The first chapter of Northanger
Abbey opens with the statement: “No one who had ever seen Catherine Morland
in her infancy, would have supposed her born to be an heroine.” I didn’t think Catherine was a heroine,
so I was especially interested in the idea of Catherine Morland as a
heroine. Austen first introduces
Catherine as a young, unattractive tomboy. By age 17, she has developed her looks and a love of books. Catherine sets out on her heroic
journey when she leaves her family to go to Bath. In bath, and for the rest of the first volume, Catherine
displays some characteristics of the Gothic hero. According to Wikipedia, characteristics of a Gothic hero
include: introspection, alienation, and isolation. Austen illustrates introspection with her unique dialogue
that is told in the third person but expresses the thoughts of a single
character. Catherine’s alienation
and isolation is exhibited in her inability to read people and understand
relationships. I did notice
several characteristics of a Gothic hero that Catherine has not
demonstrated. I do not think that
Catherine holds a strong desire for worldliness, melancholy, misanthropy, or a
strong regret for her actions. In
fact, I think she is so oblivious to her surroundings and the desires of others
that she cannot feel such strong feelings. Therefore, while Austen sets Catherine up to be a hero, I do
not see her as the Gothic hero of the novel.
I agree. She is quite unlike the heroine we find in Adeline, who fits almost all of the qualities you have listed. I wonder which type of heroine is more sensible. Maybe depicting a heroine more like Catherine is more conducive to the satire Austen seeks to produce.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Catherine is pointed out very blatantly by Austen as the hero from the start of the book, and there are instances where she uses the narrator to pull out of the story and address the audience to ensure we understand oblivious, isolated Catherine is meant to serve as her mock heroine. Some of these scenes in which Catherine is idenified as the heroine belittle the role of a heroine. Austen in one point ends the chapter with the description "And I now may dimiss my heroine to the sleepless couch, which is the true heronie's portin; to a pillow strewed with thorns and wet with tears." This description of a heroine doesn't seem like any heroine I would want to idenitfy with and emulate.
ReplyDeletePerhaps Austen's explicit declaration of Catherine's role is necessary because of the conflicting imagery associated with her character. Austen clearly has formulated her own idea of what traits make up a heroine, shown through her less than glamorous portrayal of Catherine.
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