As Kelley notes, rather astutely, in her blog post, the central image of Roman Fever is a memento mori, or a reminder of human mortality. The memento mori asks us to consider whether we should live in the now, or whether we should take the long view, thinking more about what our actions mean in the grand scheme of things.
Identify three key pieces of action in the story--it might be something very important, like Mrs. Ansley's decision to have an affair with Mr. Slade, or something apparently uninportant--and note how the character(s) frame or evaluate their actions in terms of immediate or long-term concerns. Look closely at Wharton's text and try to figure out her attitude about this issue. Should we live in the moment, or is it better to pay more attention to our broader moral codes?
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