Sunday, March 7, 2010

The Aspern Papers vs...Greek / Roman Mythology?

During our discussion of The Aspern Papers, I made a comparison between the story and classic Greek / Roman mythology. The idea kind of came to me out of nowhere in class, and now that I have taken some time to really consider it, I find that I still believe in the similarities. I would like to explore the idea a bit further.

In classic Greco-Roman mythology, you have various tiers of deities. The Gods, lead by Zeus, are off-spring at first of the Titans, whose shadow they emerged from to create their own place in the world. Similarly, you have the demi-gods, like Heracles (Hercules), who have both mortal and human parts. It is with these demi-gods that I find the greatest similarity to the story of The Aspern Papers. In particular, I see the character of Tina as the demi-god analog in the story. Her aunt is this larger-than-life Diva, very much like one of the Gods of the Pantheon. Tina finds herself a humble woman without the greatness of her aunt, at least in the sense of classical greatness. However, by the end of the story, she makes one of the most heroic stances of the story. The preservation of the privacy desired by the man Aspern is the final accomplishment of Tina in the story. She burns the papers (in the opera, right before the audience's eyes) to prevent that wanted privacy from being betrayed. Even the author of the Wikipedia synopsis of the novella calls Tina the heroine of the story. I myself see her action in the final moments of this story as the start to another. Tina has finally found a voice, found inner strength. This story seems but the first step on her journey to self-discovery. I find myself wondering, what comes next for her?

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