Northanger Abbey

Seventeen-year-old Catherine Morland is one of ten children of a country clergyman. Although a tomboy in her childhood, by the age of 17 she is "in training for a heroine"[5] and is fond of reading Gothic novels, "provided they were all story and no reflection".[6]

Catherine is invited by the Allens (her wealthier neighbours in Fullerton) to accompany them to visit the city of Bath and partake in the winter season of balls, theatre and other social activities. Soon she is introduced to a young gentleman, Henry Tilney, with whom she dances. Mrs. Allen meets an old school friend, Mrs. Thorpe, whose daughter Isabella introduces Catherine to Ann Radcliffe's Gothic novel Mysteries of Udolpho; the two quickly become friends. Mrs. Thorpe's son, John, is a friend of Catherine's older brother, James, at Oxford where they are both students and the two young men come to Bath where John is introduced to Catherine.

The Thorpes are not happy about Catherine's friendship with the Tilneys, as they correctly perceive Henry as a rival for Catherine's affections, though Catherine is not at all interested in John Thorpe. Despite John Thorpe continually attempting to sabotage her relationship with the Tilneys, Catherine tries to maintain her friendships with both the Thorpes and the Tilneys. This leads to several misunderstandings, which put Catherine in the awkward position of having to explain herself to the Tilneys.

Isabella and James become engaged. James' father approves of the match and offers his son a country parson's living of a modest sum, £400 annually, but they must wait until he can obtain the benefice in two and a half years. Isabella is dissatisfied, but to Catherine, she misrepresents her distress as being caused solely by the delay, and not by the value of the sum. Isabella immediately begins to flirt with Captain Tilney, Henry's older brother. Innocent Catherine cannot understand her friend's behaviour, but Henry understands all too well, as he knows his brother's character and habits.

The Tilneys invite Catherine to stay with them for a few weeks at their home, Northanger Abbey. Catherine, in accordance with her novel reading, expects the abbey to be exotic and frightening. Henry teases her about this, as it turns out that Northanger Abbey is pleasant and decidedly not Gothic. However, the house includes a mysterious suite of rooms that no one ever enters; Catherine learns that they were the apartments of Mrs. Tilney, who died nine years earlier. As General Tilney no longer appears to be ill-affected by her death, Catherine decides that he may have murdered her or even imprisoned her in her chamber.

Catherine discovers that her over-active imagination has led her astray, as nothing is strange or distressing in the apartments. Unfortunately, Henry questions her; he surmises, and informs her that his father loved his wife in his own way and was truly upset by her death.[7] She leaves, crying, fearing that she has lost Henry's regard entirely. Realising how foolish she has been, Catherine comes to believe that, though novels may be delightful, their content does not relate to everyday life. Henry does not mention this incident to her again.

James writes to inform her that he has broken off his engagement to Isabella and that she has become engaged instead to Captain Tilney. Henry and Eleanor Tilney are sceptical that their brother has actually become engaged to Isabella Thorpe. Catherine is terribly disappointed, realising what a dishonest person Isabella is. A subsequent letter from Isabella herself confirms the Tilney siblings' doubts, and shows that Frederick Tilney was merely flirting with Isabella. The General goes off to London, and the atmosphere at Northanger Abbey immediately becomes lighter and pleasanter for his absence. Catherine passes several enjoyable days with Henry and Eleanor until, in Henry's absence, the General returns abruptly, in a temper. He forces Catherine to go home early the next morning, in a shocking, inhospitable, and unsafe move that forces Catherine to undertake the 70 miles (110 km) journey alone.

At home, Catherine is listless and unhappy. Henry pays a sudden unexpected visit and explains what happened. General Tilney (on the misinformation of John Thorpe) had believed her to be exceedingly rich as the Allens' prospective heiress, and therefore a proper match for Henry. In London, General Tilney ran into Thorpe again, who, angry and petty at Catherine's refusal of his half-made proposal of marriage, said instead that she was nearly destitute. Enraged, General Tilney, (again on the misinformation of John Thorpe), returned home to evict Catherine. When Henry returned to Northanger, his father informed him of what had occurred and forbade him to think of Catherine again. When Henry learns how she had been treated, he breaks with his father and tells Catherine he still wants to marry her despite his father's disapproval. Catherine is delighted, though when Henry seeks her parents' approval, they tell the young couple that final approval will only happen when General Tilney consents.

Eventually, General Tilney acquiesces, because Eleanor has become engaged to a wealthy and titled man; and he discovers that the Morlands, while not extremely rich, are far from destitute.

