )ut if )abs isn’t out to catch that young aiator= the one who’s a Marchese, Venny has no chance beside her, my poor Venny as a foil. n Mrs. Slade’s mind, Venny was li3e an angle while )arbara was so dynamicU in addition, )arbara also inherited her mother’s good loo3s. She was actie as well as beautiful. $er beauty eCtinguished that of all others. 7onseJuently, it was easy to find a spice of envy in rs!$lade-s tone about arbara-s beauty though certainly )abs, according to the new standars at any rate, was more effectie = had more edge, as they say. It seemed that she did not want to admit )arbara’s good loo3s. She said, adding that as they say. Mrs.Slade showed depression for )arbara was too brilliant, and Venny would not be able to get any chances. )arbara combined both iaciousness and beauty. It would be a heaen sent opportunity to proe herself . )arbara had satisfied the conditions for ma3ing a bright future. !herefore, rs!$lade be&an to envy rs! #nsley for her dau&hter-s future! )arbara would help Mrs. Ansley lie in peace and happiness. Mrs. Slade thought about that with a touch of asperity. what was there for her to worry aboutK She 3new that )ads would almost certainly come bac3 engaged to the eCtremely eligible 7ampolieri.
Mrs.Slade thought Mrs. Ansley will hae a
comfortable liing that anyone had always wanted she’ll sell the New or3 house, and settle down near them in Dome, and neer be in their wayL She’s much too tactful. )ut she’ll hae an eCcellent coo3, and just the right people in for bridge and coo3tails. And a perfectly peaceful old age among her grandchildren. Indeed, would Mrs.Slade neer cure herself of enying Mrs.AnsleyK She had begun too long ago.!heir 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 )arbara was so brilliant with those two nullities as parents, but she really didn’t 3now who was her real father. Wntill the end of this conersation, Mrs .Ansley 7
reealed to Mrs.Slade that )arbara was the daughter of Mrs.Slade’s late husband, elphin. (P61 words.#
)&uy*n Th+ 0GHn& 2.:. #lthou&h rs! $lade &ot married to elphin, she always felt jealous with elphin-s love for rs! #nsley!
%!/!%!
8
)&uy*n Th+ )inh J %B@T%/( '!%! The friendship between rs! #nsley and rs! $lade was a deceitful friendship! '!%!%! There were more and more that they have not told each other! '!%!'! They had a label ready to attach to the other-s name! '!%!(! They injured each other because of their personal interest! !he relationship between Mrs. Ansley and Mrs.Slade hae established oer a long period of friendship.!hey hae practically grown up with together and they thin3 that they 3now pretty much eerything about one another. )ut as the story progresses, they realiXed that there is more and more that they hae not told each other.!hey hae not met for a long time but when they met at Doman restaurant they only loo3ed at each other with a tinge of smiling embarrassment. !hey did not gie a greeting and then down on the outspread glories of the >alatine and the Eorum with 9
the same eCpression of ague. )esides, Ansley hae not told about the reason why she married to $orace Ansley and )arbara and Venney were half sisters with Slade. >erhaps they did not 3now much more about each other. !hey had been intimate since childhood but they had a label ready to attach to the other ’s name. Ansley neer should hae supposed Slade was sentimental. Slade, for instance, would hae told herself, or anyone who as3ed her, that Mrs.Ansley, twenty fie years ago, had been eCJuisitely loely no, you would not beliee it, would youK !hough, of course, still charming distinguishedLGell, as a girl she had been eCJuisite. Slade always wanted )arbara, Mrs. Ansley’ s daughter, the girl who is as pretty and charming as her mother used to be. And she is a brilliant and effectie girl with more edge. She was feeling funny where )ab got it, with those two nullities as parents. Ghen they lied opposite each other, all the moings, buyings, traelsL little of it escaped Mrs.Slade. She had grown bored and she begun to thin3H she would rather lie opposite a spea3easy for a changeU at least one might see it raided and it did the irreproachable no harm to laugh at them a little. !wo ladies isualiXed 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 loe rials. Moreoer, their relationship is worse when the truth of the fa3e letter ’ is reealed. Although, Ansley 3new elphin was a Slade s fiancY but she was in loe
with elphin 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 lied with jealous, eny, hate and fear. She afraid of losing elphin, she decided to write a fa3e letter in the name of him to lure Ansley to the 7olosseum as she wanted to hae her 3illed by the deathly cold there. Ironically, she herself gae them a gold opportunity to date each other because of 4race ’s reply. !hey injured each other because of their personal interest.
