摘要
本文从结构主义叙事学解构主义的角度分析了《阿斯彭文稿》的中心能指“文稿”，本文在评论家对该篇小说的人物刻画，主题及叙事视角论述的基础上，以“文稿”为中心，对该小说的情节、人物性格及“文稿”的形而上意义进行了研究。全文由前言、正文和结论部分组成。前言是对以往评论家该文研究的回顾和对本论文内容的简单介绍。
正文部分包括三个章节。第一章用结构主义叙事学家格雷马斯的语义功能六边型模型来分析了文本的构成及各行动元之间的相互作用关系。以“文稿”作为客体与中心统领各行动元及情节的发展。然后就中短篇小说的分类及《阿斯彭文稿》的归入其中哪一类别问题进行了探讨，本文认为文稿与该小说的归属问题紧密相关。笔者发现以“文稿”为中心，三位主要人物的关系是一个动态平衡的三角形。这赋予了文本结构上的对称美。
第二章着重讨论人物与文稿。本章开始是分析文本人物所用的主要理论，即梳理了詹姆斯非个人化理论及其核心视点说。然后对文本的三个主要人物分别作了论述。本文认为：人物对“文稿”的态度直接影响到人物的道德评判。“编辑”兼叙事者将文稿看成是目的，是历史真相。他的性格发展是追求(堕落)，摇摆放弃(自新)再到追求(重坠堕落深渊)的圆形。对老妇人朱莉安娜而言“文稿”是攫取金钱和控制他人的手段；这个人物是作者创造的作为另一人物“编辑”对立面而存在的，她同时是达到历史真实的唯一必经途径。她的性格是一维的，是福斯特所说的扁平人物。基于两种不同的前提对蒂娜形象的阐释有两种版本：以文稿的存在为前提则“文稿”是蒂娜走向成熟的媒介。蒂娜性格发展是螺旋式向前的曲线。以文稿不存在为前提则蒂娜一开始就是朱莉安娜的同谋，她的性格没有发展。
第三章探讨了文稿的形而上学意义。根据拉康和德里达的理论，本文认为“文稿”是参指对象可能缺失的能指，因此其所指也就处于永远的滑动中，超验的所指并不存在，因此，“文稿”这个中心就自行瓦解了。本章进一步分析作者和叙述者的逻各斯中心主义倾向。
詹姆斯此小说虽然蕴涵后来解构主义文论家要揭示的思想，他自己则
并未摆脱逻各斯中心主义。
结论部分总结全文并重申观点。
This thesis makes a study of the central signifier "the papers" in The Aspern Papers from structuralist and deconstructionists' perspective. On the basis of other critics' researches that are mainly concerned with the theme, characters and narrative perspective, my researches, focusing on "the papers", cover the plot, the characters and the metaphysical meaning of "the papers". The thesis is composed of three parts: the introduction, the body and the conclusion.
The introduction is a survey of the past criticism of the novella and a brief account of the content of the thesis.
The body is made up of three chapters. Chapter One analyzes three pairs of actants in the story, using Greimas hexagonal model. The development of the plot, centering on "the papers", is the result of interaction of these actants. The relations of the three protagonists form a triangle, which keeps its dynamic equilibrium. This chapter discusses the categorizations of novella and points out no matter which aspect we stress in this novella, "the papers" always plays a crucial part in our interpretation.
Chapter Two deals mainly with the characters and the relation between the characters and "the papers". The thesis holds that the protagonists' attitudes to "the papers" directly influence readers' moral assessment of the characters. For the publisher and narrator, "the papers" represents historical truth. His tragedy originates from the conflict between man's aspiration and the original sin; hence, it bears a universal significance. His character develops from degeneration (pursuing) to light of redemption (giving up his pursuit) till final returning to the abyss of
degeneration (continuing his pursuit). For Juliana, "the papers" is the only means for her personal interest. As an opposite existence of "the publisher" created by James, Juliana is also the only way to the historical truth, and her character is one-dimensional. She is a flat character in Foster's terminology. Tina's image may be given two versions of interpretations based on different presumptions: one is based on the assumption that "the papers" exists and her character undergoes a spiral progression; the other is that "the papers" does not exist, and then she is the accomplice of Juliana from the outset. Her character does not develop.
Chapter Three discusses the metaphysical meaning of "the papers". The text suggests that the referent of the signifier "the papers" is in an ambiguous state, and thus the meaning of the signifier is on the sliding. Therefore, "the center" of the text "the papers" dismantles from within. This chapter then further analyzes the complex of the logocentrism of the author and the narrator. It maintains that though this novella conceives all the factors that the deconstructionists attempt to expose, James himself does not cast off the yoke of logocentrism.
Finally, the conclusion makes a summary of the thesis and reiterates its main points.
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