Jane Austen's Tilney As A Gothic Hero

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As soon as Austen introduces us to Henry Tilney, we can see that he is not a typical gothic hero. However, Catherine still describes Tilney as having an aura of charm and good looks through the quote ‘A very intelligent and lively eye and if not handsome was very near it’. As a modern reader, Austen gives us the impression that Catherine is already thinking of him as her hero. 18th century girls however would be more downhearted by the lack of a big entrance that comes with the typical heroes. Austen also portrays Tilney as humorous by asking Catherine “proper” questions that mock boring small talk that couples were supposed to engage in, such as: ‘How long have you been in Bath?’ and ‘Have you been to the theatre?’. Although we as readers

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