This story is a bit confusing to some people, because Austen wrote it in part to satirize the trashy “gothic” novels of her day. In fact, a good amount of the plot revolves around a very real, very trashy novel called The Mysteries of Udolpho. Don’t feel bad for that novel’s author, though. Chances are Austen’s comments on the novel caused sales to skyrocket.
Even Catherine’s involuntary carriage trip to the country is a symbolic representation of the kidnapping theme of so many of those novels.
Another evidence that this novel is largely satire is that one character’s story arc is abruptly resolved by a suitor’s “unexpected accession to title and fortune” (a frequent deus ex machina of novelists a century earlier, and used more than once by Dickens). Modern readers/viewers feel cheated, but Austen’s first-generation readers knew exactly the kind of overused plot device she was skewering.
A Pox on Both Your Houses
Satire aside, the plot of Northanger Abbey really revolves around a country parson’s daughter whose brother’s connections (and a twit’s exaggeration of her worth) make her a sort of pawn in the schemes of two very different, but equally mercenary families.
The Thorpes – Though the widow Mrs. Thorpe appears briefly, her children John and Isabella are the Thorpes who chiefly interact with the Morlands. John was a school-mate of Catherine’s brother James. Through this connection, James met Isabella, who has professed her love for him.
The Thorpes are middle class and not particularly wealthy. Through no fault of the Morlands, John Thorpe has come to believe that the Morlands are better off financially than they really are. But things go “sideways” when John Thorpe tries to impress General Tilney by exaggerating Catherine’s “worth.”
The Tilneys – General Tilney owns an abbey, but the estate is not as prosperous as it once was. We know that at one point, the general put “real money” into enhancing the parsonage where his second son, Henry, will live once he takes orders. But these days, the abbey’s income is not enough to provide the level of comfort the general desires.
General Tilney’s children are Captain Tilney, the firstborn and a reputed rake, Henry Tilney, a good-tempered second son destined for a clerical “living” in a nearby village, and Eleanor, a sweet, well-meaning young woman. The younger two, at least, have been warned that they must choose wealthy partners if they are to marry at all.
What to Know Before You Read (or Watch) Northanger Abbey:
Two faults of the young people in the story convolute – and sometimes confuse – the plot:
- Catherine Morland has read so many gothic novels that she misinterprets real-world events and overlooks clues (or potential threats) she should have noticed.
- John Thorpe’s need to aggrandize himself causes him to exaggerate Catherine Morland’s financial worth, as well as his (actually nonexistent) chances of “succeeding” with her.
Click here to see brief reviews of two worthwhile adaptations of Northanger Abbey.