Analyzing Themes Of Spacks 'Essay' Northanger Abbey
Themes of Northanger Abbey In Spacks essay, she discusses the fact that Northanger Abbey parodies the romantic Gothic novels of that time. She also argues about the generational conflict, and the characters use of imagination to promote their growth and maturity. She states that the growth takes place through "involvement and imagination"(303). I agree with Spacks by saying that there is plenty of imagination involved in this novel but in Catherine's case, I believe that her growth has more to do with her experiences. The involvement that Catherine has with General Tilney is crucial because she learns from him. She learns that good people could also have a bad side.
There is definitely an issue of personal experience to the perception of the world. Spacks states "Austin reveals significant separation from the important truths of experience" (304). Spacks also states that Mrs. Allen ignores the feelings of others because of her preoccupation to the muslin way of life. Her life is set up around a fantasy-based world. At the same …show more content…
time, General Tilney is in a dream world of his own. He is often unable to decipher the facts and the fiction of people's visions. Even the best-represented woman in the novel, Mrs. Morland, is in a fantasy world of her own. Her views on morality coincide not with her perception but with her assumptions.
Northanger Abbey is about Catherine's journey from childhood to womanhood, a journey that is influenced by the Gothic novels that she reads throughout the story.
The novel's heroine Catherine shows the signs of evil within humans as she concocts stories about the so-called villain General Tilney. After being led through the abbey, Catherine begins to suspect something unnatural. "The General's evident desire of preventing such an examination was an additional stimulant. Something was certainly to be concealed"(128). She comes to the conclusion that he is hiding the body Mrs. Tilney. I believe this is when Catherine's character grows the most. She is no longer naïve; she sees the evil in other people along with the good. It is through her own perception of General Tilney and his actions that make her come to this realization. Although this is where I think her growth is best, she also becomes disenchanted at the same
time.
As the story goes along, Catherine's character does mature but the maturity leads to a need for action. Catherine goes on to try and assure herself that Mr. Tilney would never put her in such a place and that she was not scared. This thirst for the story showed her need for excitement and evil of situations without any evil present at all. Catherine continues that the same day to try and relive the story Mr. Tilney has told her. She is engulfed by the darkness when she gets to the documents and finds out in the morning they are old linen documents. She feels ridiculous for her obsession with stories that she read in the novels. This shows that Catherine was trying to make some sort of sinister situation out of innocence. Catherine is convinced that General Tilney has killed his wife while his kids were away and does not love her or ever loved her. She mistakes his discipline over his children as cruelty and thinks that they are treated badly and unfairly.
Spacks article states that Northanger Abbey "expresses abundant hostility towards parents"(305). This could only support her arguments that General Tilney was a tyrant. It is easy for children to think that someone is evil if that person controls the discipline in their environment. We could only being seeing the sides of General Tilney that Austen wants us to see. The representation that we receive is his character as a tyrant to support the audience's belief that his is a tyrant. Although he embodied many bad qualities, he was still a father and only wanted the best for his children.
Catherine begins to act out her Gothic thoughts by exploring the situation of the death of Mrs. Tilney, only to be caught in the act by Henry. He has to bring her back to her senses and make her realize that society does not permit such things and made her realize that she has really offended him. Henry explains that his mother was not murdered but she died naturally. While in rage Henry states: "the seizure which ended her death was sudden" (134). It is only after this explanation that Catherine throws out her fantasy of General Tilney killing his wife.
General Tilney is viewed as a tyrannical character throughout the novel, but I believe that he had good reasoning for his actions. The sending of Catherine home alone was a harsh manner for the period of the novel and it was not done without reason. He no longer has a need for her so he gets rid of her. Although it is a little harsh but in his eyes, if you don't need something get rid of it. Catherine thinks he has found out about her suspicions and has thrown her out. The General had made it clear he wanted his son Henry to marry Catherine. Being sent home, Catherine was convinced that he hated her. Although Catherine's evil within is almost innocent, it does not take away the fact that she had crept around her friends back and tried to see where the so-called murder victim used to live. The General was the supposed villain in the novel and sent Catherine home due to his own mistake. He had found out that she was not as wealthy as he had been led to believe by the true villainous character John Thorpe. The General was not a bad man but very strong on respect, reputation, and discipline. This so-called villain just wanted his children to be happy and have respectable partners, yet Catherine mistook his strong personality as villainous. There are a few scenes that involve Catherine trying to see Henry that become dramatic from Catherine's point of view. They are a fine example of Austen using the evil within humans to show how they can manipulate situations. If there are any outside influences on the main character it is the gothic novels, which lead Catherine to become to disillusioned. It is an ironic twist to the novel and Austen's perfect way to satirize the gothic form.
Spacks states that Austin uses the generational conflict the same way she parodies gothic romanticism. "Value does not inhere automatically in maturity or conventionality" (306). Austen does this to achieve growth within her characters. As the novel goes on, we see the character of Catherine change. She learns from her past experiences and woes and utilizes them to get a better perspective on life.
The novel follows the general path of the gothic, heroine, hero, villain, big house and scary descriptions. Yet all those aspects are of a satirical nature of the older gothic novels. Catherine's knowledge of Gothic novels leads to the unveiling of evil within her, as she makes a perfectly good man into a murderous man with no feelings. Essentially, her having the background of these Gothic novels distorted her perception of reality and the way that she reacted in certain situations.
