Comparing Northanger Abbey and Frankenstein Essay

The novel Frankenstein was written by Mary Shelley in 1818. This gothic romance novel tells the story of a philosopher who discovered how to create life, without the full knowledge that his actions could cause grave consequences. Universal Studios made the film version of this novel in 1931. Unfortunately, the film version of Frankenstein has more differences than similarities to the novel. In the novel, Victor’s mental obsession seems to be more severe than in the film. The character of Victor Frankenstein was portrayed in both the novel and the film as a veriphobe, or one who is afraid of the truth, in this case, the truth of his actions. He

The reader is able to satisfy his or hers innermost desires through the pages of the book. The reader finds refuge through Gothic text. This is no exception with the authors. The author also wants to satisfy their imagination by creatively and articulately channelling their thoughts into a work of art. Robert Kidd writes in his ‘Transgressing the Boundaries’ article, “The power and passion of Gothic Literature seemed eminently suited to the iconoclasts who wished to challenge the status quo”. There were many famous writers like this, for example, Horace Walpole, Lewis, Godwin and of course Mary Shelley. The authors and readers of Gothic Literature share a very special connection. Both sides gain from books and share the same feelings as one writes and one reads the book, with both satisfying their imaginations.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein are very different books. They differ drastically in tone, style, and subject matter, but on a deeper level, they do have some similarities, even beyond both featuring characters named Elizabeth. Both works share a fundamentally similar message. In these novels, the authors use letters to show the power of the written word in communication and how letters help to dispel the prideful self-absorption plaguing the protagonists.

Mary W. Shelley’s brilliant gothic story, Frankenstein, is one that emits the prevalent theme of light versus dark, in which possesses obvious characteristics of a novel written during the romantic era. The novel tells the account of the overambitious Victor Frankenstein, who created a monster in hopes that he’d be known for crafting something human from the body parts of corpses with physical and mental advantages in society, basically playing the part of God on Earth, but through the auspices of science. Instead of creating a “normal” human, his creation ended up being a disfigured creature who he then neglects. Upon his abandonment, the monster seeks revenge on Victor after being cast away by society due to harsh physiognomy in which

     The very first characteristic of a Gothic novel is its sinister setting. The opening sentence in Frankenstein sets the mood

Brontë presents Catherine’s madness as her being delusional and a hypochondriac in Chapter Eleven, “I’m in danger of being seriously ill.” To the reader, this appears to be Catherine being melodramatic, attention-seeking and her claims of illness is not to be taken seriously. Brontë highlights this as Catherine states “I want to frighten him,” (pg.125) and the reader might be questioning if Catherine actually loves Edgar or whether she loves the attention that he gives her and only using her illness as emotional blackmail. Brontë emphasises this point when Edgar does not visit Catherine or ask after her, and Nelly Dean finds her “dashing her head against the arm of the sofa, and grinding her teeth…” (pg.126) This suggests that Catherine’s

Catherine is so wrapped up in her fictional world of reading that she becomes ignorant of her real life issues with Henry Tilney, for whom she has been love-struck since their introduction. She entertains herself with wild imaginings about his life and family. Catherine's imaginings foreshadow her eager desire for mischief as Austen's story develops. Catherine is endowed with a vivid imagination, but she has not yet learned to use it in concert with her perception, especially in understanding the interactions between people.

Initially, the relationship was a game of love with the sole purpose of distracting them from unpleasant circumstances. This passage demonstrates this game but also one of the illusions their entire relationship is built upon. Catherine and Henry are both acknowledging the lie. This dialogue establishes the importance of illusion in Catherine and Henry 's relationship. By accepting the illusion, Catherine furthers her position as and idealization rather than a realistic character. Catherine 's hair is a significant symbol in the novel. Henry 's description of her hair in chapter XVII has become a well-known passage. He says, "I would watch her while she kept very still and then take out the last two pins and it would all come down and she would drop her head and we would both be inside of it, and it was the feeling of inside a tent or behind a falls." (Hemingway 114). This description stands as a symbol of the couple 's isolation from the world. Henry allows himself to believe that they are protected from the outside world by something as delicate as hair. In this description we are reminded of Catherine 's alluring beauty as well as her innate ability to be exactly what Henry needs at any given point.