10
Ki Th+ 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.
oth two women had deceifulness actions Alida was deceiful 4race Mrs. Ansley had a betrayal to Mrs. Slade
2.2.1. • •
'!'!'! The letter from 4elphin5 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 • •
bro3en 2.2.3. • •
The faDe letter affected their lives in a very bi& way Mrs Slade accidentally helped indirectly her husband to hae adultery Mrs Ansley had )arbara with elphin
'!'!/! The results of rs! $ladeLs actions were fairly repaid by her friend rs! #nsley and her husband! Mrs.Ansley wanted to meet her husband so she replied the letter $er husband went to meet Mrs.Ansley 1.1.P. Their friendship was be dyin& and couldnLt be saved! !he truth of letter was reealed and its conseJuence !he two friends became enemies and deceied each other in many years • •
• •
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
The bad relationship between Mrs. Grace Ansley and Mrs. Alida Slade became worse because
both of them had deceifulness actions.Fen in her youth, Alida was 11
jealous of 4race. !he letter she forged from elphin urging 4race to meet him at the 7oliseum was motiated solely by her insecurity about her relationship. !owards the end, Mrs. Slade admited it was she who sent the letter. Mrs. Slade deceied Mrs. Ansley thin3ing elphin wanted to meet her. Mrs. Slade felt guilty that she ended with elphin as her husband and all Mrs. Ansley had was a fa3e letter until Mrs. Ansley said “I had Barbara". !his was Mrs. Ansley betrayal to Mrs. Slade. She 3ept the truth of )arbara’s real father a secret for years, and when Mrs. Slade confessed her deceit, Mrs. Ansley confessed her betrayal. !he letter from elphin foretold its production of a future eent. In this story, a friendship that went wrong when Mrs. Slade had sent a fa3e letter to Mrs. Ansley telling her it was written by elphin, and that he wanted her to meet him at the 7olosseum after dar3. Mrs. Slade wanted her to catch a bad pneumonia and pay for her wrong of cheating. !he whole plan turned around and bit her in the butt because Mrs. Ansley had written a letter bac3 to elphin telling him she would be there. !hen elphin went to meet her.!hat made the relationship be increasingly worse when the truth of the letter was reealed after many years. It was not only their friendship become worse but also their family could be bro3en. Ghen the secret of the fa3e letter was being reealed also when the actual face of two women and one man were showed. !hey could confront with the ris3 of bro3en family because of their deceifulness. !he fa3e letter affected their lies in a ery big way. Eor years Mrs. Slade thought her letter to the younger Mrs. Ansley lead to nothing permanent or life altering. It was a fa3e note addressed to Mrs. Ansley from Mr. Slade. !his small deception, though seemingly ineffectie, affected their lies in a ery big way. Mrs Slade accidentally helped indirectly her husband to hae adultery. Mrs Ansley had )arbara with elphin. !he results of Mrs. Slade
$er husband went to meet Mrs.Ansley. A letter sent by Mrs. Slade to Mrs. Ansley resulted in the adultery of her husband. Moreoer, )arbara, a daughter of Mrs. Ansley, comes to be the daughter of Mrs. Slade’s husband. Mrs. Slade, who easily made eil to others, did not thin3 about possible conseJuences of her actions. Einally, the results of her actions were fairly repaid by her friend Mrs. Ansley and her husband. !heir friendship was be dying and couldn
@M #nh ThG 1.6! s! race #nsley and s! #lida $lade-s friendship became bad because of #nsley-s deceitfulness in her sneaDy relationship with $lade-s fiancN, elphin! '!(!%! #nsley was still in contact with, elphinO thou&h he was her best friend-s fiance-! '!(!'! #nsley went to the 6olosseum to meet elphin! '!(!(! #nsley slept with elphin! '!(!/! #nsley had elphin-s dau&hter, arbara! 13
