But most of all, it is the story of the initiation into life of its naïve but sweetly appealing heroine, Catherine Morland, a willing victim of the contemporary craze for Gothic literature who is determined to see herself as the heroine of a dark and thrilling romance. Nature may have done something, but I am sure it must be essentially assisted by the practice of keeping a journal.Northanger Abbey is a perfectly aimed literary parody that is also a withering satire of the commercial aspects of marriage among the English gentry at the turn of the nineteenth century. Everybody allows that the talent of writing agreeable letters is peculiarly female.

Not keep a journal! How are your absent cousins to understand the tenour of your life in Bath without one? How are the civilities and compliments of every day to be related as they ought to be, unless noted down every evening in a journal? How are your various dresses to be remembered, and the particular state of your complexion, and curl of your hair to be described in all their diversities, without having constant recourse to a journal? My dear madam, I am not so ignorant of young ladies' ways as you wish to believe me it is this delightful habit of journaling which largely contributes to form the easy style of writing for which ladies are so generally celebrated. These are points in which a doubt is equally possible.

Perhaps you are not sitting in this room, and I am not sitting by you. King had a great deal of conversation with him - seems a most extraordinary genius - hope I may know more of him. I danced with a very agreeable young man, introduced by Mr.

Yes, I know exactly what you will say: Friday, went to the Lower Rooms wore my sprigged muslin robe with blue trimmings - plain black shoes - appeared to much advantage but was strangely harassed by a queer, half-witted man, who would make me dance with him, and distressed me by his nonsense.' 'I see what you think of me,' said he gravely - 'I shall make but a poor figure in your journal tomorrow.' “Now I must give one smirk, and then we may be rational again.' Catherine turned away her head, not knowing whether she might venture to laugh.

Abbey jane austen