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Our perceptions are determined by our life experience and the scope of our reality. In Austen’s Northanger Abbey, Catherine Morland is a naive, good-natured girl from a modest family. She experiences the world through the eyes of a child. On page four, Austen describes Catherine by saying, “She had neither a bad heart nor a bad temper; was seldom stubborn, scarcely ever quarrelsome, and very kind to the little ones, with few interruptions of tyranny.” (Austen, 4) In the sheltered life she’s lived, Catherine has no experience with which to understand the motivations and behavior of those around her except through the lens of her own beliefs.
Life experience is the foundation of broadening one’s understanding and perception.
When Catherine leaves her sheltered family home in Wiltshire with Mr. and Mrs. Allen, it is at the urging of Mrs. Allen and with her parents’ approval as they each see the value in her gaining life experience and meeting new people.
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Mrs. Allen is described as “a good-humoured woman, fond of Miss Morland, and probably aware that if adventures will not befall a young lady in her own village, she must seek them abroad.” (7) The Allens are wealthy childless landowners yet no more capable or willing of imparting valuable life advice to the young Catherine than her own well-meaning but inept parents. Of Mrs. Allen, Austen says “in one respect, she was admirably fitted to introduce a young lady into public, being as fond of going everywhere and seeing everything herself as any young lady could be.” (9) Yet, Catherine is left on her own to learn and understand the world around her.
Mrs. Allen is frivolous, focused on her clothing and finery, and as such fails as a mentor and chaperone for Catherine.
In her first introduction to society at a ball, “Mrs. Allen took so long in dressing that they did not enter the ballroom until late, the season was full, the room was crowded and the two ladies squeezed in as well as they could. With more care for the safety of her new gown than the comfort of her protege, Mrs. Allen made her way through the throng of men by the door, as swiftly as the necessary caution would allow.” (9) Ultimately the outing is an embarrassing failure, as Mrs. Allen knows no one who can introduce them, “‘How uncomfortable it is,’ whispered Catherine, ‘not to have a single acquaintance here.’” (10) Catherine is thrust into an experience that is uncomfortable and doesn’t unfold as she expects it will, and her chaperones are useless to improving the experience. No one can teach her how to experience the world by their words alone; she must endure experiences to create understanding that comes from them.
Inexperience and naivete shelters people from understanding the actions of those around them. Catherine believes that others think and behave as she does, and is not able to see or suspect ambition in others. Catherine becomes the subject of gossip, described by John Thorpe to his sister, Isabella and to General Tilney as wealthy, the prospective heir of the Allens extensive estate. This makes her and her family intriguing and attractive to each, shaping how they interact with Catherine. However, her inexperience and innocence makes the ambitions and motivations of others lost on Catherine.
She becomes a pawn, blind to Isabella’s scheming, General Tilney’s true tyranny, and even John’s affection for her. Henry views her innocence as refreshing and a result of her good nature, yet is reluctant to enlighten her for fear of making her upset. In one exchange between Henry and Catherine, the depth of her misunderstanding is clear and he is reticent, not wanting to embarrass her. “Catherine blushed and disclaimed, and the gentleman’s predictions were verified. There was a something, however, in his words which repaid her for the pain of confusion; and that something occupied her mind so much, that she drew back for some time, forgetting to speak or to listen and almost forgetting where she was.” (94) In this moment, Catherine begins to see and understand that others behave and think differently from herself. She gains more understanding as a result of this experience.
Life experience is the ultimate remedy of innocence and immaturity. When we are first introduced to Catherine she is a young, innocent and somewhat impotent character. As the novel progresses, Catherine involves into a smart and likable functioning member of society. Catherine’s view of the world is altered and shaped by the people she meets in Bath and the experiences she has in Northanger Abbey. She develops self awareness and learns to separate her novels from her real life.
Ultimately leaving Wiltshire and traveling to Bath and Northanger Abbey is what allows Catherine to mature and have a better understanding of the workings of the world and people’s behavior and motivations. She leaves home a young and impressionable child, but grows to become a mature and more knowing young woman having experienced so much more of the world than she otherwise would have. Her good nature remains, and she is rewarded with what is a happy ending. As young people grow up and leave home, they are formed into the adults they will become based as much or more on the path they travel as on the family home they left behind. Parents, mentors, teachers and privilege are only the beginning. In the end, adventure and opportunity determine one’s perceptions and whether or not the world makes sense.
Concept of Growing Up in Northanger Abbey. (2022, Jan 21). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/concept-of-growing-up-in-northanger-abbey-essay
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