A Study on Desires and Deceits focusing on Edith Wharton’s Short Story “Xingu” and “Roman Fever”

This paper aims to study on desires and deceits in Edith Wharton's "Xingu" and "Roman Fever" through Jacques Lacan's theory. First of all, women members in "Xingu" create the gathering called 'Lunch Club', and met regularly and discuss the books that they read in advance: the books which they select themselves. The club plays an important role for the members to desire the men's world. Mrs. Roby creates the word 'xingu', so o이y she knows the meaning of the word. She also mentions a certain man to explain 'xingu'. Hereby, the members and even the invited writer are trapped into her deceit, and the situation is led by her. Later, they recognize that they were fooled by Mrs Roby, and they are furious. In the second story "Roman Fever", two middle aged women- good friends- meet by chance in Rome and look back on the past. An outset is a letter that one woman sent her friend to own her fiance completely. Along the way, their secrets and deceits which they have hidden are revealed. Their behaves bring boomerang effect to each other. According to Lacan, 'Object a' is nothing. Two stories indicate deceits based on desires bring ruin upon themselves. (Hannam University)