Catherine Morlands Coming of Age in Jane Austens...

Catherine Morlands Coming of Age in Jane Austens Northanger Abbey Jane Austens intelligence and sophisticated diction made her a revolutionary author, and her mastery surpasses most modern authors. By challenging conventional stereotypes in her novels, she gives the open-minded reader a new perspective through the message she conveys. Her first novel, Northanger Abbey, focuses on reading. However, she parallels typical novel reading with the reading of people. Catherine Morlands coming of age hinges on her ability to become a better reader of both novels and people. Austen first introduces Catherine as an unlikely heroine: No one who had ever seen Catherine Morland in her infancy, would have supposed her born to be [a]†¦show more content†¦(34) Austen has set out to save the rising art form of the novel. In this address to the reader she glorifies what a novel should be: the unrestrained expression of words conveying the wide range of raw human emotion. This veneration of the novel is necessary to the development of Catherines fiction-loving character as it justifies the narrators right to remain fond of this flawed heroine. In the next chapter, a very enthusiastic Catherine and her supposed best friend, Isabella Thorpe, discuss the classic gothic novel, Mysteries of Udolpho. Catherine becomes so engulfed in this novel she remarks: But while I have Udolpho to read, I feel as if nobody could make me miserable. Oh! the dreadful black veil! My dear Isabella, I am sure there must be Laurentinas skeleton behind it. (38) Catherine is so wrapped up in her fictional world of reading that she becomes ignorant of her real life issues with Henry Tilney, for whom she has been love-struck since their introduction. She entertains herself with wild imaginings about his life and family. Catherines imaginings foreshadow her eager desire for mischief as Austens story develops. Catherine is endowed with a vivid imagination, but she has not yet learned to use it in concert with her perception, especially in understanding the interactions between people. Although Catherine is passionate about reading her literature, she drastically fails to read and understand social interactions betweenShow MoreRelatedMargaret : A Game Of Mother May I?2044 Words   |  9 Pages Education in Emma: A Game of â€Å"Mother May I?† It is a truth universally acknowledged that Jane Austen is the queen of depicting strong, independent heroines and dashing, empathetic heroes, as well as their witty interactions with one another. However, at their core, Austen’s novels are also about complex mother-daughter relationships. During the 1800s, the education that girls received was mainly geared towards running a household and finding wealthy husbands. As a result, mothers and governesses