Austen 250 Reader Series: Northanger Abbey (Chapters 1-8)
- Delicia Johnson
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
'But when a young lady is to be a heroine, the perverseness of forty surrounding families cannot prevent her. Something must and will happen to throw a hero in her way.' - Chapter I
And something happens indeed! Catherine, our heroine-in-training, is invited by the Allens to accompany them to Bath. Mrs. Allen of course perfectly understanding that "if adventures will not befall a young lady in her own village, she must seek them abroad". Whilst Bath is not abroad - the typical heroine often finds adventure in France or Italy- it's certainly a ways from her village in Wiltshire.
Catherine's first ball at the Upper Rooms proves fruitless. Mrs. Allen has no acquaintance amongst the crowd so Catherine has no one to be introduced to and, alas, no dancing partner. But readers can at least be left with the happy thought that Mrs. Allen's gown- such a delicate muslin- leaves the party untorn.
Catherine has much more success at the Lower Rooms. She is is introduced by the master of ceremonies to Mr. Henry Tilney, a clergyman from a respectable family in Gloucestershire. Mr. Tilney's general agreeableness creates a strong inclination on the side of our heroine, and she hopes to see him again.
As Catherine finally gets her dancing partner (and a possible hero/love interest), the yearning for an acquaintance is also fulfilled at the Pump Room. Mrs. Allen is reacquainted with a former schoolfellow, Mrs. Thorpe. Coincidently, the Thorpes know Catherine's brother, James. Mr. James Morland has formed an intimacy with Mrs. Thorpe's son, John, and spent Christmas with them one year. Catherine and the eldest Thorpe girl, Isabella, quickly become friends. But while "friendship is certainly the finest balm for the pangs of disappointed love", Catherine can't help looking for Henry Tilney wherever she goes. Has
he left Bath already?! In the meantime, Catherine finds solace in reading gothic novels, particularly Ann Radcliffe's The Mysteries of Udolpho, with her new friend. It seems that novels, especially gothic ones, can also ease disappointed love.
John and James arrive in Bath, and John is introduced to Catherine. (Unbeknownst to Catherine, there is an attachment forming between her brother and Isabella.) A vain chatterbox who hates novels, swears, and speaks unkindly to his mother and sisters, John Thorpe is no Henry Tilney. Catherine doesn't really like John, but as not to offend her brother, she keeps her true feelings to herself. John thinks her to be "the most charming girl in the world" and asks her to dance with him at the ball. Catherine agrees but regrets her acquiescence for who should arrive but her Mr. Tilney! However she does get to meet Mr. Tilney's lovely sister, Eleanor Tilney. Another friendship is forming and more in favorable for our heroine!
And thank goodness for that! I must admit that I'm not a fan of Isabella Thorpe. There is such an artificiality about her, and she thinks herself so wise but knows little of what she speaks of. It's no wonder Catherine- who has far more intellectual abilities than she gives herself for credit for- is often confused by Isabella's logic. And how does James Morland abide her I do not understand. "She is a most amiable girl; such a superior understanding". Really Mr. Morland? I think you're a bit blinded by her pretty face. Although at least Isabella has beauty to recommend her, because why does anyone tolerate John Thorpe? He doesn't even like novels.
Speaking of novels, I can't help but wonder that Thorpe's problem with novels might be because during this period they were associated with women. I gathered this from him liking Tom Jones and The Monk, both by male authors- Henry Fielding and Matthew Lewis, respectively. Moreso he criticizes Frances Burney's Camilla for having "unnatural stuff". Such an odd criticism from someone who liked The Monk! I can see him enjoying the bawdy Tom Jones- the titular character is probably an inspiration for him. Austen is definitely making a point by having John Thorpe dislike novels with Tom Jones and The Monk being the two exceptions.
But enough about the odious John Thorpe. What do we think of Henry Tilney? He is superior to our heroine in understanding of the world and people, but I think her sweetness and innocence is so endearing that she can be forgiven youthful ignorance. At least she will fare better than Mrs. Allen in later years. There is a lightness in their meeting that is very different from the gothic romances Austen is satirizing.
Austen's satire is perhaps what I love most about these first eight chapters. There are these lovely juxtapositions between gothic expectations and mundane reality. My personal favorite: "Neither robbers nor tempests befriended them, nor one lucky overturn to introduce them to the hero. Nothing more alarming occurred than a fear on Mrs. Allen's side, of having once left her clogs behind her at an inn, and that fortunately proved to be groundless." I would highly recommend reading an 18th century gothic novel or at least acquainting yourself with its tropes in order to fully enjoy Northanger Abbey. It'll be well worth it! (Note: Do not start with The Monk...)
Music was key to Jane Austen’s creative process. With NEH funding no longer available, we have launched a Kickstarter campaign to add music to Jane Austen's Desk. Help us build interactive tools to make Austen's music come alive for all Janeites. This Kickstarter will raise the funds necessary to give tribute to the specific music Austen knew, loved, and transcribed by hand. Any amount helps us reach our goal of $9, 000. The project will only be funded if we reach this goal by Sunday, December 28 at 11:59 PM ET. Thank you for your support!