Overall Austen's portrayal of her own view of gothic writing is prevalent in Northanger Abbey. The fact that she uses novels within novels supports the idea that she is parodying these gothic works. I agree with Spacks when she states "Catherine's commitment to Gothic Romance suggests misdirected imaginative energy"(304). Catherine was, to an extent, brainwashed by these ideas in the novels. It is all reflected in her personality and her growth as a character. The use of this Gothic parody in essence, explores the opportunism and ambiguities that are essential to the maturity of Catherine.
There is definitely an issue of personal experience to the perception of the world. Spacks states "Austin reveals significant separation from the important truths of experience" (304). Spacks also states that Mrs. Allen ignores the feelings of others because of her preoccupation to the muslin way of life. Her life is set up around a fantasy-based world. At the same …show more content…
time, General Tilney is in a dream world of his own. He is often unable to decipher the facts and the fiction of people's visions. Even the best-represented woman in the novel, Mrs. Morland, is in a fantasy world of her own. Her views on morality coincide not with her perception but with her assumptions.
Northanger Abbey is about Catherine's journey from childhood to womanhood, a journey that is influenced by the Gothic novels that she reads throughout the story.
The novel's heroine Catherine shows the signs of evil within humans as she concocts stories about the so-called villain General Tilney. After being led through the abbey, Catherine begins to suspect something unnatural. "The General's evident desire of preventing such an examination was an additional stimulant. Something was certainly to be concealed"(128). She comes to the conclusion that he is hiding the body Mrs. Tilney. I believe this is when Catherine's character grows the most. She is no longer naïve; she sees the evil in other people along with the good. It is through her own perception of General Tilney and his actions that make her come to this realization. Although this is where I think her growth is best, she also becomes disenchanted at the same
time.
As the story goes along, Catherine's character does mature but the maturity leads to a need for action. Catherine goes on to try and assure herself that Mr. Tilney would never put her in such a place and that she was not scared. This thirst for the story showed her need for excitement and evil of situations without any evil present at all. Catherine continues that the same day to try and relive the story Mr. Tilney has told her. She is engulfed by the darkness when she gets to the documents and finds out in the morning they are old linen documents. She feels ridiculous for her obsession with stories that she read in the novels. This shows that Catherine was trying to make some sort of sinister situation out of innocence. Catherine is convinced that General Tilney has killed his wife while his kids were away and does not love her or ever loved her. She mistakes his discipline over his children as cruelty and thinks that they are treated badly and unfairly.
Spacks article states that Northanger Abbey "expresses abundant hostility towards parents"(305). This could only support her arguments that General Tilney was a tyrant. It is easy for children to think that someone is evil if that person controls the discipline in their environment. We could only being seeing the sides of General Tilney that Austen wants us to see. The representation that we receive is his character as a tyrant to support the audience's belief that his is a tyrant. Although he embodied many bad qualities, he was still a father and only wanted the best for his children.
Catherine begins to act out her Gothic thoughts by exploring the situation of the death of Mrs. Tilney, only to be caught in the act by Henry. He has to bring her back to her senses and make her realize that society does not permit such things and made her realize that she has really offended him. Henry explains that his mother was not murdered but she died naturally. While in rage Henry states: "the seizure which ended her death was sudden" (134). It is only after this explanation that Catherine throws out her fantasy of General Tilney killing his wife.
General Tilney is viewed as a tyrannical character throughout the novel, but I believe that he had good reasoning for his actions. The sending of Catherine home alone was a harsh manner for the period of the novel and it was not done without reason. He no longer has a need for her so he gets rid of her. Although it is a little harsh but in his eyes, if you don't need something get rid of it. Catherine thinks he has found out about her suspicions and has thrown her out. The General had made it clear he wanted his son Henry to marry Catherine. Being sent home, Catherine was convinced that he hated her. Although Catherine's evil within is almost innocent, it does not take away the fact that she had crept around her friends back and tried to see where the so-called murder victim used to live. The General was the supposed villain in the novel and sent Catherine home due to his own mistake. He had found out that she was not as wealthy as he had been led to believe by the true villainous character John Thorpe. The General was not a bad man but very strong on respect, reputation, and discipline. This so-called villain just wanted his children to be happy and have respectable partners, yet Catherine mistook his strong personality as villainous. There are a few scenes that involve Catherine trying to see Henry that become dramatic from Catherine's point of view. They are a fine example of Austen using the evil within humans to show how they can manipulate situations. If there are any outside influences on the main character it is the gothic novels, which lead Catherine to become to disillusioned. It is an ironic twist to the novel and Austen's perfect way to satirize the gothic form.
Spacks states that Austin uses the generational conflict the same way she parodies gothic romanticism. "Value does not inhere automatically in maturity or conventionality" (306). Austen does this to achieve growth within her characters. As the novel goes on, we see the character of Catherine change. She learns from her past experiences and woes and utilizes them to get a better perspective on life.
The novel follows the general path of the gothic, heroine, hero, villain, big house and scary descriptions. Yet all those aspects are of a satirical nature of the older gothic novels. Catherine's knowledge of Gothic novels leads to the unveiling of evil within her, as she makes a perfectly good man into a murderous man with no feelings. Essentially, her having the background of these Gothic novels distorted her perception of reality and the way that she reacted in certain situations.
Overall Austen's portrayal of her own view of gothic writing is prevalent in Northanger Abbey. The fact that she uses novels within novels supports the idea that she is parodying these gothic works. I agree with Spacks when she states "Catherine's commitment to Gothic Romance suggests misdirected imaginative energy"(304). Catherine was, to an extent, brainwashed by these ideas in the novels. It is all reflected in her personality and her growth as a character. The use of this Gothic parody in essence, explores the opportunism and ambiguities that are essential to the maturity of Catherine.