- Jane Austen: Northanger Abbey Two
‘Classic Realism tends to offer as the ‘obvious’ basis of its intelligibility the assumption that character, unified and coherent , is the source of action.Subjectivity is a major – perhaps the major – theme of classic realism. Insight into character and psychological processes is declared to be one of the marks of serious literature…’ ( Catherine Belsey, Critical Practice)
1) Examine the pasage (A) and ascertain how far Belsey’s ideas about realism and character are justified by the description of John Thorpe. Is his ‘character’ straightforward to read and if so is this transparency helpful in the text? What questions occur to you as you read this description of Thorpe? Are quetsions essential to reading? Why?
2) Why is Thorpe actually in the novel and how does his presence help us read others? Do we ever enjoy the ‘inside’ of Thorpe? Why should a character be granted the ‘luxury’ of interiority? Whose viewpoint do we enjoy and why does Austen deploy such focalisations?
3) Look at the short extract concerning Isabella’s reaction to James Morland’s marriage settlement. (B)How far is Isabella ‘intelligible’ to the reader and Catherine here and how do we know this? Think about hierarachies of meaning and the way in which realism might process itself so that the reader may ‘judge’ correctly.
4) Consider the way in which Austen moves her heroine around geographically in the novel. Are these movements significant in the progressive evolution of Catherine’s ‘character’? Why? What type of allure is created from Catherines’ version of Northanger Abbey and how far is the patriachal figure of general Tulney essential to Catherine’s reading of the text? ( Passage C)
5) Reread the exchange between Tilney and Catherine concerning Isabella and Frederick. Are these two characters actively listening to each other and if so how do we know that they are in rapport? What is the dramatic signficance of good listening in the text? Can you think of any uses of bad listening ?
6) How do we know when we are in rapport with another? Make a list of the ways in which we can create rapport. Can we be in rapport with our self? Is this perhaps reflected by Austen’s narrative, as Catherine progresses through the novel?