Sympathetic Imagination in Northanger Abbey
Critics as well as the characters in the novel Northanger Abbey have noticed Catherine Morland's artlessness, and commented upon it. In this essay I have chosen to utilise the names given to Catherine's unworldliness by A. Walton Litz in Jane Austen: a Study of her Artistic Development,[1] and Christopher Gillie in A Preface to Jane Austen.[2] Litz refers to "what the eighteenth century would have called the sympathetic imagination, that faculty which promotes benevolence and generosity" (Litz, p. 67). Gillie calls this same quality "candour", and states the importance of it to Jane Austen herself, gleaning a definition of it from one of Austen's own prayers:
Incline us, oh God! to think humbly of ourselves, to be severe only in the examination of our own conduct, to consider our fellow-creatures with kindness, and to judge of all they say and do with that charity which we would desire from them ourselves (cited in Gillie, p. 22).
Both critics recognise that Catherine's possession of this quality is problematic; it is desirable, but it must also be regulated if a heroine is not to be frequently duped by the harsh world. Both Gillie and Litz also acknowledge that an investigation of this enigma is at the heart of all Jane Austen's work.
I believe that the exploration of this fundamental conundrum is at the core of Northanger Abbey, and that this should be so dismisses the claims of those who believe that the lessons Catherine learns in the Gothic section of the novel are thematically most important.[3] I maintain that Northanger Abbey is not merely a curiosity, a burlesque of the Gothic style, a remnant which looks back to the parodic style of much of the juvenilia....
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...1974).
For instance, Marvin Mudrick, Jane Austen: Irony as Defence and Discovery, (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1952).
Peter L. De Rose and S. W. McGuire, A Concordance to the Works of Jane Austen, (New York: Garland Publishing, 1982).
Northanger Abbey, p. 56.
Northanger Abbey, p. 18, and Northanger Abbey, p. 206.
Northanger Abbey uses "artless" three times in two volumes; Emma uses "artless" four times in three volumes. [
J. F. Burrows, Computation into Criticism: a Study of Jane Austen's Novels and an experiment in Method, (Oxford: Clarendon, 1987).
See Northanger Abbey, pp. 22-23.
See Northanger Abbey, p. 92, pp. 110-112. [Back] See Northanger Abbey, p. 30.
"That a young lady should be in love, and the love of the young man undeclared, is an heterodoxy which prudence, and even policy, must not allow" (Johnson's Collected Works, V. 168).
Southam, B.C., (ed.), Jane Austen: The Critical Heritage. Landon, NY: Routledge & Kegan Paul - Barres & Nobel Inc., 1968.
Cohen, Paula, Marantz. "Jane Austen’s Rejection of Rousseau: A Novelistic and Feminist Initiation." Papers on Language and Literature: A Journal for Scholars and Critics of Language and Literature 30.3 (1994): 215-234.
In Jane Austen’s, Northanger Abbey, John Thorpe and General Tilney are portrayed as unpleasant villains. Villains are defined as, “a wicked or evil person; a scoundrel” (The American Heritage Dictionary http://www.dictionary.com/search?q=VILLAIN). Austen description of both men as power-hungry, easily upset, and manipulative follows this definition. She introduces both characters in separate parts of the book, however simultaneously she delivers a stunning example of their identical villainous personalities. Through the portrayal of John Thorpe and General Tilney as villains, Austen comments on the male supremacy that permeates through her time.
Southam, Brian. "Jane Austen." British Writers. Vol. IV. Ed. Ian Scott-Kilvert. New York: Scribners, 1981.
There have been many philosophies passed down through the years by many great educators. Views and opinions that have varied from individual to individual. Some ideas were widely accepted and others were not. I feel that it is important for every educator to obtain their own individual educational philosophy. An individual philosophy is good way to help an educator become grounded in what they believe and strive to make that philosophy happen in the classroom. It is a belief that should be strongly believed in and in the end have an impact on the people it is aimed for, which is the students. Over the last few years, I have developed a philosophy that I strongly believe in, because it has proven itself to me, and I want to prove it to others. The philosophy I have developed is that education is the key that opens the doors of opportunity and every student needs to understand the opportunities that await them with an education no matter who they may be.
