Similarly to Chekhov, Wharton wants us to consider that we may not really know people as well as we think we do. In “Roman Fever,” Mrs. Slade and Mrs. Ansley have known each other for many years and have been friends, but they realized that they don’t really know each other well. I think that their relationship had only been built on competition and commonalities. I think that because they didn’t know each other well, how they felt towards each other and the fact that they were both widows at the same time is what held their superficial friendship together. Mrs. Slade is jealous of Mrs. Ansley, and Mrs. Ansley pities Mrs. Slade. They obviously aren’t true friends and they only begin to realize it 25 years later.
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I agree with you when you describe how they have built up a superficial relationship. Although, I believe that relationships based on commonalities are useful in helping someone cope just as both of them have suffered great loss. But since they only had commonalities, when they needed to speak about other things, they realized that the friendship was no longer there