Catherine Morland in an illustration from an 1833 edition of the novel

Catherine Morland: The naive 17-year-old protagonist of the novel, Catherine lacks life experience but is determined to see the best in people. Her appearance is "pleasing, and when in good looks, pretty."[8] Her fondness for Gothic novels and an active imagination can skew her interpretation of real events. She has a sweet and good-natured personality and is observant but naïve, not seeing malicious underlying intentions in people's actions until the end of the novel. She shares with Henry Tilney her love of sarcastic humour. The novel follows Catherine as she grows and matures into a better understanding of people's natures after being exposed to the outside world in Bath.[9]

James Morland: Catherine's older brother studying at Oxford University who makes a surprise visit to Bath to see his sister and parents. He is humble, sweet, and fun-loving like his sister, but he is not a very good judge of character, and he is both naïve and innocent when it comes to matters of the heart.[10]

Henry Tilney: A quirky 26-year-old well-read clergyman, brother of Eleanor and Frederick Tilney, and a member of the wealthy Tilney family. He is Catherine's love interest who comes to return her feelings in the course of the novel and marries her in the end. He is sarcastic, intuitive, fairly handsome, and clever in nature. He differs from Catherine in being attuned to the behaviour and underlying intentions of others and finds amusement in the folly of those around him.[11]

John Thorpe: Brother of Isabella Thorpe, John is an arrogant and boastful young man. A terrible conversationalist as he talks of nothing but of his horses and carriages; he is loud, dimwitted, overbearing, vengeful, and rude, even to his own mother. John initially takes interest in Catherine and grows increasingly possessive of her, but when he discovers that it is Henry Tilney whom she loves, he finds ways to manipulate the situation to suit his liking.[12]

Isabella and Catherine walking arm and arm in an illustration by H. M. Brock from a 1904 edition of the novel

Isabella Thorpe: Sister of John Thorpe, Isabella is a beautiful and charming 21-year-old woman who can be conniving and manipulative when it suits her purpose. She visits Bath in search of a wealthy husband. She befriends Catherine at Bath and when she learns about her family fortune, takes an interest in Catherine's brother, James Morland and eventually succeeds in getting a marriage offer which she accepts, but she later breaks off this engagement when she discovers that James will only receive a small portion of his inheritance and must wait two years before marrying.[13]

General Tilney: A stern and retired general, he is the despotic father of his three children: Captain Tilney (Frederick), Henry, and Eleanor.[14] Rigid, overbearing, tyrannical, and materialistic in nature, General Tilney spends most of his time taking care of his estate at Northanger Abbey.[14] Strict on punctuality and determined to "keep a tight ship", within his household, General Tilney is by nature inflexible, and has absolute distaste for anyone or anything that disrupts his schedule or breaks his sense of order.[14] Some may speculate as to whether or not his difficult personality is due to his losing his wife years earlier (the wife died when Eleanor was a child),[14] and being burdened with raising his children alone; however, what is certain, is that he is rude not only towards his children, but also in his poor treatment of Catherine. Throughout the novel, General Tilney keeps his focus on the advancement and social acceptance of his family,[14] making this his top priority. Essentially, General Tilney is so concerned with his family's name and fortune, that he tries to control who his children can and cannot marry, especially with regard to Henry's love for Catherine.[14] Due to the misguided rumours from John Thorpe, General Tilney's perception of Catherine changes in that he once held her in high esteem,[14] thinking that she came from a wealthy family; however, when a spurned John Thorpe later tells General Tilney that Catherine's family is essentially destitute, he denies Henry's marriage proposal to Catherine.[14] Eventually, after his daughter's marriage to a nobleman,[14] General Tilney's anger subsides, and when he discovers the truth in that Catherine does in fact descend from a modestly well-off family, he finally consents to Henry and Catherine's marriage.[14] Upon further analysis, General Tilney's behaviour and attitude brings our attention to the social concerns that were common during Jane Austen's time period.[14]

Eleanor Tilney: She is the younger sister of Frederick and Henry Tilney, and the daughter of the tyrannical General Tilney.[15] Making her visit to the city of Bath at a later time, her friendship with Catherine Morland begins midway through the novel;[15] however, despite this delay, she is sweet, kind, and humble like her brother Henry,[15] and proves herself to be a much more loyal friend to Catherine, than Isabella ever was.[15] Unfortunately, her role in Bath is not as significant as she spends the majority of her time acting as a chaperone for Catherine and Henry,[15] but things take a turn for the better when they all make their journey back to Northanger Abbey.[15] Because of Catherine and Eleanor's friendship, and due to Henry's love interest, Catherine is invited to stay with them in Northanger Abbey.[15] They use this opportunity to get to know each other better on a personal level.[15] This is the point where Eleanor explains the reason for her mother's absence, to which we discover that Mrs. Tilney had died due to a serious illness,[15] leaving Mr. Tilney with three children to raise by himself.[16] Other than her friendship with Catherine and their time spent together in Northanger Abbey, Eleanor plays no other role throughout the novel, except for the fact that her later marriage to a viscount persuades her father to grant Catherine and Henry permission to marry.[15]

