Roman Fever

The story privileges Alida’s perspective and thus reflects her values and assumptions, although they are not always explicitly stated. From the story, what do you think matters most to her?

The reader learns little about the husbands—Delphin Slade and Horace Ansley—beyond the most basic facts. Why? What does Wharton accomplish by withholding details about them?

Shortly before the final portion of the conversation between Alida and Grace, the narrator introduces a brief digression that includes a “stout woman” with a tattered guidebook. Given the radical circumscription of the story’s scene, this woman’s presence is somewhat surprising. What does her presence add to “Roman Fever”?