Shin 1

The Double Narration and Heroine's Growth in Northanger Abbey

Early English Women Writers

Professor Jayun Choi

Jimin Shin

2023.05.01

Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey is a posthumously published in 1818. The novel is a satire on the

Gothic novels popular at the time and uses irony, parody, and satire to form a dual narrative structure,

through which Austen critiques the prevailing misconceptions about women's prescribed identities and

appropriate behavior at that time. In an era when female writers generally cannot even claim their

identity as women, their books would not have been even likely to be published if they wrote what they

felt as social women without filtering. In this sense, the dual narrative technique serves as both Austen's

creative strategy and a means of making her work more acceptable for readers. Therefore, Austen

employed a strategy of indirect discourse to gain approval from the public about her narrative of

women's experience in her time, the narrative device of a double vision. So, there are two conflicting

standpoints in her novel. While the first-person narrator in the novel pretends to conform to the values

and views that suppress women and their self-expression, the other persona assumes critical attitude

toward the ideological pressure on women. As a realist, Austen parodies conventional literature by

connecting unrealistic situations and typical characters lacking realism to the reality within the novel.

What Austen tried to criticize is society's ideological system that reinforces women's passive position

in both domestic and society and hinders women's real growth with inappropriate moral standards.

Northanger Abbey seems consistent with criticism of Gothic novels. First, the protagonist Catherine

Morland, born in a rural village called Fullerton in Wiltshire, England, is depicted in the opposite way

to the ideal heroine that a reader of the time who was familiar with romantic novels can expect.
 Shin 2

No one who had ever seen Catherine Morland in her infancy, would have supposed her born to be

an heroine. Her situation in life, the character of her father and mother, her own person and

disposition, were all equally against her. [...] they were in general very plain, and Catherine, for

many years of her life, as plain as any. She had a thin awkward figure, a sallow skin without colour,

dark lank hair, and strong features,-so much for her person. And not less unpropitious for heroism

seemed her mind. (5-6)

In short, Catherine is not the typical heroine of a romantic novel. She is not from an exceptional

family, nor does she possess outstanding beauty. She describes as merely “almost pretty.” Additionally,

she is not an orphan, and a plain woman who "never could learn or understand anything before she was

taught; and sometimes not even then, for she was often inattentive and occasionally stupid." In other

words, she has no inherent qualities that would make her a suitable heroine.

Somewhat unremarkable Catherine becomes a fairly typical protagonist when she embarks on a six-

week journey to the city of Bath under the protection of the Allen couple, her neighbors. In Gothic

novels, the protectors are typically characters who puts the heroine in a corner with various schemes.

However, Mrs. Allen is a vain and simple person who neither traps Catherine nor protects her from the

harassment of those around her. Furthermore, the events that Catherine experiences are typical of a

teenage girl in middle-class England at the time. However, the speaker likens Catherine's confusion and

perplexity in an unfamiliar city to the dangers and adventures of Gothic novels. In other words, the

danger and difficulty that Catherine experiences are not Gothic novelistic events in which she is

kidnapped by unknown beings or threatened by unknown beings, but rather the restraint of behavior

from familiar people, such as confusing her with bluster and lies, taking her around at will, and not

letting her get out of the carriage. In this way, Austen satirizes the clichés of traditional Gothic novels

and humorously depicts them.

Henry Tilney's father, General Tilney, considers Catherine as a rich daughter and invites her to his
 Shin 3

Northanger Abbey. Also, because of the oppressive atmosphere of General Tilney in the house, with the

sound of a gloomy storm and a paper that is eventually revealed to be a washing-bill, Catherine, who

has come to the Northanger Abbey, imagines herself in a situation from a Gothic novel. However, even

in this part, the illusion of the Gothic novel is shattered. This is because it comedically shows Catherine

unknowingly falling fast asleep.

