Isa
Administrator
Posts: 6,995
|
Post by Isa on Sept 12, 2008 13:26:11 GMT -5
Another question: For those who have read Persuasion, what did you think of the difference between the way the city of Bath is portrayed in Northanger Abbey, which was written before Jane Austen ever lived there, and the way it is portrayed in Persuasion?
|
|
Lu
Administrator
Posts: 5,469
|
Post by Lu on Sept 13, 2008 5:23:56 GMT -5
I think that Catherine is different by the simple fact that she is younger than the others. I believe she is younger, but if she's not physically younger, she is very naive and mentally younger than the other heriones in Austen's novels. She thinks that everything is going to be as adventurous as her novels. Now, Elizabeth Bennet and Marianne Dashwood liked to read, Marianne even more romanticized books too, but they weren't as gullible as Catherine. It was so easy to persuade Catherine, moreso even than Fanny Price. 1. I agree with Kristie about Catherine. She's really different from heroine like Elinor or Elizabeth Bennet but I like her. I think there's a big difference, I even had the impression it isn't the same place. In Northanger Abbey Bath sounds like a happier place than in Persuasion, probably because we see more of the entertainments of the city, instead in Persuasion I personally was more interested in the characters and in Anne and Captain Wentworth and I accepted Anne's opinion of Bath. Perhaps when Austen wrote Northanger Abbey she was younger and wished to visit Bath but then moving there was a totally different thing (doesn't Mr. Tilney said/Jane wrote of Bath "You ought to be tired at the end of six weeks"?).
|
|
Kristie
Novel turned into BBC miniseries
"If a book is well written, I always find it too short."
Posts: 7,214
|
Post by Kristie on Sept 13, 2008 10:29:05 GMT -5
Another question: For those who have read Persuasion, what did you think of the difference between the way the city of Bath is portrayed in Northanger Abbey, which was written before Jane Austen ever lived there, and the way it is portrayed in Persuasion? Well, there was definitely a huge difference in the two books about how Bath was portrayed. But Catherine and Anne are two very different people who view the city in different ways, and I think Austen portrayed the city just right from each of their perspectives. To Catherine, Bath was her first adventure; Anne didn't really want to go to Bath--so their different views were reflected as such.
As for Austen's not having been to Bath before writing NA but having been there before she wrote Persuasion, I think maybe NA was what she kind of pictured it and Persuasion was how it turned out to be after living there for a long time.
|
|
Kristie
Novel turned into BBC miniseries
"If a book is well written, I always find it too short."
Posts: 7,214
|
Post by Kristie on Sept 13, 2008 10:40:11 GMT -5
- What do you think of the Thorpe siblings? What do you think of them in comparison to the Crawford siblings in Mansfield Park--better or worse?
- What do you feel about taking a vacation at this time period? Was it more just a change of scenery? (Those who could afford vacationing didn't do so much physical labor to be taking a break from)
- What do you think of Catherine's reaction at Northanger Abbey? Was it all her books' fault? Or was Henry Tilney partially to blame for giving her such ideas?
- What do you think of General Tilney's want for his sons to have occupations independent of their wealth?
|
|
|
Post by Carma on Sept 14, 2008 5:57:08 GMT -5
I don't think I noticed much of being in bath in persuasion! (or is that just me...) - What do you think of the Thorpe siblings? What do you think of them in comparison to the Crawford siblings in Mansfield Park--better or worse?
