A Very Belated Northanger Abbey Reflection
If you’re new to this Substack, one of the things I’m offering subscribers in 2023 is A Year with Jane. We’re reading through Austen’s six novels this year and Northanger Abbey is our read for October.
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Survival Mode Ends!
I mentioned in my first Northanger reflection that we were in survival mode. It just continued a bit longer than anticipated. My apologies! Daniel returned from his trip after everyone had partially recovered from the Strep throat that hit our house and then I had two (short) trips in a row to get out of the way before finally getting a minute to take a breath and think about Jane Austen. But we’re back!
Northanger Abbey
Although I’ve missed not just one but TWO reflections, it’s been delightful re-reading this funny, strange little novel. John Thorpe is much more horrible than I remembered. Catherine is more naive. General Tilney is almost unbelievably villainous. Austen presents us with characters that are almost entirely good or back rather than what she offers her reader in her more mature novels: very complicated true-to-life characters.
John, Isabella, Captain Tilney, and General Tilney are simply all bad. John is a pompous fool, Isabella is a conniving manipulator, Captain Tilney is a philanderer, and General Tilney is cruel, bombastic, and self-absorbed. Eleanor and Henry are entirely good, presumably taking after their mother. The focus in the novel is the humor and the dialogue is hilarious. But I don’t find the book as satisfying as the other five finished novels.
What I do think Austen gets exactly right is the teenage girl. Catherine’s flaws are not due to pride, selfishness, or ambition. She is merely immature. Her goodheartedness shines through her mistakes, but we cringe as we watch her missteps. And yet, her experiences “in the world” beyond her home are teaching her discernment. She foolishly believes John Thorpe on one occasion and then after learning she cannot trust his word, she stands firm to do what she thinks is right. She believes Isabella’s flattery and manipulation for a time, then sees through her. By the time she reaches Northanger Abbey, she is a bit wiser. She lets her imagination (formed by spooky gothic novels) completely run away with her BUT her instinct is right: General Tilney is a villain. He may not have murdered his wife, but he is a terrible man.
We’ll talk a bit more about the development of Catherine’s discernment (cultivation of the virtue of prudence) next week, but for this week’s discussion question:
Did you find the ending satisfying? What do you make of Austen’s claim that Henry falls in love with Catherine our of gratitude for her preference for him? Is Catherine worthy of Henry? Is Henry worthy of Catherine? Chime in!
Reading schedule:
Week of October 4th:
Gather your books and read Chapters 1-8 of Northanger Abbey. There are many editions out there, so just grab what’s on your shelf or at the local library. And if you enjoy audiobooks, this is an excellent novel to enjoy with a great narrator. My favorite for this novel is Juliet Stevenson’s audiobook version. Grab Jane Austen’s Genius Guide to Life from Ave Maria Press (use STEWART20 for 20% off) or from Amazon.
If you didn’t start reading with us in January, you may want to catch up by reading the Introduction and Chapters 1-5 of Jane Austen’s Genius Guide to Life to set the stage.
October 8th-14th:
We’ll discuss Chapters 1-8.
Read Chapters 9-15 of Northanger Abbey
October 15th-21st:
We’ll discuss Chapters 9-15.
Read Chapters 16-23 of Northanger Abbey
October 22nd-28th:
We’ll discuss Chapters 16-23.
Read Chapters 24-31 of Northanger Abbey
October 29th-November 5th:
We’ll discuss Chapters 24-31.
Read Chapter 6 of Jane Austen’s Genius Guide to Life
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Looking forward to discussing Northanger Abbey with you!
Haley
(Editor of Word on Fire Spark, Author, Former Podcaster)
Haley’s Children’s Mystery Series about Mouse Nuns
Haley’s Book on Jane Austen’s Novels
Haley’s Book about Radical Simplicity
On this read through, I'm struck by the nead to be judicious about what media you submerse yourself in. Just as Catherine is lead a stray by her gothic novels, at different points in my life I've become a worse person because of what I was consuming.
At one point, I was watching too much reality TV. Even though I knew everyone was ridiculous and over dramatic, I started behaving that way. What really drove it home for me was one evening where I picked a fight with my family, stormed off, opened my laptop, and saw that the show paused in the middle of a fight. I was instantly ashamed of myself and realized I had been influenced without even knowing it.
There was another time when I was reading too much news commentary and social media discussion. I got so anxious and it felt like all the problems of the world where on my shoulders. When I took a step back, not only did I feel so much better but also my perceptions of other people where way more kind. I saw them as people again, not categories.
All that to say, just as Catherine needs to read less Gothic novels, we can all benefit from accessing our media diet- am I "eating junk" or hearty meals?
I love Catherine and Henry as a couple. Often times, we need to be loved and admired before we are capable of loving in return. It’s as true in the spiritual order as it is in the natural order. I think they deserve each other because can offer one another something they each lack. Henry can steady Catherine and provide her with some grounding in the real world, Catherine can save Henry from being over cynical and jaded.