Jane Austens Northanger Abbey Essay - 1590 Words

Jane Austens Northanger Abbey Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey is essentially the â€Å"coming of age† story of Catherine Morland, a sympathetic yet naà ¯ve 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†¦show more content†¦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 â€Å"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 â€Å"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 â€Å"prettiest girl in Bath† (49). At this point in the story the intense attachment between Catherine and Isabella begins to slowly deteriorate. Thus far the two girls have been inseparable, but although Isabella promises at that evening’s dance that â€Å"nothing†¦should induce her to join the set beforeShow MoreRelatedThe Impact Of Romanticism In Jane Austens Northanger Abbey1500 Words   |  6 Pagesreading is that a great novel can transport you to a completely different realm, dimension, or world. There are many genres of books that can do so, but one of the most important ones during the Romantic era was gothic literature. In Jane Austen’s novel, Northanger Abbey, it is clear that she is commenting on the impact of gothic literature during this era. Austen creates this commentary based on the continual exaggeration and use of the word ‘horrid’ by characters, Catherine Morland’s tendencies toRead More Catherine Morlands Coming of Age in Jane Austens Northanger Abb ey1524 Words   |  7 PagesCatherine Morlands Coming of Age in Jane Austens Northanger Abbey Jane Austens intelligence and sophisticated diction made her a revolutionary author, and her mastery surpasses most modern authors. By challenging conventional stereotypes in her novels, she gives the open-minded reader a new perspective through the message she conveys. Her first novel, Northanger Abbey, focuses on reading. However, she parallels typical novel reading with the reading of people. 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Is Northanger Abbey most accurately described as parody of the Gothic genre, or is there a more complicated relationship going on? Gothic novels purport to revive old stories and beliefs, exploring personal, psychical encounters with the taboo (WilliamsRead MoreJane Austens Portrayal of Marriage Essay900 Words   |  4 PagesJane Austen is a well known and loved author. Some of her novels of romantic fiction have been turned into films and they have aroused intense emotional attachments among the readers and viewers. Her books have become the basis for the true love romance story since their appearance on the literary scene. Today, Jane Austen is as popular as ever and revered as much as any literary figure in history because of her realism and biting social commentary. Austen’s plots highlight the dependence of womenRead MoreEssay about Feminism in Jane Austen1034 Words   |  5 Pages Feminism in Jane Austen quot;I often wonder how you can find time for what you do, in addition to the care of the house; and how good Mrs. West could have written such books and collected so many hard works, with all her family cares, is still more a matter of astonishment! Composition seems to me impossible with a head full of joints of mutton and doses of rhubarb.quot; -- Jane Austen, letter of September 8 1816 to Cassandra quot;I will only add in justice to men, that though to the larger