This essay focuses on how Edith Wharton describes the complicated relationship between Grace Ansley and Alida Slade in the short story "Roman Fever" (1934). It deals especially with the theme of Mrs Slade's long-time suppressed negative feelings for her friend. The story takes place one late afternoon in Rome, where the two ladies meet after many years and remember the old times. From the beginning an innocent conversation gradually turns into revealing the truth about their relationship and the events that happened during their first visit in Italy. The essay tries to point out the motifs, which demonstrates that the 'friendship' of the protagonists could be more likely considered only an illusion.

             What well illustrates this superficial friendship is the period when the women were living opposite each other. Although Mrs Slade took an interest in Mrs Ansley's life, it was rather about a fear of not having everything better than her friend. The motif of feigning the honest relationship obviously supports the fact that the ladies do not feel a real affection to the other and the pretense is even more visible, when Alida Slade moves to a new house and expresses enthusiasm for no longer being the neighbor of Grace Ansley. The reason for them two spending so much time together seems to be unclear, but they certainly did not miss each other after splitting up. .

             As one of the strongest motifs, supporting the main theme of Mrs Slade's hate may be considered jealousy. Even though Alida Slade loves her daughter Jenny, she cannot help envying Grace Ansley's daughter Barbara, who behaves more dominantly and dynamically. It may be proved with Mrs Slade's words: 'I always wanted a brilliant daughter and never quite understood why I got an angel instead.'1 The fact, that Barbara does not bear a resemblance to her parents at all, makes Mrs Slade even more agitated. She regards Mrs Ansley a quite boring and old-fashioned woman, which might be proved by the knitting "kind of unexciting and outdated activity.