Imagination: It’s All in Your Head
In Jane Austen’s novel Northanger Abbey, Catherine Moreland lets her imagination get the best of her in numerous occasions. On some occasions, she struggles with separating the reality of society in Bath from Gothic novels she reads avidly. In others, she is simply naïve to the inner characters of those around her. In both cases, it can be argued that her mental struggles could have ultimately have lead her astray, away from Henry Tilney, and away from Bath, with a distasteful reputation.
Catherine is a young, beautiful woman who travels to Bath based on an invitation from family friends. Coming from Fullerton, it can be said that her prior experiences with wealthy people and their lifestyles is slim. Adjusting to the lifestyle of the wealthy in Bath is challenging for someone who had …show more content…
John sees that Catherine is naïve and takes advantage of that. In one incident, John persuades Catherine into missing her prior arrangement of a country walk with Eleanor Tilney to instead visit, Clifton, a “Gothic castle.” Catherine claims this to be a kidnapping. Catherine lets her imagination mislead her once again. She believes John Thorpe when he lies to her saying this journey is to a Gothic castle like the ones in her novels. Instead it is a modern looking building with nothing gothic about it. Patricia Meyer Spacks says that men and women take advantage of each other and argues that Catherine learns to reject Isabella and John due to their behavior (304). It is apparent that John Thorpe takes advantage of her imagination causing a disruption in the relationship of Catherine and the Tilneys. The disruption is because she is rude and reneges on her engagement with Eleanor Tilney. It can be argued that this rude behavior could ultimately destroy their relationship between Catherine and the Eleanor, General Tilney and maybe even with Henry, whom she enjoys at this point in the
In Jane Austen’s novel Northanger Abbey, Catherine Moreland lets her imagination get the best of her in numerous occasions. On some occasions, she struggles with separating the reality of society in Bath from Gothic novels she reads avidly. In others, she is simply naïve to the inner characters of those around her. In both cases, it can be argued that her mental struggles could have ultimately have lead her astray, away from Henry Tilney, and away from Bath, with a distasteful reputation.
Catherine is a young, beautiful woman who travels to Bath based on an invitation from family friends. Coming from Fullerton, it can be said that her prior experiences with wealthy people and their lifestyles is slim. Adjusting to the lifestyle of the wealthy in Bath is challenging for someone who had …show more content…
John sees that Catherine is naïve and takes advantage of that. In one incident, John persuades Catherine into missing her prior arrangement of a country walk with Eleanor Tilney to instead visit, Clifton, a “Gothic castle.” Catherine claims this to be a kidnapping. Catherine lets her imagination mislead her once again. She believes John Thorpe when he lies to her saying this journey is to a Gothic castle like the ones in her novels. Instead it is a modern looking building with nothing gothic about it. Patricia Meyer Spacks says that men and women take advantage of each other and argues that Catherine learns to reject Isabella and John due to their behavior (304). It is apparent that John Thorpe takes advantage of her imagination causing a disruption in the relationship of Catherine and the Tilneys. The disruption is because she is rude and reneges on her engagement with Eleanor Tilney. It can be argued that this rude behavior could ultimately destroy their relationship between Catherine and the Eleanor, General Tilney and maybe even with Henry, whom she enjoys at this point in the