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2. Read part I of "Roman Fever," pp. 110-113.
(a) Attempt to summarize the plot this far. If someone before you has done so and has made an error, respectfully say what you think is correct.
IF someone has come up with a summary you agree with, go on to (b).
(b) Make an observation, and think about it for a bit. (Column two thinking.) Feel free to refer respectfully to what others have said.
In case it's not clear, I am asking here for one, not two, blog comments.
Do read the comments made previously.
Please check back in after a half hour or so, read what people have written in the meantime, and say "I have read."
Thank you.
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ReplyDeleteSummary of Roman Fever
ReplyDeleteThis story was set in Rome. In which two American women had run into eachother. The women ate at a restaurant that overlooked Palatine. They were in love with the views and wished to be there most of the night. They had known eachother since little girls, but hardly knew enough about eachother. We learn about the characters as they were growing older. They shared a similiar past. Both had husbands that had died. Through the rest of the story we see the women remembering eachother as they were in the past.
Katie Burch
ReplyDeleteI would also like to add that the two women are comparing themselves to young Italian aviators and thinking if they were like them when they were young. This thought gets the whole story directed towards thinking about their past and how little they know about each other.
My observation is that these women really do not know each other well, which seems odd because they have known each other for quite some time.
I agree that these women do not know much about one another, even though they have known each other since they were quite young. Where I disagree is that the women have similar paths to an extent. Mrs. Slade's husband became very wealthy and so the family moved away from the neighborhood. On the topic of money, it seems like Mrs. Ansley was not as well off. It also says that Mrs. Slade had lost a son as well as her husband, while Mrs. Ansley only lost a husband. So they are very similar in certain ways, however there paths have led them different directions.
ReplyDeleteI would agree with the previous statements made that these women do not know much about each other, which is directly supported by the line, "So these two ladies visualized each other, each through the wrong end of her little telescope." I would now like to pose this question: Are the descriptions of these women, (for example: Mrs. Ansley was not well off financially), the opinion of the author, or of the other woman?
ReplyDeleteUsing Mackenzie's example, I'd like to say this; Mrs. Slade may have been well off, more so than Mrs. Ansley, but also Mrs. Ansley may have been just financially secure by general standard - just not by Mrs. Slade's. This idea is a bit foggy, but I believe that all of the descriptions of these women in Part I are "through the wrong end of her little telescope".
i would have to agree with mackenzie on that observation. But i would also like to add that these women had daughters, which they compare themselves to when they were their age, or currently. Mrs. Ansely, compared to her daughter Barbara, is much prettier, but Barbara has more edge. For Mrs. Slade, she wants her daughter Jenny to fall in love, even if it's the wrong man. "For her to be watched, outmanoeuvred, rescued. And instead, it was Jenny who watched her mother, kept her out of draughts, made sure that she has taken her tonic.." Mrs. Slade was also more attractive than her daughter. These comparisons with their daughters make these two women more similar.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with these comments, but I do have one question. When Katie spoke of how the two women compared themselves to Italian aviators, wasn't it actually the women were wondering how their daughters compared to them? I assumed that was what they were speaking of because in reality their children aren't very similar to them. Also I think these women don't know much about each other because they didn't actually like each other. The only reason they knew each other was because they always seemed to find themselves in similar situations as well as living across the street from each other.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Trevor's comment, I think that these observations are done by the women not by the author and therefore are very subjective. When they are comparing each other to their daughters, it seems that both have a lesser view of the other's daughter then they do of each other. Each comparison is mainly based upon looks which goes to show how little the women truly know about each other's personalities, even if they have known each other for most of their lives.
ReplyDeleteDain Jung,
ReplyDeleteI agree with that they don't know each other, even though they were friends since their childhood. However, long time doesn't mean the trust/ care to rach other. Actually, i felt more jealousy rather than friendship in two women's relationship. I also agree with Mackenzie's idea of their past. i don't think they have a similar past. Mrs.Slade, who was the wife of famous corporation lawyer, has lived as a 'social upper class', but Mrs.Ansley hasn't. The difference between two women's life style can be found in their appearance portrayal, too. Author said that Mrs.Slade is 'the lady of the high color and energetic brows', but there is no specific portrayal about Mrs.Ansley. From this part, we can assume that Mrs.Slade has a better life than Mrs.Ansley's at least in financial part.
I agree with most all statements, and thank you all for your observations! From my reading, I gathered that these two women are sharing a very profound moment of reflection that is quite deep. Yet this is ironic because even though they both find themselves together in this situation, both women are not that close. There is little they know about each others souls, and I think this is conveyed in this deep moment they share.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Katie that the women dont know eachother as well as one would assume. Even though the women have been friends for many years, they dont necessarily know eachother well.
ReplyDeleteI have read!
ReplyDeleteI also agree with most of the statements above. I found it was interesting that this ladies are close friends but they are seeing that they don't know as much as they could about each other. It is really ironic because they share these important moments with each other but besides those moments they don't know as much about each other as they could. Also I found it interesting that the author does not discuss the details about Mrs. Ansley but does describe Mrs. Slade many times.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with most of the comments above. My observation is more about the style of writing for this story. The tone of the story is really an old style of text; the way it is written isn’t a style that a contemporary author would write.
ReplyDeleteI agree with most of the comments above. On a different note, when I read the few pages of the story I felt an overwhelming tone of wistfulness. The women always seem like they're wondering, and questioning, and remembering.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the majority of the observations. I feel that in general, this story is very realistic. It is not something that may happen on a daily basis but the characters in the story have feelings that we readers may or may have already experienced.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the comments above.It was an ironic to me also, that they don't know eachother.Even though they spent their childhood together. I also want to ask that why the author didn't describe details about Mrs.Ansley.
ReplyDeleteScott: The story was written in 1936, so the less-modern voice fits the setting and time period.
ReplyDeleteMany people have talked about how a lot of the descriptions are superficial, especially Mrs. Slade's thoughts. She focuses a lot on money. It's to be expected, though, as it is written in a time period where money was not abundant and Mrs. Slade had gone through a lot of grief in a short amount of time. It's logical that some emphasis would be put on money and what having it means.
Also, going with what Dain said about the jealousy-- I wouldn't say it was jealously, but definitely both women judged each other. They both picked out the flaws in one another and pondered on it, instead of thinking good things, even though both women acknowledged her friend had been much prettier (back in the day).
What I see is that although they are both having these contemplative, critical thoughts about the person across from them, it's all in a very negative light and therefore they do not share it. I think that it has been like this for a long time between them. They'll chat about their daughters and and the pretty Roman view, but when it comes to each woman's respective thoughts, they do not share and therefore have a narrow, negative view of each other.
I definately agree with most of these comments. I would also like to point out the light in which the author projects the lives of these two women, especially in the begining. Their dialogue makes them seem like two very dull upper class women, but as the story goes on the author slowly slips in tidbits of their lives,such as their husbands dieing,and things that they have gone through to make them more "interesting".
ReplyDeleteKatie Burch
ReplyDeleteI have read.
I have read.
ReplyDeleteGreg Cardi
I have read.
ReplyDeleteI have read.
ReplyDelete