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR In the story ZDoman Eeer’ by Fdith Gharton, Mrs. 4race Ansley’s deceitfulness in her snea3y relationship with Mrs. Alida Slade’s fiance’, elphin was one of the reasons caused the bad relationship between these two women. !he first deceitfulness was that Mrs. Ansley was still in contact with elphin, though he was her best friend’s fiance’. !hrough this story, we all recogniXed Mrs. Ansley and Slade were close friends and they were in loe with the same man, elphin. $oweer, he was Alida’s fiance’. !hus, Ansley still 3ept in touch with elphin was a deceitful action and the bad thing was Slade also 3new about this. Ms. 4race Ansley went to the 7olosseum to meet elphin was her second deceitfulness. In fact, Alida Slade wrote a letter to 4race Ansley telling her to meet elphin in order to get rid of 4race by disappointing her with his absence. Alida’s intention in this case was definitely bad, but 4race’s action once again was unacceptable. Fen though how much her loe for elphin was, she should not come to the 7olosseum for a romantic meeting. In addition, as a best friend of Alida, 4race had to stop her snea3y actions and should not thin3 about elphin any longer. Wnfortunately, she did not do that. Mrs. Ansley slept with elphin was her third deceifulness. She betrayed Slade by haing seCual relationship with her fiance’. !his led their relationship to become worse and worse. In terms of moral concepts, I could not agree with her action. In my iew, een if they were not close friends, she should not do this. She ignored and did not care whether the bad results might hae from this action. Ghat a good friend li3e herK !here were no eCcuses that I could ma3e me thin3 this action acceptable. !he last deceitfulness that I wanted to mention was Ansley’s secret ZShe had elphin’s daughter, )arbara’. Fen Slade married to elphin, Ansley had his daughter and 3ept her secret twenty fie years. $aing not only slept with elphin, but also gien birth to his daughterU this truth absolutely made their bad relationship could not be improed. Ms. Ansley was totally a deceitful woman with her twenty= fie= year= secret. $er lie made many people including Ms. Alida Slade, elphin, her 14
husband and een her daughter to become puppets and I wondered how she could 3eep that for such a long time. In conclusion, I wanted to emphasiXe again Ansley’s deceitfulness was one of the main reasons which made her friendship with Slade become bad. !here were many lies hidden and most of them were by Ansley. Eor any reasons, if I were Alida Slade, I did not want to ma3e a friend with a person li3e her because her deceitfulness caused their bad friendship. !otalH :[6 words.
)&uy*n Th+ )&uyPt 1.:. rs! race #nsley &ot pre&nant by elphin but she &ot married to 0orace #nsley to cover her pre&nant! '!/!%! $he wanted to hide from people her faults! '!/!'! $he was a victim of circumstances! '!/!(! $he did not want elphin to meet the awDward situation in choosin& between #lida and her. '!/!/! $he did not to brin& her parents into disrepute! '!/!Q! $he did not want to offend #lida. RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR Mrs. 4race Ansley got pregnant by elphin but she got married to $orace Ansley to coer her pregnant. In fact, after Mrs. 4race Ansley had receied a letter from elphin Slade initing her to meet him one night at the 7olosseum, she had replied to the letter and met him. She had a daughter with him after their loe meeting, but she has 3ept it a secret because of many reasons. =!he firstly, she wanted to hide from people her faults! She had been ill after her late=night sight=seeing and she was married to $orace Ansley two months 15
afterward. >eople were rather surprised and did not 3now the reason = they wondered at its being done so Juic3ly. Fen Alida though she 3new the reason why 4race was married to $orace Ansley so Juic3lyH I had an idea you did it out of piJue. !herefore, she hidden from people her fault to aoid censure and biased against her. !he second, she was a victim of circumstances. In the 2Q th and 1\th century, society did not accept pregnant women before marriage. GomenZs place in society were limited such asH not wor3ing out, being dependent, nursing home, no job.etc. !hey were dependent on their parents, husbands and children. She had 3nown she did not obsere the law, so she has concealed her pregnant from eerybody. If she reealed about that she got pregnant by elphin, she would be condemned to death. =!he third, she did not want elphin to meet the awDward situation in choosin& between #lida and her. Although 4race 3new elphin was Alida
because it was not reenge but self=defence. Moreoer, their relationship was worse when the truth of the fa3e letter and the fact )arbara is her daughter with elphin were reealed. (P2] words#
hSm )huP ian& (!%! #nsley and $lade friendship was bad because of the blind love between #nsley and $ladeLs most loved fiance elphin! 6.2.2.
