The object of
this post is to discuss the generational conflict in “Nothanger Abbey” based on
Patricia Meyer Spacks analysis in “Muted Discord: Generational Conflict in Jane
Austen” from the book “Jane Austen in a Social Context” (1981).
The final
clause settles the novel on this topic of intergenerational relationships: “I
leave it to be settled, by whomsoever it may concern, whether the tendency of
this work be altogether to recommend parental tyranny, or reward filial
disobedience.” This ending serves as a rhetorical inclusion, providing a hermeneutic
lens to the whole work.
Catherine, the
protagonist, lives in a world of imagination shaped by the Gothic novels that
she avid and excessively reads. In contrast, she understands the real world through
the interaction with various characters, including General Tilney, the Allens and
her own parents.
During her trip
to Bath, the Allens assume a parental role. However, the absence of Mr Allen
and the self-interest of Mrs Allen show their inadequacy for this role. For one
thing, Mrs Allen is only interested in clothes and patterns of muslin. In
addition to that, Catherine reproaches Mrs Allen that she did not warn her about
the danger of going with the boorish John Thorpe on an excursion.
General Tilney adopts
an ingratiating and tyrannical position. Initially, she blames him for the notional
death of his wife. Further in the novel, he develops his life in a dream and is
not able to distinguish between the grandeur or squalor that John credits the Morlands
with. Finally, the young couple is going to be married under the condition of parental consent that he must bestow on them.
When Catherine
is expelled by the high-handed General from the Abbey, she is foisted back on
her family. Nonetheless, she finds a welcoming household at Fullerton. However,
Ms Morland puts Catherine under scrutiny by questioning her about what she did
wrong during her stay with the Tilneys.
Young and naïve
Catherine needs the guidance of her elders, such as General Tilney, the Morlands,
and the Allens, in order to understand the world that surrounds her.
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