[/b] I found the Thorpses very annoying people! They only seem to care about themselves.. I think they were very spoiled growing up. They were funny people though, it was kind of enjoyable to read what they had to say, because it was just so stupid.. haha I think the Thorpes are sillier then the Crawfords... They are a whole different kind of annoying.. [/li][li]What do you feel about taking a vacation at this time period? Was it more just a change of scenery? (Those who could afford vacationing didn't do so much physical labor to be taking a break from)[/b] hmm... I think it was also to meet other people, out of your daily circle at home... But mainly just a change of scenery, because those people that could afford vacationing were probably getting bored by their regular scenery... [/li][li]What do you think of Catherine's reaction at Northanger Abbey? Was it all her books' fault? Or was Henry Tilney partially to blame for giving her such ideas?[/b] I think Henry could also be blamed for it. Because Catherine kept seeing furniture that came close to the furniture Henry described... but I think her books are also to blame... [/li][li]What do you think of General Tilney's want for his sons to have occupations independent of their wealth?[/b] I think that it's good, ... I can't really explain though.. why I think that.. I'll think about it some more.. [/li][/ul]
|
|
|
Post by Dominique on Sept 14, 2008 8:07:33 GMT -5
I'm just going to answer the first q tonight and do the rest later. I agree I think Catherine is a bit more immature and gulliable compared to the other heroines (even though I've only read MP and Emma seen adaptations of the others ) But I found some of the constant referals to her as a heroine a bit annoying at times. I don't remember Austin writing herself in a bit like that in MP or Emma does she do it in the others?
|
|
Isa
Administrator
Posts: 6,995
|
Post by Isa on Sept 15, 2008 11:55:57 GMT -5
You're right Dom, I think there's a big difference in narration between Northanger Abbey and the other novels - the narrator is much more noticeable in NA!
|
|
|
Post by Carma on Sept 16, 2008 8:00:07 GMT -5
yeah, I read something about that, somewhere... that Jane Austen is around a lot more in this book than in all her other books... Usually jane austen only really 'appears' in the last few chapters, right? and in the first few.. maybe.. I think? haha
|
|
Lu
Administrator
Posts: 5,469
|
Post by Lu on Sept 23, 2008 5:30:16 GMT -5
I agree with you, Jane Austen is definitely more noticeable in Northanger Abbey than in the other novels. What do you think of the Thorpe siblings? What do you think of them in comparison to the Crawford siblings in Mansfield Park--better or worse?I think The Thorpes are REALLY annoying, more annoying than the Crawford siblings, but I found them more scheming than the Thorpes. (I'm not sure Catherine brother would agree with me...) I can't say which ones are the worse though, it's an hard choice. What do you think of General Tilney's want for his sons to have occupations independent of their wealth?I don't like General Tilney at all but I think it's a good thing he want his sons to have an occupation. - What do you feel about taking a vacation at this time period? Was it more just a change of scenery? (Those who could afford vacationing didn't do so much physical labor to be taking a break from)
[/b] hmm... I think it was also to meet other people, out of your daily circle at home... But mainly just a change of scenery, because those people that could afford vacationing were probably getting bored by their regular scenery... [/li][li]What do you think of Catherine's reaction at Northanger Abbey? Was it all her books' fault? Or was Henry Tilney partially to blame for giving her such ideas?[/b] I think Henry could also be blamed for it. Because Catherine kept seeing furniture that came close to the furniture Henry described... but I think her books are also to blame...[/li][/ul][/quote] I agree with Carma's answers.
|
|
Isa
Administrator
Posts: 6,995
|
Post by Isa on Oct 7, 2008 10:45:13 GMT -5
I know we're about to move on to P&P, but one of the breakout sessions I attended at the Jane Austen Society AGM over the weekend compared Ian McEwan's "Atonement" with "Northanger Abbey". The speaker talked about how without good parental supervision, Briony's imagination was allowed to run wild the way Catherine Moland's did. Both characters falsely accuse someone, only in Briony's case, the consequences are much more important. Of course, McEwan's novel begins with an epigraph taken from Austen's "Northanger Abbey", and at the end of the book we are told that the Tallis's mansion has been renamed "Tilney's Hotel". For those of you who have read "Atonement", can you see other similarities between the two novels?
|
|
|
Post by Carma on Oct 8, 2008 11:09:15 GMT -5
oh I hadn't noticed that Isa!
too bad I can't remember enough to see similarities...
|
|
Lu
Administrator
Posts: 5,469
|
Post by Lu on Oct 9, 2008 3:31:27 GMT -5
I hadn't noticed that either, it's so interesting! I'll have a look at Atonement to see if I can remember any other similarities.
|
|