Northanger Abbey

• Genre: Fiction; adult; classic; Gothic satire
• Originally Published: 1817 (posthumously)
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 750L; high school/adult
• Structure/Length: 31 chapters; approximately 260 pages; approximately 8 hours and 17 minutes on audiobook
• Protagonist/Central Conflict: The novel follows Catherine Morland, a young, impressionable, and naive girl with a love for Gothic novels. When she travels to Bath with family friends, she gets entangled in the intricacies of societal norms and romantic interests. The central conflict lies in Catherine’s struggle between her fantastical imaginations, influenced by Gothic novels, and the realities of her life.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: None

Jane Austen, Author

• Bio: Born 1775, died 1817; one of the most widely read and beloved English novelists; known for her detailed and humorous observations of the English landed gentry and the societal norms of her time; her novels continue to be widely read and adapted for stage and screen.
• Other Works: Sense and Sensibility (1811); Pride and Prejudice (1813); Mansfield Park (1814); Emma (1815)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Guide:

• The Journey From Innocence to Experience
• The Difference Between Fantasy and Reality
• The Importance of Love and Loyalty

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Guide, students will:

• Explore background information on Jane Austen and Gothic romance to increase their engagement with and understanding of Northanger Abbey.