Frederick Tilney: He is the older brother of Henry Tilney and Eleanor Tilney, and the presumed heir to the Northanger estate.[17] Frederick is an officer in the army,[17] who takes advantage of women with his handsome and fashionable looks, pursuing flirtations with pretty girls who are willing to offer him some encouragement (though without any serious intent on his part).[17] This is evident throughout his interactions with Isabella Thorpe as mentioned by Henry when describing his brother's personality to Catherine when he states that "Frederick is a lively, and perhaps sometimes a thoughtless young man; he [Frederick] has had about a week's acquaintance with your friend [Isabella], and he has known her engagement almost as long as he has known her," (19.26).[17] However, Frederick takes his interactions with Isabella a step further, and manages to sabotage her engagement with Catherine's brother James Morland.[17] Known as "The Captain", Frederick represents Society's dual standards for behavior for men and women both.[17] He also adds to the mystique of the Tilney family: Like father, Like son.[17] Frederick's actions make Henry and Eleanor more sympathetic characters and his ruining of Isabella does the same for her character.[17] Essentially, many readers perceive Frederick as nothing but selfish, greedy, and conniving.[17]

Mr. Allen: Although his role is minimal in the story, he is a gruff but kind man, who is tolerant of Mrs. Allen's dim-witted behavior.[18] He allows Catherine and his wife to accompany him in Bath, where he is being treated for gout.[19] He often takes on a paternal role, serving as a guardian figure to Catherine,[18] especially when he takes an interest in her love affair with Henry Tilney, being noted as "taken pains to know who her partner was",[19] after their first meeting. Mr. Allen approves of the pair, as Tilney's reputation impresses him.[19]

Mrs. Allen: A very dim-witted, childless woman, Mrs. Allen is a neighbor of the Morlands[20] who invites Catherine to accompany her and her husband to Bath for a holiday.[20] She thinks about nothing but clothing and how much it costs, and remembers very little from most conversations, merely repeating things that those around her say back to them.[20] Supposed to serve as a guardian to Catherine during the trip to Bath, Mrs. Allen is too incapable of independent thought to properly guide Catherine through social situations.[20] She runs into Mrs. Thorpe, a woman she knew fifteen years before at boarding school,[20] which leads to her and Catherine spending much of their time in Bath with the Thorpes.[20]

According to notes written by Austen's sister Cassandra after Jane's death in 1817, the novel was finished by 1798 or 1799.[21] The close resemblance in style to Austen's "juvenilia" of the early 1790s together with several in-jokes that only the Austen family could have appreciated strongly suggests that the book was begun during that period, probably about 1794.[21] However, the references to several Gothic novels published after 1794 would indicate Austen did not finish the book until about 1798 or 1799 as Cassandra Austen remembered.[22] The scholar Cecil Emden argued that differences between the Catherine portrayed in the Bath section of the novel vs. the Catherine at Northanger Abbey were due to Austen finishing the book at a different stage of her life than when she started.[23]

As in all of Austen's novels, the subjects of society, status, behavior, and morality are addressed. Northanger Abbey, however, being chronologically the first novel completed by Austen (though revised later in her life), and notably considered a "point of departure" from her other work as a result of the "boldness with which it flaunts its . . . deceptive air of simplicity with broad, bold humour".[24]

Austen initially sold the novel, then titled Susan, for £10 to a London bookseller, Crosby & Co. in 1803. This publisher did not print the work but held on to the manuscript.[2] Austen reportedly threatened to take her work back from them, but Crosby & Co responded that she would face legal consequences for reclaiming her text.[40] In the spring of 1816, the bookseller sold it back to the novelist's brother, Henry Austen, for the same sum as they had paid for it. There is evidence that Austen further revised the novel in 1816–1817 with the intention of having it published. She rewrote sections, renaming the main character Catherine and using that as her working title.

After her death, Austen's brother Henry gave the novel its final name and arranged for publication of Northanger Abbey in late December 1817 (1818 given on the title page), as the first two volumes of a four-volume set, with a preface for the first time publicly identifying Jane Austen as the author of all her novels. Neither Northanger Abbey nor Persuasion was published under the working title Jane Austen used. Aside from first being published together, the two novels are not connected; later editions were published separately.

Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, published together posthumously in December 1817, were reviewed in the British Critic in March 1818 and in the Edinburgh Review and Literary Miscellany in May 1818. The reviewer for the British Critic felt that Austen's exclusive dependence on realism was evidence of a deficient imagination. The reviewer for the Edinburgh Review disagreed, praising Austen for her "exhaustless invention" and the combination of the familiar and the surprising in her plots.[41]

Austen scholars have pointed out that these early reviewers did not know what to make of her novels—for example, they misunderstood her use of irony. Reviewers, for example, reduced Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice to didactic tales of virtue prevailing over vice.[42]

According to Austen biographer Claire Tomalin "there is very little trace of personal allusion in the book, although it is written more in the style of a family entertainment than any of the others".[57] Joan Aiken writes: "We can guess that Susan [the original title of Northanger Abbey], in its first outline, was written very much for family entertainment, addressed to a family audience, like all Jane Austen's juvenile works, with their asides to the reader, and absurd dedications; some of the juvenilia, we know, were specifically addressed to her brothers Charles and Frank; all were designed to be circulated and read by a large network of relations."[58]

Several Gothic novels and authors are mentioned in the book, including Fanny Burney and The Monk.[59] Isabella Thorpe gives Catherine a list of seven books that are commonly referred to as the "Northanger 'horrid' novels".[60] These works were later thought to be of Austen's own invention until the British writers Montague Summers and Michael Sadleir re-discovered in the 1920s that the novels actually did exist.[61] The list is as follows:

1. Castle of Wolfenbach (1793) by Eliza Parsons. London: Minerva Press.
2. Clermont (1798) by Regina Maria Roche. London: Minerva Press.
3. The Mysterious Warning, a German Tale (1796) by Eliza Parsons. London: Minerva Press.
4. The Necromancer; or, The Tale of the Black Forest (1794) by "Lawrence Flammenberg" (pseudonym for Karl Friedrich Kahlert; translated by "Peter Teuthold," pseudonym for Peter Will). London: Minerva Press.
5. The Midnight Bell (1798) by Francis Lathom. London: H. D. Symonds.
6. The Orphan of the Rhine (1798) by Eleanor Sleath. London: Minerva Press. Tenille Nowak has noted that critics and editors of Northanger Abbey often suggest that the names Laurentina and St Aubin appearing in the text are misrememberings of character names from Udolpho; Nowak observes that due to there being very few copies of The Orphan of the Rhine available these critics did not realise that the names actually appear in their exact form in Sleath's novel.[62] Nowak observes other instances where Sleath's novel is echoed by Austen, particularly in her descriptions of place.[62]
7. Horrid Mysteries (1796), which is an abridged translation by Peter Will of Carl Grosse's The Genius. London: Minerva Press. (Marquis de Grosse's The Genius or the Mysterious Adventures of Don Carlos de Grandez was later translated by Joseph Trapp in 2 volumes. London: Allen and West, No. 15 Paternoster Row.)

All seven of these were republished by the Folio Society in London in the 1960s, and since 2005 Valancourt Books has released new editions of the "horrids", the seventh and final being released in 2015.[63]

A passage from the novel appears as the preface of Ian McEwan's Atonement, thus likening the naive mistakes of Austen's Catherine Morland to those of his own character Briony Tallis, who is in a similar position: both characters have very over-active imaginations, which lead to misconceptions that cause distress in the lives of people around them. Both treat their own lives like those of heroines in fantastical works of fiction, with Miss Morland likening herself to a character in a Gothic novel and young Briony Tallis writing her own melodramatic stories and plays with central characters such as "spontaneous Arabella" based on herself.

Richard Adams quotes a portion of the novel's last sentence for the epigraph to Chapter 50 in his Watership Down; the reference to the General is felicitous, as the villain in Watership Down is also a General.[64]

Jasper Fforde, in his alternate history comic fantasy novel First Among Sequels, refers to Northanger Abbey as being under maintenance, and "should be ready on time as long as Catherine stops attempting to have the book 'Gothicized'." It appears again as the prize in a reality program, based on the lives of the Bennets from Pride and Prejudice.[65]

The book, also, contains an early historical reference to baseball.[66] It is found in the first chapter of the novel, describing the interest of the heroine : "Catherine, who had by nature nothing heroic about her, should prefer cricket, baseball, riding on horseback, and running about the country".[67] It is not the earliest known reference to the term, which is a 1744 British publication, A Little Pretty Pocket-Book, by John Newbery, as described in Origins of baseball. The modern game is not described, but the term is used.

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