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Discuss this portion of the story.

Poor Tita, if she reveals so much to a stranger than how much more does she reveal to the Aunt she lives in fear of? Tita promises to esnure that her Aunt does not destry the letters in Chapter 6, but in Chapter 7 it seems obvious that Julia knows about N's history because her questioned are just too pointed. What a crafty old lady.

If thats true, though, and Julia knows what NN really wants, why is she keeping him in the house? She loves money, yes, but she was unwilling to sell the letters are any price. Is this some sort of peverse challenge for Julia, she just wants to torture the NN as a means of frusteration she has felt at the hands of everyone coming to pester her about Aspern?

Is the NN really a character, or is he simply a vehicle for his goals and aspirations. Is he a character that is obsession, or is he a caricature of obsession? Obsession that is able to interact with ther characters in the story. He rarely expresses a thought that doesnt relate to the papers, everything we find out about his personality comes as a result of his attempt to secure Aspern's writing.

I have a feeling that Tita is actually telling her aunt everything that passes between her and the narrator. The timing is just too convenient. After the aunt sends Tita to the garden and the narrator admits to an interest in Aspern, Juliana sends for the narrator. I believe that when they were out in Venice, the narrator really went too far in questioning Tita. He thought he was still being restrained, but I think his obession became clear. I think that it was at that time that he asked Tita if her aunt had a portrait of Aspern. Then, the aunt shows up in the sala and shows him a miniature! The narrator trusts Tita because she seems so innocent and guileless, but I think that she (quite naturally) has great loyalty to her aunt. She tries to warn the narrator off because she knows that she is betraying him, and knows how cunning her aunt is.

I agree that Juliana sees this as some kind of cat-and-mouse game with the narrator. It may give her some very rare amusement to toy with him like she does. She keeps trying to get him to admit an interest in Aspern, but he keeps pretending that he does not. Of course, he has made it clear to Tita, and through her, to her aunt as well, if I am right. The aunt keeps trying to tempt him more and more into admitting his purpose, even going so far as to show him the portrait that she knows will be like catnip to a cat! And Tita has freely admitted that there are papers, probably at her aunt's direction, to tempt him, but even she seems surprised that her aunt has revealed the portrait. I get the sense that Juliana may have some darker motivation and plans, but I don't know what, if any, yet.

I dislike the narrator more and more as the story progresses. His obsession, as you say, is so overwhelming and singleminded, and he really doesn't care what consequences his actions may have on these women.

Denise wrote: "I have a feeling that Tita is actually telling her aunt everything that passes between her and the narrator. "

I agree, though I think the aunt may be weaseling the information out of Tina/Tita rather than having her volunteer it intentionally.

But when two women spend basically their whole lives together, it must be hard to keep secrets, and to find new things to talk about, so it's not at all surprising that their renter would become a significant topic of conversation and that every detail of his life that comes to their attention would be gossiped over.

For me, it seems all the more sinister. The NN mentions the fact that portraits are very scarce and then the aunt shows him one. It almost yelled at me off the page. First I see the NN drooling almost literally over the opportunity to have the portrait. His idea of playing it cooly seems so badly done it's as if he's telling the aunt with every word the obsession. It gave me the feeling the aunt knows more than she's letting on.

Also what really struck me was the money thing. She asks not for double the going rate for rooms, but I believe it said 20 times the going rate. Now with the portrait she's again saying how much. What's the driving force of money in these two ladies lives? They seem to be surviving just fine before NN. They have that mysterious check they receive. They live simply with limited expenditures. I can only see food, rent, and clothing (with clothing being very limited). Yet both women are hungry for money. A monetary obsession to compare to the NN's obsession?

There could be few secrets in such a limited household. I would think it would be very easy to know everything about everybody in such a place. Yet, I feel as if James is keeping secrets from his readers. There are still more questions than answers.

No secrets at all I would say.
It looks to me as a comedy of errors by Goldoni - famous venetian playwriter - where everybody pretend not to know something that is "common knowledge"!

LauraT wrote: "No secrets at all I would say.
It looks to me as a comedy of errors by Goldoni - famous venetian playwriter - where everybody pretend not to know something that is "common knowledge"!"

That would also apply to many a small town in the U.S.

Deborah wrote: "LauraT wrote: "No secrets at all I would say.
That would also apply to many a small town in the U.S."

Or everywhere else!