Tag: northanger abbey

“A woman especially, if she have the misfortune of knowing any thing, should conceal it as well as she can.”

Northanger Abbey is the second Austen novel that I’ve read and I think it is my favourite so far. Though not published until after her death, it was written some twenty years earlier. Thought of at one time as a fledgling effort of little consequence, Northanger Abbey is now just as worthy of recognition as her later works.

A masterclass in the stylistic method of irony, the novel follows sweet and innocent Catherine Morland as she learns that the trials of adulthood are often less dramatic – though no less consequential – than those found in the Gothic novels she can’t put down. While we follow Catherine’s initiation into the world, we are also treated to a scathing satire of the commercial nature of the marriage market at the turn of the century alongside a perfectly executed literary parody of Gothic fiction. 

A key way in which Austen satirises Gothic novels is through the character of Isabella Thorpe. Catherine is completely taken in by her at first, believing her to be the Gothic protagonist she purports to be. Isabella is constantly using overdramatic language, talking about romance, friendships and her loyal nature in a highly exaggerated fashion, just like a sentimental heroine would. And yet, Catherine’s innocence prevents her from seeing what is immediately obvious to the reader. Isabella is a conniving, social-climbing manipulator who consistently betrays her friends, family and her own loudly-declared principles as soon as a more attractive social or financial prospect appears.

When reading about Isabella, I felt that most readers in the present day will have encountered ‘an Isabella’ in their own lives. The times may have changed but people continue to exhibit the same kind of real-world deceit in the pursuit of social aspiration. By observing Isabella’s duplicity and ultimate comeuppance (she betrays Catherine’s brother James in favour of Captain Tilney, who ultimately jilts her) Catherine learns an important lesson about how to distinguish between performative, superficial friends and those who are genuinely trustworthy.

Catherine is the exact opposite of Isabella – she is naive, sincere and artless in an endearing kind of way. As she navigates the social scene of Bath for the first time, she tries to make sense of situations by projecting what she’s read in Gothic novels onto often mundane situations. It is amusing to see Catherine puzzling over matters of social and sexual politics that are immediately obvious to the reader, and this amusement is reflected in the character of Mr Tilney, who is charmed by her sincerity and ultimately leads to Catherine’s real-life happy ending.

Northanger Abbey is funny, youthful and the lessons about growing up continue to resonate with modern audiences.

Happy reading,

Imo x