Gothic Criticism Of Northanger Abbey

Austen now introduces the reader into the lifestyle of Catherine Morland, and how her years have been spent quite different than the made assumption of a heroine. Austen decides on word choice to describe Catherine and her parents, to the complete opposite of what the average hero would be described as. Austen selects his word choice as, “for they [the Morland's] were very plain”, “She had a thin awkward figure, sallow skin without colour, dark lank hair”. The way Austen chooses to describe Catherine is not the common strong, muscular, genius, life changing, hero you hear about on an everyday basis. The image given by Austen on Catherine's appearance is carefully chosen to remain in

This article analyzes the way Austen portrays women in her novels. Kruger mentions that Jane Austen’s work is often deprived by the

The Castle of Otranto was written in 1764, by Horace Walpole. This novel is a Gothic novel, and I will be writing an essay about this novel to show, and explain how Gothic it is. I will be picking a specific character to explain and compare to another book to show how both are Gothic, but in their own way. This essay will seek and unfold the differences of Manfred in Otranto, and General Tilney in Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen. When Northanger Abbey was written is

Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey is frequently described as a novel about reading—reading novels and reading people—while Pride and Prejudice is said to be a story about love, about two people overcoming their own pride and prejudices to realize their feelings for each other. If Pride and Prejudice is indeed about how two stubborn youth have misjudged each other, then why is it that this novel is so infrequently viewed to be connected to Austen’s original novel about misjudgment and reading one’s fellows, Northanger Abbey? As one of Austen’s first novels, Northanger Abbey is often viewed as a “prototype” to her later novels, but it is most often compared to Persuasion (Brown 50). However, if read discerningly, one can see in Pride and

Austen’s representation of reading epitomises the excesses of the imagination exhibited by sentimental readers which effectively led to their disconnection from reality. Austen’s employment of the gothic reflects Catherine’s transition from the excesses of her gothic fantasies to reality, which fundamentally enables Catherine to develop independent judgement through her exploration of human experience and to reject her projection of idealist imaginations influenced by her gothic readings (move up). Although Austen satirizes the excesses of sensibility through the characterisation of Catherine’s absorption of the gothic, Austen does not completely ridicule or dismiss the truth behind the gothic or the imagination. Richardson (2005:399) explains

She wished Isabella had… not looked so pleased at the sight of Captain Tilney. How strange that she could not perceive his admiration (100-101)!” This shows how blinded Catherine is by her admiration of others and unsureness of herself, and it shows how Catherine really views the world as a story in which people can only act in a way that fits into a gothic novel. Through these quotes the reader is able to more easily see how Austen playfully makes fun of the gothic novel and how the gothic novel skews Catherine’s view of what reality

Austen first introduces Catherine as an unlikely heroine: "No one who had ever seen Catherine Morland in her infancy, would have supposed her born to be [a]

vulnerability of society, for it functions as a property that affected how women are being viewed and treated. The role of women became set by expectations, which influenced their ways of behavior and conduct. Gender role left women with limited opportunities to express themselves to the open public, thus establishing a milieu which devaluated women as objects and oppressed them. Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey engages with the issue that related to the terrifying situation faced by women in the 1790s English society. She emphasized how their presence becomes vulnerable to the terror of human nature. Austen's style of meta-gothic writing explicitly highlights the atmosphere for women in that period. This expands from terrorizing characters, like Catherine Morland, by isolating them either involuntarily or voluntarily. The aspect of terror which Austen satirizes in Northanger Abbey connected to the personal level of her audience at that time. This prevalent fear of the unknown becomes one's individual struggle which entangles women's thoughts and emotions. Austen accomplished her

Gothic architecture a new style developing from an old style of architecture with similar characteristics and in a way different. Architects wanted to build bigger buildings with stronger walls something that could not be found elsewhere. The old buildings did not have windows they were dark places that in order to get light they needed many candles. Not even the candles could give the right amount of light the buildings needed. The middle ages architects wanted big windows on the buildings and this new style made their wish come true. Architecture during the Middle Ages became a new style with new problems to solve and a new kind of extraordinary buildings to build.

     Jane Austen frequently uses indirect characterization and this is very evident in the description of Miss Bates. Instead of saying Miss Bates is an unmarried, poor, old, ugly woman, a spinster, Austen chooses to write, “Miss Bates is neither young, handsome, rich or married.” It is as if Jane Austen wants you to like Miss Bates even thought she is lacking quite a few of the characteristics needed in order to be deemed likeable in her society. The ideal woman in Miss Bates’ society is young, pretty, and married or with plans to marry. Miss Bates does have one characteristic most popular women had in Highburry.

Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey is essentially the “coming of age” story of Catherine Morland, a sympathetic yet naïve young girl who spends some time away from home at the impressionable age of seventeen. As Catherine matures in the town of Bath and at Northanger Abbey, she learns to forgo immature childhood fantasies in favor of the solid realities of adult life, thus separating falsehood from truth. This theme is expressed in a couple of ways, most obviously when Catherine’s infatuation with Gothic novels causes her to nearly ruin her relationship with Henry Tilney: her imagination finally goes too far, and she wrongly suspects General Tilney of murdering his late wife. The theme is less apparent

Starting from the opening sentence of the book, Catherine is repeatedly described as a heroine: “No one who had ever seen Catherine Morland […] would have supposed her born to be an heroine” (15), “from fifteen to seventeen she was in training for a heroine” (17). Furthermore, the plot is filled with experiences that are imagined by her as grand events typical of the Gothic genre, only to end in everyday, normal happenings. These intrusions guide the reader to laugh at Catherine’s naiveté by mocking the way she is swept up by Gothic novels: “And now I may dismiss my heroine to the sleepless couch, which is the true heroine’s portion; to a pillow strewed with thorns and wet with tears” (86). As Katie Halsey puts it: “[it] shows Austen’s amused ability to resist and appropriate for her own purposes what she perceived as ridiculous or unnatural in the writing of others” (Halsey

Set in 1798 England, Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey is the “coming of age” story of Catherine Morland, a naïve young girl who spends time away from home at the malleable age of seventeen. Catherine’s introduction into society begins when Mr. and Mrs. Allen, her neighbors in Fullerton, invite her to accompany them as they vacation in the English town of Bath. While in Bath, Catherine spends her time visiting newly-made friends, such as Isabella Thorpe, and attending balls and plays. Catherine soon after is introduced to Henry Tilney, a handsome yet mysterious clergyman whom she finds herself attracted to. Catherine also befriends Eleanor

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’s Northanger Abbey is a novel that features vibrant character development but the biggest development is that which occurs in Catherine Morland. Catherine’s character nearly develops in all components of her being and she is able to evolve from the unorthodox “heroine” that she is initially described as. In the novel, Catherine starts out as an incredibly naïve and inexperienced girl who confuses all facets of the real world as the plot in a Gothic novel. Catherine develops as a character through her social interactions with those around her as it helps her gain experience with how to correctly perceive the world. With her newly gained experience of her surroundings, Catherine develops and is able to see the real world through a social lens rather than her own subjective lens or that of a Gothic lens.