在中國文學史上，唐人元稹所撰〈鶯鶯傳〉作為唐代小說中婚戀題材的名篇，可以說受到歷代讀者的重視。一般而言，過去論者對於〈鶯鶯傳〉主題寓意的探討，大體不離「痴心女子負心漢」的看法。而此一看法的形成，又多與論者視〈鶯鶯傳〉為作者元稹自敘之作的解讀觀點有所聯繫。筆者以為，傳統研究者致力探求〈鶯鶯傳〉的思想情感和藝術表現，雖然不乏新見的提出，但要解決詮釋見解不一的論爭問題，首要之務必須先擱置「元稹自寓說」的成見，重新返歸小說文本之中，針對〈鶯鶯傳〉的敘事形式進行整體性考察。基於上述認知，本文在論述過程中將著重參考敘事學理論進行小說文本分析，最後再輔以歷史文化分析角度，綜整論述〈鶯鶯傳〉的主題寓意，嘗試以之評估唐人小說中「傳記」之作的作意問題。經過對〈鶯鶯傳〉的敘事形式表現重新確認和分析，筆者認為〈鶯鶯傳〉一文的主題寓意主要反映在「夫使知者不為，為之者不惑」的「女禍」議論之上，而不僅止於愛情書寫而已。

Regarding the history of Chinese literature, Ying Ying Zhuan, written by Yuan Zhen, is considered the most famous love-themed novel from the Tang Dynasty period. Ying Ying Zhuan has captivated readers throughout the various dynasties. Most critics of Ying Ying Zhuan have generally focused on the use of the ”infatuated woman and ungrateful man” perspective. The development of this view is often related to the belief that Ying Ying Zhuan is Yuan Zhen's autobiography. Although researchers typically explore the thoughts and artistic expressions within Ying Ying Zhuan, new interpretations are also proposed. The objective of this study is to resolve the controversy over varying interpretations and issues related to the text. The first issue is the prejudices evident in Yuan Zhen's work. Thus, we review Ying Ying Zhuan and provide an overall assessment of the narrative form. We adopt narratology theory to analyze the text and discuss the implications of Ying Ying Zhuan from a historical and cultural perspective. Finally, we evaluate the problems of writing intentions by considering the biography novels of the Tang Dynasty. Following our review and analysis, we infer that the theme of Ying Ying Zhuan concerns ”female trouble” and is not limited only to love.