Alice Whitehurst 11R3

How does Jane Austen engage the reader in Northanger Abbey?

Gothic as a term is to do with literature and art, which associates with churches, dark corridors, death and horror. Gothic novels are written to induce fear. It has a low literature quality which was believed to be more interesting. Gothic is a mixture of romance and horror, with a range of two genres, it increases the tension for the reader. Gothic was popular from around 1790-1860. It was popular with young ladies, they saw reading gothic novels as “exciting and naughty”. For example, Catherine Morland says “I am delighted with the book; I should spend my whole life reading it”. This shows she’s excited about reading the novel, obviously in love with gothic novels. On the other hand some people don’t agree with gothic novels, especially men. They didn’t think they were good for young people to read them as they thought they had a low literature quality and weren’t well written. An example of this is where john Thorpe says “novels are so full of nonsense, oh lord!” here, John doesn’t obviously like novels, doesn’t see the point in them. It’s stereotypical for this kind of attitude from men towards gothic novels, as women only read them for entertainment. The typical features and techniques of a gothic novel are wild landscapes such as buttresses and gargoyles, dimly lit gloomy settings, dungeons, family secrets, spirits, strangers, hidden rooms and crumbling buildings. These features are what makes a gothic novel “gothic”. The language techniques in gothic novels are metaphors, similes and especially pathetic fallacy. Parody is basically a “Mick take”, it refers back to things we already know, and exists in all media, including literature, music and films, sometimes referred to as spoofs. It’s a “form of satire that imitates another work of art in order to ridicule or poke affectionate fun”. Gothic fiction is a good target for parody because it’s very easy to take the “Mick” out of as gothic is seen as “serious”. People enjoy parodies because they are funny. With parody included in any types of media, it widens the audience because all audiences love comedy. We like laughing at other people. We follow parodies fairly easily as it refers back to things we already know, especially spoofs. Jane Austen uses parody in Northanger Abbey because it entertains the reader. Without parody it would be a much duller novel. It creates a bond between the reader and the novelist (Jane Austen) so the reader fully understands the meanings and laughs along with Jane Austen. Jane austen uses parody by taking the “Mick” out of Catherine Morland. For example, she says “no one who had ever seen Catherine Morland in her infancy would have supposed her born to be a heroine” here, Jane Austen tells the reader that Catherine should be seen as a heroine, but she

Alice Whitehurst 11R3

actually isn’t. It creates an impact on the reader and it’s the very first sentence in the novel. From mentioning Catherin straight away in the novel, the reader automatically knows the novel is mainly about Catherine Morland. Another example of parody is where Jane says “ she had a thin awkward figure, a sallow skin without colour and strong features”. Here, Jane is basically saying she’s not a pretty girl, there’s nothing really attractive about her. Another example of parody is where Catherine’s “eyes suddenly fell on a large high chest” then she thinks “this is strange indeed! I did not expect such a sight as this! - An immense heavy chest! - What can it hold? – why should it be placed here?” Here Catherine is using short sentences and rhetorical questions, representing breathlessness. Her thoughts are aloud, which is a typical gothic feature. Furthermore another example of parody is where Henry Tilney and Catherine are on the way to the Abbey and he’s making it out to be “terrifying”. Henry says “Are you prepared to encounter all the horrors that a building such as what one reads about may produce! - have you a stout heart”. Then Catherine replies “oh! Yes- I do not think I should be easily frightened”. Here, Catherine believes she’s expecting the abbey to be as frightful, but when she arrives, it’s the complete opposite.

The characters in Northanger abbey have a role play. Catherine is seen as the heroine, a young vulnerable and determined girl. Where it says “at fifteen...Catherine grows quite a good looking girl, she is almost pretty today”. Here Jane Austen isn’t fully admitting that Catherine is pretty. We tend to laugh at Catherine quite a lot. Jane Austen is parodying the idea of Catherine as a heroine by she wishes better things would happen to her, nothing happens though. She isn’t pretty and she’s the opposite of a heroine. Catherine has a very large imagination. The contrast between the novel and reality is very different. She is imagining Northanger Abbey as a haunted gloomy place when actually it’s the complete opposite. For example, where it says “there was a something in this mode of approach which she certainly had not expected. To pass between lodges of a modern appearance, to find herself with such ease in the precincts of the abbey, and driven so rapidly along a smooth, level road of fine gravel, without obstacle, alarm or solemnity of any kind, struck her as odd and inconsistent”. This just proves it wasn’t what she expected at all. She was surprised that the Abbey wasn’t all gloomy, dark and ancient.

Jane Austen engages the reader by helping them understand the world of Jane Austen, what was different in that century. The language it was written in was very different then nowadays; it let the readers enjoy a good old-fashioned romance. It chilled the readers with gothic descriptions throughout the novel. Also a loveable heroine, a dashing hero and a villainous father makes it a typical romance/gothic novel which is what people read in those days. The context is that readers were very different than us now. Northanger Abbey was an entertaining costume drama, and then they saw it was a critique on society. Parody makes the reader

Alice Whitehurst 11R3

become more attached to the novel, as its funny- everyone loves comedy. It makes the novel a lot more intruding.