In this novel, characters are interested in the Gothic novel The Mysteries of Udolpho(1794). Catherine

believes that General Tilney, like the merciless murderer marquis Montoni in the novel, has been

abusing and imprisoning his wife somewhere in the house or committing cruel murders, and Catherine

goes around looking for evidence. However, she is caught by Henry. Using the circumstances of his

mother's death and the rationality of English society as evidence, Henry scolds her for having excessive

imagination. In this part, although Henry is considered to represent rationalist Austen, it is difficult to

determine whether a parody of Gothic Novel is a true criticism of it, given that Henry enjoys reading

Radcliffe's work and that a person like John who has not read her work is portrayed as a selfish person.

After hearing John Thorpe's story that the Morland family is deeply poor and snobbery seeking to

rise in status, General Tilney dismisses Catherine. As a result, she embarks on a long journey home

alone, which would have been nearly impossible for a young woman to do during that time period.

Considering this, the General's actions are incredibly cruel. Ultimately, Northanger Abbey, Austen is

expressing that violence lies not in the unknown and supernatural, but in reality and fact. Nevertheless,

Catherine is an immature woman who is immersed in the ideal of literature and does not know the

reality properly. Therefore, she requires a reasonable mentor, like Henry, to grow up and become a

mature and quiet proper lady. However, this novel cannot be reduced to a simple coming-of-age novel,

as it offers commentary on the behavior and virtues of women throughout.

She was heartily ashamed of her ignorance. A misplaced shame. Where people wish to attach, they

should always be ignorant. To come with a well-informed mind is to come with an inability of
 Shin 4

administering to the vanity of others, which a sensible person would always wish to avoid. A

woman especially, if she have the misfortune of knowing anything, should conceal it as well as she

can. (132)

Walking along the Beechen Cliff with the Tilney siblings, Catherine realizes that she does not use

words correctly, has no interest in history, and does not appreciate the surrounding scenery. However,

the narrator suggests that these aspects of Catherine's character attract men. Intellectual ability in

women is not considered attractive, and instead, ignorance is seen as desirable. The narrator even adds

irony by suggesting that women with such unfortunate abilities should hide them as much as possible.

As mentioned earlier, Henry takes on the role of a mentor who can make Catherine into a successful

domestic woman, that is, a proper lady. Henry is a complex character. As the second son who cannot

inherit, he is a victim of the patriarchal society, but at the same time, he is a perpetrator position in his

relationships with women because he recognizes the oppression of patriarchy more than anyone else.

So, he can efficiently maintain the system. While he obeys the patriarchal authority of General Tilney,

he feels uncomfortable with the General Tilney. However, as can be seen in the process of accepting

Catherine's marriage, it is also clear that he recognizes his father's permission as an irresistible authority.

Henry takes Catherine's limited intellectual abilities for granted and clearly separates the roles that

women should play and preserve. He is satisfied with Catherine's attitude of listening quietly to his

words and wants to teach her, and he also knows how to silence women.

Delighted with her progress, and fearful of wearing her with too much wisdom at once, Henry

suffered the subject to decline, and by an easy transition from [...] he shortly found himself arrived

at politics; and from politics, it was an easy step to silence. (133)

 Shin 5

For example, when Catherine learns from Eleanor Tilney how to love flowers, Henry advises that

women's love for flowers is desirable because it provides an opportunity for women who are destined

to live within limited boundaries to venture outside the home. Furthermore, Henry's belief that learning

to love something is a good way to cultivate the gentle disposition that young women ought to possess

demonstrates his understanding of the essence of patriarchal values, which are the fundamental

principles that underlie the real world. The following is a passage in which Henry discusses the nature

of marriage while dancing with Catherine at the ball.

“And such is your definition of matrimony and dancing. Taken in that light certainly, their

resemblance is not striking; but I think I could place them in such a view.—You will allow, that in

both, man has the advantage of choice, woman only the power of refusal; that in both, it is an

engagement between man and woman, [...] or fancying that they should have been better off with

anyone else.” (88)

According to Henry's rational education, while men have the freedom to choose their dance partners

and spouses, women only have the right to refuse. He continues to emphasize the difference between

dance and marriage, asserting the domestic ideology that men are to provide for women, and women

are to smile for men and make the home comfortable.