Much to Catherine’s pleasure, she has a walk scheduled with her sweetheart, Henry Tilney, and her dearest friend, Eleanor Tilney. However, on the morning of the walk, it rains. Austen uses the rain to foreshadow the upcoming unpleasant events. In the afternoon, the rain subsides leaving a muddy mess. Unexpectedly, Isabella Thorpe, John Thorpe, and James Morland arrive at her house. They request that Catherine go along on their trip to neighboring cites. However, Catherine feels obligated to stay in the house and await Henry Tilney and Eleanor Tilney. In his typical self-centered manner, John Thorpe declares that he saw Tilney engaging in other activities, “I saw him at that moment turn up the Lansdown Road, - driving a smart-looking girl” (Austen 53). Although perplexed as to why the Tilneys did not send word that their engagement should be broken, she consents to the proposed carriage ride. While riding out of her neighborhood, Catherine spots Eleanor and Henry Tilney walking towards her house. Catherine, exclaims, “Pray, pray stop, Mr. Thorpe. - I cannot go on. - I will not go on. - I must go back to Miss Tilney.” (Austen 54). John Thorpe disregarding Catherine’s plea, “laughed, smacked his whip, encouraged his horse, made odd noises, and drove on” (Austen 54). During this scene, Austen magnifies the villainy of John Thorpe by whisking away with innocent Catherine.

Soon after her own arrival in Bath, Catherine is followed by her brother James and Isabella’s brother John Thorpe. At the initial meeting with the boys, Catherine is mistaken on two different points, still being ignorant in her perceptions of other people. Although slightly thrown off by John’s manners, Catherine is unable to formulate her own negative opinion of him, too affected by the opinions of Isabella and James, and “her judgment was further brought off by Isabella’s assuring her…that John thought her the most charming girl in the world” (Austen 48). For Catherine, it is easier and more natural to accept the opinions of someone like Isabella, a mentor figure. Also, in the same scene, Catherine makes the assumption that her brother James has journeyed “so far on purpose to see me” (49). Catherine hastily jumps to this false conclusion, not having the experience to detect James’ continuous questions and compliments of Isabella as a sign of his true motives for coming to town: to visit the “prettiest girl in Bath” (49).

However, when General Tilney confronts her about his issue, Catherine discovers herself as the unwitting victim of John Thorpe’s deceptions. Henry Tilney, like Catherine, is unusual--both in his attitude toward love and his demeanor--setting up his rather unexpected relationship with Catherine as well. Based on solely class, one would not expect the two people to interact, but they do. Austen paints him as the witty, charming man, but he is also a

Most novels just want to pull the reader in, and make them forget that they are reading a novel, but Austen does not allow this. The very first line in Northanger Abbey is “No one who had ever seen Catherine Morland in her infancy, would have supposed her born to be a heroine” (1). By pointing out that the main character is supposed to be the heroine, Austen draws attention to the fact that this is a novel. However, while Catherine is in fact a heroine, it is also states from the beginning that she does not match the expectations of the average heroine. So right from the beginning, the reader knows that while this is a novel, it is not going to be a typical one. It is in fact, going to parodying and critiquing some common aspects of novels. Austen continues on, and not so subtly points out the ways that Catherine differs from the heroines normally found in novels.

Jane Austen was a renowned British novelist notorious for her critical choice of subject, exploring many topics relevant to society during her writing career. Northanger Abbey is no exception. In Northanger Abbey, Austen delves into the gothic novel, a popular literary genre in the 18th century characterised by its eerie, supernatural setting. Austen uses this convention to create a parody of the traditional gothic novel in volume 2 of the novel. We experience the story through the eyes of Catherine Morland, a young woman who, after becoming obsessed with a gothic novel, moves to an abbey where her mind starts playing tricks on her. Catherine starts seeing something horrific in almost everything she experiences and goes out of her way to find

On countless occasions during Northanger Abbey Jane Austen makes Catherine look as if she is a complete fool for finding an enthusiasm for reading. She makes joke of how tremendously fast Catherine is involved in the books, how it starts to effect Catherine’s social life, and the way, since starting the burlesque books, she now unconsciously makes life decisions based on the actions of characters from the stories she is reading. "If a rainy morning deprived them of other enjoyments, they were still resolute in meeting in defiance of wet and dirt, and shut themselves up, to read novels together." (Austen 56) This quote is her demonstrating Catherine’s overall thought process on how reading has developed something that she wants the people closest to her to branch out on as well.

Jane Austen displays the differentiation between the world as it is and the world as seen by the exaggerating whom she wished to disparage. She communicates it by the difference between a typical, sound natured young lady and the sentimental courageous women of fiction, and by demonstrating the young lady marginally influenced with sentimental ideas. Gothic books and their traditions happen all through the novel, particularly in its second part. In transit from Bath to Northanger Abbey, the Tilney family situate, Henry recounts a comical speculative tale about Catherine's first night in the Abbey, including common highlights of gothic novel. He teasingly gives a portrayal that is a composite of points of interest from Radcliffe's books. As the creator expected to disparage the Gothic novel she needed to utilize the highlights average for this sort. Not withstanding, not every one of them happen in Northanger