The friendship between rs!#nsley and rs!$lade was &ood
because they shared the same family bacD&round and they were nei&hbors! 6.2.1. #nsley loved elphin who was not only $ladeLs boyfriend but also her fiancN! 6.2.6. The friendship was destroyed by the blind love! 6.2.:. The relationship once a&ain turned bad and could not be recovered when arbaraLs real identity was revealed RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR !he friendship between Mrs.Ansley and Mrs.Slade was good because they shared the same family bac3ground and they were neighbors. !hey grew up in Manhattan, New or3 and they were childhood friends. Ghen they were young ladies, once they isited Doma and later they both got married. !hey had the sympathy for each others because both of them now were widows. !hey met each other again in Doma by chance but now, they were only supporting characters in their daughters< story. !he similarity in their fate drew them bac3 together. !he friendship was destroyed by the blind loe. Ansley loed elphin who was not only Slade
act of replying the letter and haing an affair with elphin was a ris3 and wrong action. She ris3ed her health in the cold and Doman Eeer as well as she was wrong when she betrayed her friend= Slade. After that meeting, Ansley 3ept a secret for herself that she had a baby as an outcome of her forbidden loe. !he friendship was destroyed by the blind loe. Standing in front of the romantic of the ruin in Dome, Slade reealed the secret of the letter which was considered as a success in her plan for separating Ansley and elphin. In order to 3eep elphin
Full name: )&uy*n 0uyUn Tran& 6ode: %B@T'%C 18
6.1. The blind love was a reason which made rs!$lade wrote a faDe letter in the name of elphin to lure rs!#nsley to the 6olosseum as she wanted to have her Dilled by the deathly cold there! 6.1.2.
rs!#nsley has the passion of love!
6.1.1.
rs!#lida was jealous and envious of race
6.1.6.
rs!$lade and rs!#nsley have been rivals throu&hout their
lon&time! 6.1.:.
rs!#lida always has fear feelin&! RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
Intense passion in the forms of loe, fear, engefulness, enmity, and jealousy poisons the relationship between Alida Slade and 4race Ansley. Although she 3new he was engaged to her friend, she still went to meet him at the 7olosseum at deathy cold night. As the result, she got pregnant. In addition, she married to Mr.$orace Ansley, she still remembered him and still treasured the memory een if it was ash. It was the only letter I eer had from him. She 3ept the image of him through her daughter, )arbara, elphin’ bastard. Ironically, Mrs.Ansley emerges as the more passionate of two women. Although she seems to be inoled in more mundane actiities, such as 3nitting and playing bridge her reelation of the night that she spent with elphin at the 7olosseum demonstrates that she was capable of hidden depths of passion. 8iing across the street from elphin for twenty=fie years and raising his child suggest that she was capable of enduring loe as well. !he tension continues to build between Alida and 4race, and Alida became increasingly uncomfortable. It was obious she still enies 4race and she said thatH I hated you, hated you. I 3new you were in loe with elphin and I was 19
afraidU afraid of you, of your sweetness. She wrote a fa3e letter in the name of elphin to lure 4race to the 7olosseum and hoped 4race would catch cold and die after that. Eor the neCt twenty=fie years, Alida seethes with enmity for 4race while pretending to be her friend. She also deeloped intense jealousy of 4race’s daughter, )arbara, because of her obious superiority to her own daughter, Venny. She wonders how two such eCemplary characters as you and $orace had managed to produce anything Juite so dynamic. Mrs Slade and Mrs Ansley hae been rials throughout their long friendship. Sometimes this rialry was eCpressed subtly, as when Mrs Ansley said that the iew upon the palatine ruins would always be the most beautiful iew in the world to me as if she alone was priy to the glories of