Expectant Mothers Both Edith's Wharton's "Roman Fever- (repr. in Thomas R. Arp, and Greg Johnson, Perrine's Literature: Structure, Sound and Sense, 8th ed. [Fort Worth: Harcourt, 2002] 427) and Frank O'Connor's "The ... . [Fort Worth: Harcourt, 2002] 342) display examples of situational irony. However, the manner in which the reader understands the stories' expectations is quite different. In "Roman Fever-, the reader assumes what will happen doesn't really happen. In "The Drunkard-, the reader expects the husband will be the one the story is written about, and a ... twist in the story causes...

• Word Count: 529
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... , most open of friends may learn they do not know everything about one another. Their friendship may mask feelings of resentment and jealously, as the case in the short story "Roman Fever" by Edith Wharton. While vacationing in Rome with their daughters, two recently widowed lifelong friends, Alida Slade and Grace Ansley, learn they do not know as much about one and ... first Grace will not take the bait Alida is trying to give her; she acts as if she is consumed by her knitting. Alida brings up the wives"-tale about Roman Fever with a hint of detestation in her voice she admits that aft...

• Word Count: 835
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School