The Gothic Life
Northanger Abby offers an almost contradictory look at the Gothic style.
On the one hand, Austen seems to criticize and parodies the common motifs of the Gothic as she offers a buildup of fictionalized gothic moments of suspense only to clash them against a humorous mundaneness of actuality. This is seen when Catharine arrives at the Abby. Instead of receiving an omen of murder increasing the suspense and danger surrounding a dilapidated castle, “the breeze had not… waft the signs of the murdered to her” (117). It goes on humorously breaking the suspense by splashing water into the heroine’s face causing her to focus on her clothes a mundane worry amongst the mentioned “signs of the murdered” (117). Likewise, when traveling …show more content…
By doing this, the author is showing use that the character believes the mundane situation the audience sees is close if not equal to the suspense and danger of these supernatural or spectacular Gothic events. This is further confirmed in the author’s use of intense emotions and reactions for Catharine. She does not simply put aside her thoughts of embarrassment she has a “violent dispatch”, as though she is physically attacking, using violence, against her own thoughts (120). The same as one would attack or use violence on a great danger in the Gothic making these feelings and mundaneness (embarrassed about being distracted) seem to be as menacing, endangering, and resilient as a ghost or attacker. Going with this, the character acts accordingly to the Gothic mode upon seeing the violent reaction of the General “Catharine trembled at the emphasis” was “double distress”, “anxious”, “blush of surprise” as well as “pale and breathless” (120). Reactions such as these make it seem as through the General shouting and the failure to be punctual elects the same emotions (distress, surprise, anxious) and therefore physical effect (pale, breathless) as the suspenseful moments of danger in the normal Gothic. Again for the character the event does not only seem similar it is a similar danger causing real emotions and
Northanger Abby offers an almost contradictory look at the Gothic style.
On the one hand, Austen seems to criticize and parodies the common motifs of the Gothic as she offers a buildup of fictionalized gothic moments of suspense only to clash them against a humorous mundaneness of actuality. This is seen when Catharine arrives at the Abby. Instead of receiving an omen of murder increasing the suspense and danger surrounding a dilapidated castle, “the breeze had not… waft the signs of the murdered to her” (117). It goes on humorously breaking the suspense by splashing water into the heroine’s face causing her to focus on her clothes a mundane worry amongst the mentioned “signs of the murdered” (117). Likewise, when traveling …show more content…
By doing this, the author is showing use that the character believes the mundane situation the audience sees is close if not equal to the suspense and danger of these supernatural or spectacular Gothic events. This is further confirmed in the author’s use of intense emotions and reactions for Catharine. She does not simply put aside her thoughts of embarrassment she has a “violent dispatch”, as though she is physically attacking, using violence, against her own thoughts (120). The same as one would attack or use violence on a great danger in the Gothic making these feelings and mundaneness (embarrassed about being distracted) seem to be as menacing, endangering, and resilient as a ghost or attacker. Going with this, the character acts accordingly to the Gothic mode upon seeing the violent reaction of the General “Catharine trembled at the emphasis” was “double distress”, “anxious”, “blush of surprise” as well as “pale and breathless” (120). Reactions such as these make it seem as through the General shouting and the failure to be punctual elects the same emotions (distress, surprise, anxious) and therefore physical effect (pale, breathless) as the suspenseful moments of danger in the normal Gothic. Again for the character the event does not only seem similar it is a similar danger causing real emotions and