Northanger Abbey By Jane Austen: Catherine’S Process Of Becoming A Heroine
Northanger Abbey mocks and parodies the conventions of Gothic novels, most noticeably in its critiques of heroism. The opening line suggests that heroines are made and not born, constructed through the ingesting of societal norms and, in Catherine’s case, the constructs of patriarchy. Yet, her ability to discern some criticisms of male dominance and the submission of women within her society suggest that becoming a heroine can give women critical insight. Her creation as a heroine, then, reflects both a conforming to patriarchal ideals, but also a challenge to them.
Before examining Catherine’s process of becoming a heroine, it is important to note the literature from which she derives her view of what a heroine means. The literature shes uses comes from two critical sources that offer differing views of femininity — the high-brow literature of men and the novels of women. The narrator’s defense of novels provides insight into those differing ideals of the female. Austen’s narrator boldly defends the novels of “Cecilia, or Camilla, or Belinda” as examples of “the liveliest effusions of wit and humour”. They convey more of “human nature” than any other type of fiction. Furthermore, they represent fiction written by women for women. In reading the works of Frances Burney or Maria Edgeworth, Catherine moves within a separate literary sphere where women can actively shape the discourse around feminine identity. The heroine of Northanger Abbey, thus, enters into a discourse in which “the heroine of another gives her protection and regard”.
The heroines of female written work provide a framework for imaginative and active participation within society. In contrast, the anthologies of dusty histories and the Spectator represent what society considers to be acceptable for women to read. The narrator condemns these works as they exhibit only the “improbable circumstances, unnatural characters, and topics of conversation, which no longer concern any one living”. Yet, society encourages women to read this literature as it promotes the ideas and perspectives of men. Women are chastised and ashamed for reading “only novels” and are expected to conform and uphold the viewpoints of men. In reading both types of literature, Catherine incorporates an understanding of female independence along with pressures to conform to the ideals of men. Catherine’s education reflects both types of literature, as seen in her love for The Mysteries of Udolpho and her memorizing quotations from Pope and Shakespeare.
Catherine was never expected to become a heroine, as the opening of the novel suggests. Rather, she undergoes a process of self-transformation to conform to the patriarchal ideal of femininity. Previously, Catherine “preferred cricket, base ball, and riding on horseback” — all pursuits that convey freedom and mobility. At fifteen, however, she “begins to curl her hair and long for balls”, along with seeking affirmation of physical attraction. The narrator attributes such a sharp contrast partly to the whimsies of young girl-hood, but more so to the resulting influence of her reading. Specifically, Catherine seeks those “works as heroines must read”. She learns moralizing and domestic quotations that serve to incapsulate human nature into a pithy saying. Her learning and identity as a woman, thus, can be restricted to a short phrase, such as “many a flower is born to blush unseen”. Such quotations encourage her to wait patiently and rely on the machinations of society to produce happiness.
Rote memorization promotes the static consuming and producing of an identity. Rather than constructively engaging with those authors, she creates a personality around established patriarchal discourse. Contrastingly, Catherine’s favorite novels allow her to explore a society in which women play an active part, both in their victimization at the hands of villains and in uncovering the freedom society denies them. By illustrating an active heroine and going beyond the tomes of history, novels allow Catherine to articulate a critique of patriarchal society.
Catherine’s moments of critical engagement with her patriarchal education are reflected in her ability to articulate the faults of men. Conversing with Henry, she becomes aware of his “indulging himself a little too much with the foibles of others”. She is able to recognize both her attraction towards Henry as the mysterious hero and as a human being with faults. Furthermore, she recognizes John Thorpe’s vanity, greed and conceit. She “does not like him at all, ” yet censors herself to save the affections of her brother. Catherine is able through the language of fiction to correctly condemn General Tilney’s misogyny. She transposes the thin veneer of the Gothic onto reality when she falsely blames the General’s “air and attitude of a Montoni” as the reason for Mrs. Tilney’s “dying so suddenly”. In describing the General as a Gothic villain, she uses her engagement with fiction to judge and evaluate the characters of men. Although Henry quickly dismisses any notion of criminal wrongdoing, Catherine’s judgement of the General turns about to be accurate. “In suspecting General Tilney of either murdering or shutting up his wife” Catherine correctly understands “his character”. Thus, critical reading of novels about women represents an accureate path for women to understand how men enforce obedience of women.
