1. Explain the significance of the color red.
The color red was used to point out the passion of the characters’ feelings. According to Bourn Creative, "Red is an intense color that is packed with emotion ranging from passionate, intense love to anger and violence.” This may explain the significance of the color red in relation to the story and its characters,notably Grace Ansley and Alida Slade.
Alida Slade’s immense emotions manifested best through her envy of Grace Ansley.She was “afraid of [Grace], of [her] quiet wats, [her] sweetness.” Once she found out that Grace was also in love with Delphin, “the story of [Grace’s] wicked aunt made such an impression on [her]”, she resolved to enact the same plan which was eliminating the competition.
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Explain the symbolism of knitting in the story.
Knitting in The Roman Fever symbolized what the characters thought was reality . According to Genius.com, Grace and Alida “…are actually unraveling the fabric of their lives, picking at the stitches of a shared past.” Grace was first seen knitting in the story, whereas Alida was not, as seen by her “beautifully cared-for hands”; this implies that Grace knew something that will eventually shatter Alida’s ‘perception’ of reality. Alida at that point had no idea that Barbara was actually Delphin’s and Grace’s daughter, and that she “helped” in a way.
However, even Alida had a few revelations. In the moments leading to Alida’s confession, Grace “lifted her knitting a little closer to her eyes”, as if inspecting the truth. When Alida revealed that she actually wrote the letter, Grace dropped her knitting in a “panic-stricken heap”, as she was shocked by Alida’s disclosure. She treasured the letter, as it was the only thing she “had” from Del. There was no mention of the knitting being picked up in the end, which may suggest that the truths, though hurtful, are better than the lies they told each other.
3. Explain the difference between the two main female characters Alida Slade and Mrs.