The Aspern Papers

How does James represent gender in the novel, particularly in terms of the narrator’s view of the Misses Bordereau? How could gender studies and feminist theories be used to interpret the novella?

The novella includes numerous references to money, which the narrator finds upsetting, as it contravenes his abstract and idealized impression of Juliana. How does James represent transactional relationships in the novella? How does this relate to its key themes?

How would you describe the tone of the novella? How do representations of settings (both interior architectural spaces and the city of Venice) contribute to this tone?

First-person perspective means that the events of the narrative are presented through the narrator’s viewpoint. Is he a reliable or unreliable narrator? What textual evidence supports this?

How does James represent the theme of present reality versus past memory? What effect does it have on the tone of the novel?

How are Juliana and Tita different as characters, and how are they similar? What textual evidence supports this?

Jeffrey Aspern is characterized through the narrator’s imagined dialogue by the poet, and references to his reputation. Based on this textual evidence, what character traits could be attributed to Aspern himself?

How does James represent aging throughout the novella, particularly as it relates to women?