Jane Austen

Northanger Abbey- Annotated Jane Austen

As Austen's novel opens, we are introduced to Catherine Moreland, a seventeen-year old girl who is invited to go on a trip to Bath with her wealthy neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Allen. Catherine has never been away from home for an extended period of time, and she is excited to see the famed resort town. At Bath, Catherine is inducted into the social world of balls and entertainments. During one of their first nights in town, Catherine attends a ball in a venue called the Lower Rooms and meets a wealthy young clergyman named Henry Tilney. Henry charms Catherine with his gentle witticisms, and she is delighted to dance with him. Catherine seeks him out the next day at another social gathering, but Henry is nowhere to be found. Instead, Catherine is introduced to Mrs. Allen's friend Mrs. Thorpe, who has three daughters near Catherine's age. The eldest of these daughters, Isabella, befriends Catherine. It turns out that their brothers, James and John, are friends from Oxford. When James and John come to Bath for a visit, Isabella reveals her fondness for James, and John attempts to court Catherine by offering her carriage rides in the countryside. During the course of their first carriage ride, Catherine notes that John spends a great deal of his time bragging, but nonetheless she agrees to dance with him when he asks her to be his dance partner.