However, once one recognizes the discriminatory nature of gendered life hidden under the domestic

ideology, its falsehood can be easily detected. This ideology was reinforced in the late 17th century, and

the heyday of conduct literature, a printed ideology, coincides with Austen's lifetime. Therefore, it is

inextricably linked to the historical background of industrialization that was rapidly progressing in

Britain at the time. As men struggled in the public area to support their families, the private area of the

home was demanded to be led by women. Rather than being a presence that demands rights while

comfortably staying within the home, women were excluded from participating in the public area. In
 Shin 6

short, the reality of domestic ideology is that it is a male-centric system that maintains dominance over

women by controlling society, culture, and the economy. In this sense, Henry is aware of the problems

of a society that is oppressive to women but contributes to maintaining them. This irony is well

demonstrated through Henry's reasonable view of reality.

Northanger Abbey has a double structure of meaning, and by so doing reveals Austen’s awareness of

the strained relation between the old vision of society and the new one of it. In particular, the central

concern in the novel is with the conflict between the conservative view of femininity and its new

interpretation. Its “official” plot parodies the improbable and sentimental romance. The first-person

narrator portrays Catherine, the heroine of the novel, as a simple, immature girl. But Austen’s real

motive is to attack the patriarchal society whose false moral standard, the domestic ideology, confuses

women's sense of identity and weakens their autonomy in the society.

In this way, Northanger Abbey criticizes the entire society's ideological system to prevent women's

real growth and reinforce women's passive position in both domestic and society with inappropriate

moral standards. Therefore, General Tilney can be reinterpreted as a typical domestic tyrant rather than

just a parody of an unrealistic character named Montoni. He creates oppressive situations that cannot

be said other than himself. He also shows a tyrant appearance, holding a watch in his hand, forcing his

family and maid to follow the rules of life set by him, and violently pulling the bell to prepare dinner.

This is an appearance as a protector of patriarchal society that transforms the relationship between

parents and children into a relationship of command and obedience, not love and understanding.

Catherine accepts Henry's teaching not to associate reality with gothic fantasies. Her suspicion of

Mrs. Tilney may have been suppressed by his reprimand, but her doubts resurface when she is expelled

from Northanger Abbey. It may be a misunderstanding that General Tilney suspected that he was

murdering or confining his wife, but I do not think that her doubts were too great a fault considering his

character or cruelty to the Catherine. Moreover, General Tilney's oppressive gaze and behavior towards

his children, as well as the mysterious death of Mrs. Tilney, leave readers questioning his sinister nature.
 Shin 7

Henry's explanation of Catherine's curiosity about Mrs. Tilney's sudden death is not clear enough to

dispel readers' doubts.

“For a time, greatly so. You have erred in supposing him not attached to her. He loved her, [...]

while she lived, she might not often have had much to bear, but though his temper injured her, his

judgment never did. His value of her was sincere; and, if not permanently, he was truly afflicted by

her death.” (239)

But to be sure, it would be the male-centric and greed for materialism inherent in patriarchal society

that truly terrifies humans. Therefore, through Catherine's Gothic imagination at Northanger Abbey,

Austen intends to reveal the falsehoods hidden behind the monetary motives of marriage in a hollow

society. In this sense, Catherine's growth is the process of experiencing the driving force behind the real

world and gaining the ability to read it. However due to her innocent, she accepts Henry's reasonable

view of reality and gives up on understanding the true flaws of society. By accepting the false surface

imposed by men, she reaches a happy marriage and conforms to traditional order. However, Austen uses

Catherine's resigned perception of growth as a device to encourage readers to observe with a broader

perspective. The biggest irony of Northanger Abbey is that while the violence imagined by Catherine

in Gothic novels, is resolved, the real world is no less bleak, implying a more rational and realistic

worldview.