Northanger Abbey

Things are not as they seem in Jane Austen’s gothic satire, Northanger Abbey. We make presumptions about what surrounds us. Embellishment is the heart of gothic storytelling; making something more than what it is. The shadow is not just a shadow, but an omen of impending doom. Our imagination runs away with us, and Jane Austen uses wondrous imagery to encourage us.

Catherine Morland makes up stories because they are more exciting than the reality of family heartbreak and betrayal. There are many transitions throughout Catherine’s life as she moves through various social circles. When finally invited to Northanger Abbey, she finds it an ordinary distortion from the picture she had of it. But that doesn’t stop her from exploring the many halls with creative curiosity.

While imagination can carry us away, it can also show us things in a new light. Though infatuated with mischief, Catherine Morland is ultimately a romantic, and that keeps her going. She projects her ideals onto others, which sometimes leads to disappointment. Life is not static; the page turns, and we keep writing what we will. So yes, even the harshest fiction can be a reprieve from the messy reality of life.

I just love the imagery and language in Austen’s work. I can feel her voice in Catherine’s enthusiasm of the “horrid” gothic novel. Northanger Abbey is a great story on its own, but its allusions to the tropes of gothic fiction just make it more delightfully dreadful.