The Aspern Papers characters

Appears from the start

An unnamed American editor and literary scholar determined to obtain Jeffrey Aspern's private papers. He enters the Bordereau household under a false identity and persuades himself that devotion to a great writer justifies deception.

Appears from the start

A celebrated American poet who died decades before the story begins. His reputation has become the narrator's scholarly vocation, and the possibility that his surviving letters remain in Venice drives the plot.

Appears from the start

The narrator's energetic friend in Venice. She knows the reclusive Bordereau women by reputation, helps him devise an approach to their household, and views his literary pursuit with amused practical sense.

Appears from the start

An extremely old American woman living in seclusion in a decaying Venetian palace. She knew Jeffrey Aspern in her youth and is believed to possess letters and other papers from him. Frail and nearly blind, she is nonetheless watchful and formidable.

Also known as Miss Bordereau

Appears from the start

Juliana's unmarried niece and companion, a timid, middle-aged woman with little experience beyond their secluded household. She is more approachable than her aunt and responds gratefully to the narrator's attention.

Appears from the start

The narrator's fellow editor and correspondent, who shares his admiration for Aspern and his desire to recover unpublished material. His earlier attempt to contact Juliana openly was firmly rejected.