Many of my students are functioning on grade levels ranging from kindergarten to 9th grade, so the material I chose must be chosen wisely. I primarily use three of the types of educational philosophies, but have used all 5 in various ways during my years teaching. Beginning with perennialism, I use my previously learned knowledge from real life experiences to talk with my students about life outside of the classroom. The delivery of my knowledge is to advise students on how to discipline themselves to become productive citizens in the community. Next, idealism is used in my classroom by establishing goals for my students to achieve. Students are given annual goals based on their needs, my instruction, and assessments. Then, realism is implemented by relating curriculum and applying it to real life events. For
I have not always wanted to be a teacher. Like so many people, I have changed my mind numerous times before I realized that teaching was the profession for me. I wanted to be a nurse for the excitement, and then I wanted to be a doctor for the money, then a veterinarian because I love animals, but I soon realized that I could incorporate the studies of each of these professions in my teaching. I also realized the science classes that I enjoyed in high school could make a great subject to teach as a career.
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen expresses the powerful narrative voice. The narrative voice that she uses is different from other novels. Most authors try to hide their presence in their novels but Jane Austen does not try to hide her presence. Her presence in the novel is so clear. For example, “The advantages of natural folly in a beautiful girl have been already set forth by the capital pen of sister author, and her treatment of the subject I will only add” (Austen 81). She tries not to trick her reader as he/she reads the novel. Instead she informs the reader that the book itself is just a novel. Her purpose is not to convince the reader and correct her story, but to understand the imperfection of language because language does not always tell the truth or enough for the truth.
There is always controversy whether a Jane Austen masterpiece can be adequately conveyed through the medium of film. It has been said that ‘seeing a movie or television adaptation of any of Jane Austen's works is like hearing a symphony of Mozart played on a harmonica’ which suggests that the adaptations are cheapened by the filmmakers and sometimes wildly misinterpreted. Andrew Wright says that many adaptations of Austen's work are made to ‘entice the demi-literate or those of presumably short attention span.’ This is the criticism that faced director Patricia Rozema with her film version of Mansfield Park, which states the very start that the film is only loosely based on the film, but also draws inspiration from the early journals and letters of Jane Austen. There are two schools of thought on the adaptation of Jane Austen's novels, whether they are beneficial or not. It is clear that Rozema’s version of the film makes it more accessible to viewers. M. Casey Diana has experimented on Austen adaptations with her class group:
I want to teach because I want to pass on my knowledge to a new generation. I want to teach because I want to be challenged. After all of my previous work experience, I have found that I want to work in a profession that requires me to work on the edge of my comfort zone. Teaching puts me on that edge in that I have to rely on being able to improvise my lesson plans as not all students learn the same, so I would differentiate my teaching methods to reach as many students as possible. Having that challenge of working outside my comfort zone also means that every day will be different, so I will always look forward to the next one. Growing up I have always tried to be a positive role model and I think that there is no better way for me to do that than by teaching our youth. Teaching allows me to instill critical ethics and values effecting the social development of my students. I would do this by having clear rules and appropriate punishments for breaking those rules. In addition, I would introduce my students to new cultures and traditions that will allow them to have a better understanding of others, therefore providing students with experience in socializing with those cultures that they can carry forward with them throughout their life.
As an education major at State College, I’ve decided to become a teacher for several reasons. As I progressed through elementary, middle, and high school, many of my teachers were great role models for me. This has inspired me to become a role model for someone in the near future. My love for science and math has also influenced my desire to teach and make a difference in a child’s life. I want to teach students the subjects that I love so much. I want the feeling that I helped a child accomplish or learn something they couldn’t understand. One of the main reasons I want to become an educator is because I feel education has really lost teachers who truly love teaching and those who truly love teaching and those who have the desire to make a difference. I feel I can really help make a difference in the education world and bring back the love to teach.
Essentialism is Essentialism refers to the "traditional" or "Back to the Basics" approach to education.
First and foremost, I believe that the teacher should be in control of the classroom. Students are young, and they do not usually know what is best for them. Therefore, the teacher should be the one to choose the lessons and decide what is going to be taught each day. This traditional practice of orienting the class around the teacher is one of the main principles of the essentialist philosophy. To encourage this in my classes, I w...
As with any successful profession, I feel there must be a solid foundation in which to build upon. The objective of developing an educational philosophy is that it defines the purpose and focus of an educational institution. After careful examination of what my own teaching philosophy is, I have deduced that to say I am married to a specific philosophy without any formal experience, to me, seemed naïve. I am certain that my philosophy of education will constantly evolve as I gain more insight and proficiency into the world of formal education. However, in spite of this, I have concluded that my educational philosophy is actually not a single philosophy rather a merger of two philosophical leanings: Essentialism and Progressivism.
Teaching is a daunting task that I do not intend to take lightly. Becoming a teacher has been a dream of mine for several years. I always knew that teaching would be the career for me, especially when I began working in the school system as a substitute secretary. I loved working in the school environment; coming in contact with children everyday made me realize how much I would enjoy teaching a classroom full of students.