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Question: Northanger Abbey!.!. Catherine as a heroine!.!?
I have a question!. Why does Jane Austen portray Catherine as a heroine, even though she is the complete opposite from the heroines in the gothic novel!? Is this just Jane Austen being facetious!? Why is Catherine the heroine!?Www@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
Northanger Abbey was written as a satire of the Gothic novels so popular in Jane Austen's day!. Catherine is, in a way, like some of the heroines in those novels: young, wide-eyed & naive, romantic, vivid imagination (for instance)!. She also views herself through the lens of the fearless female found in some of the stories - the one who makes discoveries and is rescued by the hero, if necessary!. The difference between Catherine and the typical heroine is, I think, a bit of intentional irony on Jane Austen's part (you could call it being facetious)!. To fit the satirical aspect of the novel, Catherine has to be slightly "green!." I don't believe Jane Austen's story would have worked had her main character been older, more mature and level-headed, less gullible, less prone to romanticize everything, etc!.

If you go with the more classic definition of heroine, the danger Catherine faces is in believing real life was supposed to be like those Gothic romances!. She goes to the abbey looking to find proof of villainy and find the proverbial skeleton in the closet!. She, instead, has to face her own foolishness and recognize that life is NOT like a Gothic romance!.Www@QuestionHome@Com