Detailed Information

Cited 0 time in webofscience Cited 0 time in scopus
Metadata Downloads

The Parodic Inversion of Gothic Travels in Northanger AbbeyThe Parodic Inversion of Gothic Travels in Northanger Abbey

Other Titles
The Parodic Inversion of Gothic Travels in Northanger Abbey
Authors
최자윤
Issue Date
2022
Publisher
19세기영어권문학회
Keywords
Jane Austen; Northanger Abbey; travel; the gothic; parody
Citation
19세기 영어권 문학, v.26, no.2, pp 87 - 112
Pages
26
Indexed
KCI
Journal Title
19세기 영어권 문학
Volume
26
Number
2
Start Page
87
End Page
112
URI
https://scholar.korea.ac.kr/handle/2021.sw.korea/146691
ISSN
1598-3269
Abstract
This article examines the significance of Catherine Morland’s travels in Northanger Abbey (1817), which is distinct among Jane Austen’s novels in that it revolves around a series of journeys its female protagonist undertakes. In parodying the gothic novel, Austen ironically inverts the journeys gothic heroines undergo by not only limiting Catherine’s travels to central England, but also eliminating the danger and excitement that often characterize the adventures of her female gothic predecessors. While Austen admittedly pokes fun at the conventions of gothic fiction, this article argues that she also employs them to illuminate the grim realities that women faced in early nineteenth-century England. In addition to examining how Austen modifies the geographical trajectory of gothic fiction to stress that the social and sexual dangers for women lie within England (and not beyond its national borders), I explore how she considers the liberating possibilities afforded to women in gothic romances, only to shut them down in the conclusion of the novel. By choosing to gloss over Catherine’s most dangerous journey, an intentionally missed opportunity where she could have related in detail the difficulties her protagonist encounters in her travels and the various ways in which she consequently matures, I argue that Austen depicts a bleaker picture of the female plight than suggested by the lighthearted tone of her parody.
Files in This Item
There are no files associated with this item.
Appears in
Collections
College of Liberal Arts > Department of English Language and Literature > 1. Journal Articles

qrcode

Items in ScholarWorks are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.

Related Researcher

Researcher Choi, Ja Yun photo

Choi, Ja Yun
College of Liberal Arts (Department of English Language and Literature)
Read more

Altmetrics

Total Views & Downloads

BROWSE