Northanger Abbey And Frankenstein - 1842 Words

Both Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein are prominent novels within the gothic genre which deal with young people entering society for the first time, gaining maturity and finding identity in a world filled with threats and dangers. However, these novels differ in that Northanger Abbey features a female protagonist, Catherine Morland while Frankenstein features a male protagonist, Victor Frankenstein. Steadfast gender stereotypes exist within the gothic genre as reflected by the distinction between male versus female gothic. Female virtues were characterized by submissiveness and as a result, women were expected to assume domestic roles which Austen satirizes as â€Å"nursing a dormouse, feeding a canary-bird, or†¦show more content†¦Henry mentions how â€Å"in both, man has the advantage of choice, woman only the power of refusal† (74). The comparison made between dance and marriage sheds light on how in both situations, men possess the active agency to initiate advances while women only have the passive agency to refuse these advances. The contrast between the two types of agency reveals how female agency is essentially curtailed by male agency. Henry’s comment brings attention to how gender norms within his society deprive women of their agency in various aspects of their lives. By contrast, Frankenstein exerts agency to the extreme extent of assuming the role of a â€Å"modern Prometheus† in creating life. Frankenstein is a stark contrast to Catherine, who is highly conscious of social rules as seen by her astonished questioning of Mrs Allen who has previously given her permission to ride carriages with Mr Thorpe â€Å"why did you not tell me so before? I am sure if I had known it to be improper I would not have gone with Mr Thorpe at all† (100). On the other hand, Frankenstein acts completely according to his own judgement, defying his father’s command for him to marry and transgressing religious taboos as shown by his desire to play God by â€Å"renew[ing] life where death had apparently devoted the body to corruption† (36). Unlike Catherine, who adheres to the rules of society, Frankenstein shuns society becauseShow MoreRelatedComparing Northanger Abbey and Frankenstein Essay1792 Words   |  8 PagesWhen authors write a stor y they â€Å"tell a particular story to a particular audience in a particular situation for, presumably, a particular purpose† (Phelan 4). Northanger Abbey and Frankenstein came out in the same year, were both gothic novels, and were both written by female authors. Despite these similarities, the two authors produced very different works of fiction and have very different authorial intentions for their stories. Austen and Shelley both use gothic elements to portray their purposeRead MoreGothic Elements:The Castle of Otranto by Walpole and a Scene in Jane Austens Northanger Abbey1334 Words   |  6 Pagesthey might think of a sparkly vampire or a hunky Frankenstein in popularized films. This has led to parodies upon these adaptations of the gothic. This relationship between traditional gothic characters and parodies is not a new subject but a very interesting dynamic. I would like to discuss how one scene from the typical gothic novel, The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpo le, and a scene from Jane Austen’s parody of the gothic novel in Northanger Abbey contrast in many different ways to illustrate gothicRead MoreEssay on The Gothic Genre and What it Entails6177 Words   |  25 Pagesnineteenth century scientific advances were well documented and held in awe and even fear. It is significant that as a result fictional scientists - like Victor Frankenstein - were then added to the stock genre figures. This suggests an intimate dialogue with the environment. One distinct narrative strand of Frankenstein is a warning about the pursuit of science without any spiritual or moral interest. Shelley warns about the dangers of man trying to learn the secrets of Heaven Read Moreâ€Å"The Falls Of The House Of Usher† Is A Dark Short Story,1239 Words   |  5 Pagesculture and used these themes to influence their works. Another style of writing is Gothic, which became popular during the romantic period in the 1800’s. More popular writers that wrote in the style of Gothic were Mary Shelley’s â€Å"Frankenstein† and Jane Austen â€Å"Northanger Abbey† Poe’s stories are terrorizing, because of the circumstances that he writes about. He writes about emotions, and circumstances that people did not speak about in conversation. He wrote mostly about love, death or the loss of aRead MoreAnalysis Of Poe s The Falls Of The House Of Usher 1391 Words   |  6 Pagesculture and used these themes to influences their works. Another style of writing is Gothic, which became popular during the romantic period in the 1800’s. More popular writers that wrote in the style of Gothic were Mary Shelley’s â€Å"Frankenstein† and Jane Austen â€Å"Northanger Abbey† Poe’s stories were considered terrorizing, because of the circumstances that he wrote about. He wrote mostly about love, death or the loss of a loved one. Like in the â€Å"The Fall of the House of Ushers† Poe’s terrorizes his audiencesRead MoreEssay on Gothic Fiction2923 Words   |  12 PagesGothic fiction is erotic at the root according to Punter. From your reading of Frankenstein and Dracula how far would you agree with Punters interpretation. Gothic fiction is erotic at the root according to Punter. From your reading of Frankenstein and Dracula how far would you agree with Punters interpretation. In your essay you should consider: - · The authors portrayal of eroticism and sexuality (in all its forms) through characters. - · Relevant social/cultural concernsRead MoreThe Genre of Stokers Dracula Essay6296 Words   |  26 Pagesauthors such as Ann Radcliffe (The Mysteries of Udolpho, 1794), Matthew Lewis (The Monk, 1797), Mary Shelley (Frankenstein, 1817), William Beckford (Vathek, 1786). Almost everyone was writing Gothic stories at the time; the Bronte sisters, who produced an `examinationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ² of the dark side of human mind and passion, Jane Austen and her parody of the Northanger Abbey (1818), Edgar Alan Poe and his tales about perversity, catalepsy and necrophilia. By the middle of the 19th