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For Monday: Austen, Northanger Abbey, Chs.9-15 (or the end of Book One)


Answer TWO of the following for Monday's class: 

Q1: Chapter 14 is a delightful discussion of books and taste, in which narrator readily admits that “It was no effort to Catherine to believe that Henry Tilney could never be wrong.  His manner might sometimes surprize, but his meaning must always be just” (109).  How are we supposed to read their budding romance in these chapters?  Is it truly a match of equals? Or is Austen wary of having a man explain everything to a 'lesser' woman? 

Q2: How does Catherine continue to mistake fiction with reality, and allow her aesthetic views to color her personal decisions and beliefs?  In other words, how does she expect life to ‘read’ like a novel, and how does Austen satirize her views in doing so?

Q3: In Chapter 13, Catherine's brother scolds her by saying, "I did not think you had been so obstinate, Catherine...you were not used to be so hard to persuade; you once were the kindest, best-tempered of my sisters" (95). Why is it significant that the more Catherine learns, the more she is censured by her family and friends? How might this reflect many of the themes and sentiments of Wollstonecraft's Maria? 

Q4: A consistent theme in Austen’s novels is the entrance of a young woman into society.  However, such a rite of passage requires experienced chaperones to guide her on her way.  How does Austen satirize the idea of a young woman’s education—and in this case, into the social wilds of Bath?  What dangers or missteps does she encounter that were all too real for women in Austen’s time?  

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