An Analysis Of Northanger Abbey From The Perspective Of Gothic Feminism

Northanger Abbey, a comparatively inconspicuous work written by Jane Austen, has long been understood as a parody satirizing the Gothic genre. It is the contention of this thesis that Gothic elements in the novel are employed to express Austen's feminist ideas rather than mock them. This literary attempt falls within the boundary of Gothic feminism. Based on analysis of the works of female gothic novelists, Gothic feminism is a literary ideology which expresses women writers'dissension with patriarchal society in a rather inexplicit manner couched deep in the texts. Northanger Abbey and its heroine are imbued with a deep level of duality, conforming with all other gothic feminist works that represent women writers'covert efforts to voice their protest against patriarchal society, while still maintaining their identities and roles as the wives and mothers of the bourgeoisie. This thesis consists of four chapters.Chapter one analyzes the formation and the influence of the Gothic novel and the female Gothic novel in Britain. A close examination of the text will be conducted to qualify the level of gothicness, which includes a psychological exploration of the gothic heroine and the repugnance of General Tilney who represents the image of the villain in traditional gothic novels.Chapter two clarifies the definition of gothic feminism and its relation to female gothic novels. A further exploration of the common ideals of gothic feminism as exemplified by Northanger Abbey will be conducted. Gothic feminism, put forward by Diane Long Hoeveler, is a division of feminism. As a discourse system evolved out of female gothic novels, it constructs gothic feminist discourse system on analysis of female gothic novels.Chapter three and chapter four examines Austen's feminist ideas through in-depth analysis of the characters that reside at the heart of the novel. There are several main character types which contrast in pairs. Each pair is presented in a polarized manner. The first pair witnesses the juxtaposition of the stereotypical female characters who conform with the expectations of a patriarchal society against the ideal female character represented by the heroine who defies societal values. The second pairing sees the comparison of the male character image. Again we see the contrast of the typical represented by those who uphold the sexist views of the patriarchal social order set against those who are more responsive to and appreciative of the female characters– this type is known as the"women's man"and is represented by Henry Tilney. These contrasting pairs of figures in Northanger Abbey lie at are core and are indicative of the deep yet covert feminist message which Austen is attempting to convey.