Dome. Sometimes the rial was eCpressed directly through the women’s thoughts. Eor eCample, Mrs Slade compares herself directly to Mrs Ansley. She beliees that her widowhood was more difficult than Mrs Ansley’s widowhood, for she had led a full, actie life as the wife of an international corporate lawyer while Mrs Ansley and her husband were more of museum specimens of old New or3 or in een less 3ind terms, nullities. !he cause of this barely ac3nowledged rialry became clear as the story deelops. Eearing for losing him, Alida decided to wrote a fa3e letter in the name of him to lure 4race to the 7olosseum as she wanted to hae her 3iller by the deathly cold. Wnfortunately, she herself gae them a wonderful chance to date each other because of 4race’s reply. At the end of the story, the truth of the fa3e letter was reealed by Mrs.Slade, and )abs was elphin’s bastard.
TrGHn& Th+ Vch Trm
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(!(! lind love made the relationship between rs $lade and rs #nsley were worse and worse from they were youn&, after they married, until elphin died and continued to their dau&hter &rown up! 6.6.2! lind love when they were youn& made the relationship between rs $lade and rs #nsley was bad started! (!(!'! lind love when they were married made the relationship between rs! #nsley and rs! $lade was bad! (!(!(! lind love when r elphin died made the relationship between rs! #nsley and rs! $lade was bad! (!(!/! lind love when their dau&hter &rown up made the relationship between rs! #nsley and rs! $lade was still bad! rs! #nsley and rs! $lade had been relentless and unscrupulous, usin& their bodies, their husbands, their dau&hters, and their lives of lies and blindness as weapons to score on each other! RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR )lind loe made the relationship between Mrs Slade and Mrs Ansley were worse and worse from they were young, after they married, until elphin died and continued to their daughter grown up. Eristly, )lind loe when they were young made the relationship between Mrs Slade and Mrs Ansley was bad started. !wo main characters in the story Doman Eeer are Mrs Slade and Mrs Ansley who both loed the same man Mr elphin. $oweer, they did not show their loe to partner. Mrs Ansley loed Mr elphin but dare to say and Mr elphin were not admitted that loe. Mrs Ansley and Mr elphin had a secret meeting at 7oliseum because of a letter of Mrs. Slade. Although, !he result was Mr elphin married Mrs Slade without loe. Secondly, )lind loe 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 ery happy. Mrs. Slade and Mrs. Ansley had lied opposite each other^ actually as well as figuratiely^for years. Although understanding her husband did not loe her, but Mrs. Slade still liing together. Mrs. Slade did not hae faith in his
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fiancYe. !his was show that she was blind in loe and do eerything to be possessed on regardless. NeCtly, )lind loe when Mr elphin 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 eJual in social gifts, as contributing her full share to the ma3ing of the eCceptional couple they were. She blind that Mr elphin was only of her, not realiXed that Mrs. Ansley not only slept with elphin, but laso gien birth to the daughter. After that, )lind loe 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. !he similarity of their lot had again drawn them together. )arbara was li3ely to become the fiancYe of a promising bachelor. She muses that H )ads would almost certainly come bac3 engaged to the eCtremely eligible 7ampolieri. !wenty=fie years before, Alida herself was engaged to a promising bachelor. !his promises to be more blind loe in the future. !he central action of the story ta3es place in the 7olosseum, a place where gladiators fought. Mrs. Ansley and Mrs. Slade had been relentless and unscrupulous, using their bodies, their husbands, their daughters, and their lies of lies and blindness as weapons to score on each other. (P\: words#
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