Here are some things you might want to consider about Northanger Abbey for today’s class: Of course, like always, you’re free to write about anything in the novel that interested you.
- Now that we know Catherine a little better, what do you think of her as a character? Is she admirable or silly? Is she simply passive, or are there times when she stands up for herself? How does she change over the course of the novel, and are these changes for the better or the worse in your opinion?
- Discuss Henry Tilney as a character. Is he witty and delightful (as many Austen critics argue) or condescending and even misogynistic (as others claim)? What do you think Henry sees in Catherine, why does he value her? Do you believe he really loves her?
- Discuss General Tilney and how we’re how to view him.
- Talk about how the Tilney and Thorpe family seem to be doubles (or opposites?) of each other.
- What do you think is the purpose of Isabella Thorpe in the novel? How does she contrast Eleanor Tilney?
After reading more about Catherine, I really like her character. However, I love nearly all of Austen’s heroines. At the beginning, Catherine is presented as more naive and maybe a little stupid. As the story progresses, I no longer think her stupid, but still pretty naïve. She is unaware of the obvious things going on around her. I think this is part of her charm, though. Like her mother and many young women of the time they didn’t know much of the world. Despite this, Catherine still stands up for herself and expresses her opinion throughout the novel. I always find it frustrating in older novels when the heroine will not just refuse the man who they don’t love who is in love with them. Of course, this was a different time with different customs. Still, I admire that once she realizes John is in love with her, she refuses him. She is a realistic character of a 17 year old who becomes a more experienced person and a better judge of character by the end of the novel.
Now that I have read further into the novel I have grown to really enjoy Catherine’s character. She is one of the female gothic heroines who is a bit different from the rest, she has a more ambitious personality and also has a perfect amount of attitude. I think that she is really finding herself in Bath and transforming into the most genuine version of herself, one that she couldn’t have been at home. Catherine is very different from Emily, who was more reserved and well mannered, but I think that it makes me like Catherine more. She has begun to stand up for herself and make decisions for herself, which is something that I think Emily lacked in “The Mysteries of Udolpho”.
It’s been exciting to get to watch Catherine’s character grow into herself a little more throughout the progression of the novel. I’ve liked getting to watch her become more confident and stand up for herself a little bit more, though there is still progress to be made. I think that it’s very realistic to depict Catherine as lacking self-confidence at the beginning of the novel. It’s relatable and ultimately has me finding myself liking Catherine more and more. I find that a flawed character is often more likeable than the sort of perfect one that we see in Emily in The Mysteries of Udolpho. Catherine is funny, shy, and not the perfect vision of beauty like Emily. This among other things, in my opinion, makes the book a better read. She’s a much lighter character than Emily. Not as bruting and doesn’t fit the “damsel in distress” trope as much as Emily did.
After reading more of the novel and getting to know Catherine more as a character, I’ve found her to be pretty likeable and I would say that she’s become a lot spunkier than the average heroine of gothic novels, and I might even describe parts of her character as comical or funny. I also wouldn’t necessarily describe her as passive either, because there are several times that she tries to stand up for herself. For example, Catherine seemed enraged when John Thorpe promised to take her to a historic gothic castle so that she wouldn’t go on a walk with the Tilneys, and she even demanded several times to turn the carriage around. I think that as the novel has progressed she has become a more and more outspoken and she seems to care less about the social expectations of her, such as the idea that she shouldn’t have feelings for Henry Tilney and that she has to be nice and passive towards people she doesn’t like (like john thorpe.) But speaking of both of these men, I’ve come to dislike both of them, because of their attitudes towards Catherine, but especially Thorpe, who I can now assume is the misogynistic villain of the story.
After reading this selection of chapters from the novel I am very interested to see how it will conclude. Isabella and James are engaged but she is now mysteriously connected to Captain Tilney, I wonder what this will lead to or if it will be resolved at all. I think Austen’s sense of humor shines through in this novel through the conversations between the characters. The satirizing of gothic literature is especially predominant when Catherine expects to arrive at a run down, dark, and mysterious abbey. But, she is surprised by how lovely and comforting it seems, yet a bit disappointed that is is not going to be like what sh read in gothic stories such as Udolpho. The story of the cabinet and manuscript that Henry tells Catherine during their journey there actually comes to life when Catherine finds just that in her chamber. This leads me to question if Henry knows something about the manuscript, and if he was dropping hints for Catherine to find it for some reason.
Catherine as a character is flawed, yet all characters have their flaws. Within Northanger Abbey, it is apparent that she has trouble speaking up for herself and voicing her opinions. This is seen when she is originally upset about not turning around the carriage for Eleanor. After explaining herself and talking to Tilney, she gains more confidence which allows her the ability to stand up for herself slightly and grow as a character. She later voiced her concerns to Tilney about Isabella. Regardless of her standing, she tends to miss key points in conversation with friends which can be problematic. Getting ready to go to Northanger Abbey she does grow slightly more independent and voices her opinions on John Thorpe to her friend Isabella. This is not helpful as Thorpe still believes her to be in love. I think that he is slightly overbearing in her personal space, and the trio of Thorpe, Isabella, and James makes her wish to be away more.
I think that Caroline has grown as a character, and she started off very quiet and innocent and is now showing her true colors of being older and is allowed to have an opinion and show it. I think she was silly and is very strong and caring and wants to be in love and not silly like she was years ago. I think it was weird when they were calling her ugly back then. Now, she is better looking but still not “handsome”. Handsome is just a weird way of saying someone is gorgeous or pretty, so I think. I think all the changes she made in the first 10 chapters were good, but I feel she is getting a little messy now with saying she will be doing that or that with someone else. Like she clearly needs to start standing up for herself, so she does not get pushed into doing something dangerous or bad with the families.
In Northanger Abbey, I actually really enjoy the character Catherine. I think she’s sweet and sort of silly/gullible. As the book has gone on I believe that she has begun to stand up for herself a bit more than in the beginning. Like when the Thorpes and James got her to take a ride with them after insisting that her walk with the Tinley’s would be cancelled due to the weather (basically tricking her), she couldn’t do much since they were already on the way, but she did stand up for herself and tell them how much they were in the wrong. While I do enjoy her character, she is very passive and I think that will be one of her feats in the book, people will (and sort of already do) take advantage of her. I am also finding myself laughing more at her character, her unawareness in the scene where John is hinting towards them being together after Isabella and James getting engaged cracked me up a bit. Overall, I really do like her character and how she is developing now in the book.
When I first started reading Northanger Abbey, I did not like many of the characters. Especially Catherine Morland at the beginning of the novel, I thought her need for attention at the balls seemed vain. When you compare her to other characters in Jane Austen’s writings, like Elizabeth Bennet, a woman of intellect who wished nothing from a man, it is hard to like her. However, as the novel progresses and Catherine’s character develops, she has grown on me. Although she often mistakes fantasy for reality through her obsession with the Mysteries of Udolpho, she yearns for an adventure, and I commend her for that. In Jane Austin’s writing, she often incorporates humor through her characters. As she states at the beginning of the novel, Catherine is not the typical heroine, she is satirical, and you can not help but root for her. Furthermore, there are instances where she show strength and stands up for herself. For example, when the Thorpes and her brother James insisted on her traveling with them to see the castle, she stood her ground as she promised Ms. Tilneys she would accompany her on a walk despite significant pressure from the group. Overall I think as a character, Catherine is getting wiser and more likable.