Alida Slade and Grace Ansley in “Roman Fever” by Edith Wharton are both upper class women with a secretive past toward one another. Though, these two women were close as teenagers, they seem to have nothing in common with each other, except one small thing. One might even say they may have been better off as enemies than friends. Firstly, there is a distinguished difference of appearance between Alida Slade and Grace Ansley in the story. They both were attractive in their younger years, but as they grew older their appearance changed. Alida Slade is the energetic and colorful one of the two, with a strong face and dark defining brows. While on the other hand, Grace Ansley is described as old fashioned, smaller, and the paler of the two women.
Secondly, the way that Alida Slade seems to see herself and Grace Ansley’s mental portrait of Alida is a complete difference. Alida had always regarded herself as her husband’s equal in social gifts. As the wife of the famous corporation lawyer brought its exciting and unexpected obligation. She notes that being the Slade’s widow was a dullish business. She felt as if she had to live up to her husband and now all she …show more content…
. Alida is a self-absorbed, yet vivid, respected woman. Alida is characterized as the superior one throughout the story, as she is the one who steps forward and takes charge in bringing up the night at the Colosseum. This trait only begins to change when Grace tells her that she did in fact meet with Delphin Slade that night in Rome at the Colosseum. Alida has a lot of jealousy built up inside of her and envy toward Grace and her daughter, Barbara Slade. Grace is described as “far less sure than her companion of herself and of her rights in the world.” Also, she seems to be the more passive one of the two. She is the shy one of the two, she only speaks when she feels it is necessary. She loved a man that she knew she could not ever