Manipulation in "the Aspern Papers"

Peter Vigneau

American Values

Paper #2        Manipulation in "The Aspern Papers"

12/8/16

 There are very few people in this world that would choose to put others before themselves. When it comes to the beneficial factor of one's well being, people are more likely to be in favor of themselves. In "The Aspern Papers" by Henry James the narrator of the story seems to be doing just that. The nameless narrator of this novella takes lying and manipulation to another spectrum just to get what he has came for. He has come to a old palace in Venice in search of letters of the late Jeffrey Aspern. In the palace resides the ex-lover of Aspern, Juliana bordereau and her niece Miss Tina.

Manipulation is the narrator's first instinct once he arrives in an act of disguise.The narrator conceals his true identity from the reader as well as Juliana and Miss Tina, He doesn’t get into any characteristics of himself. His character is defined by his actions and judgments are then just his own image of the events which played out. The narrator with his false identity deceives the two women in order to achieve his goal of attaining the Aspern papers. He heads into the palace already having devised his plan, even making up a card with a fake name he has picked for himself.

He is fully prepared to act the part for the Bordereau women, even without having any type of background on them. This deception is something he brings up from the start when he describes his plan to his friend, Mrs. Prest: “I can arrive at my spoils only by putting her off her guard, and I can put her off her guard only by ingratiating diplomatic practices. Hypocrisy, duplicity are my only chance. I am sorry for it, but there’s no business I wouldn’t commit for Jeffrey Aspern’s sake.” (James 26) In this quote the narrator blatantly states that his only chance to get the papers is to go against his morals and deceive Juliana. At the end of the quote he also says that there is not much he wouldn’t do which shows determination to get the papers.

Another form of manipulation coincide between the narrator and Juliana in a collaborative performance. They hide their true intentions from one another to ultimately try and obtain something from each other. The narrator lies to the two woman to gain information about the papers. The narrator has a type of an obsession with Jeffrey Aspern and the life that he led. Throughout the story however he acts as if he has never heard of Aspern.

Juliana on the other hand refuses to give any information pertaining to the Aspern papers. Her main goal is to spark a relationship between the narrator and her niece. Also she tries to extract as much money as possible for the narrator's tenure at the palace. It isn't very noticeable in the beginning whether Juliana has knowledge of the narrator's intentions or if she even has the papers he is looking for.

There is a psychological conflict with the narrator that pulls back and forth with his morals and the reality of his obsession.  This quarrel is the determining factor on how far he is willing to take his manipulation to achieve his goal. He either needs to put aside his moral dilemma and go for it or fold and push aside his obsession and give up on his goal.

The naive Miss Tina seems to fancy the narrator and is the only one that really trusts him where Juliana starts to see right through him. The narrator has no affection towards her, he doesn’t find her very attractive. Although he thinks if he were to marry her that he could somehow come in contact with the aspern papers. He starts to come to a realization that it will be more difficult to get them straight from Juliana so he starts accepting other possibilities. He leads Miss Tina on with no real intention of commitment.

At first the narrator was somewhat delighted with the old lover but further into the story he doesn’t understand how Jeffrey Aspern could have ever loved the old shrew. He comes to the conclusion that Juliana is money hungry and stubborn. I think this hard exterior isn't really an act but just all a part of her plan. I think it's just part of her manipulation to sway the narrator away or just to test his determination. She feels as though her importance in life lies with the letters because she is nearing death and doesn't have much left.

Tensions surely build through this story due to the back and forth lying and deception. The narrator has surely had enough of Juliana and at this point he wishes she would pass so he can finish out his plan. Juliana wished for the narrator to marry her niece but towards the end of the story she ultimately finds out his ruse. "I never shall forget her strange little bent white tottering figure, with its lifted head, her attitude, her expression; neither shall I forget the tone in which as I turned, looking at her, she hissed out passionately, furiously" “Ah you publishing scoundrel!” (James, 95) At this point in the story the narrator brings up the readers moral imagination to see weather what he is doing is either right or wrong. As a reader you think what extent would you go to for something you wish to gain a hold of.