Talk:Northanger Abbey

Plot Summary Change

At one point in the summary it is mentioned that although Catherine has realized that Isabella is a dishonest person she will miss her as a friend. I would like to if possible clarify that as I currently have read this story, She is not very distressed at losing Isabella's friendship. Please if you disagree, revert the changes I will be making to it. -Anonymous

Plot

I expanded the plot, as it was incomplete (it kind of stopped abruptly in the middle of the action of the novel). If there is too much detail, or if I missed any important parts, please stick them in! This is the fist major plot summary I've done, so additions/subtractions are completely welcome. well, they ususally are, but you get the idea. --Ecurran 23:25, 5 May 2006 (UTC)

Thanks for that, a great help. :: Kevinalewis : ^{(Talk Page)}/_(Desk) 08:11, 6 May 2006 (UTC)

Isn't the novel really about Henry, and his slow discovery that his relationship with his father is a fraud? As he comes around to the conclusion that Catherine's gothic fantasies that he offed his wife might not be so far off after all, even if it were through coldness rather than outright murder? The plot described here is only the surface. kwami 04:22, 20 September 2007 (UTC)

No, it isn't "really about Henry".. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.68.237.255 (talk) 19:06, 26 January 2008 (UTC)

Character descriptions

I notice that no one has attempted to take on John Thorpe! I significantly rewrote the beginning of Isabella Thorpe's description -- you weren't considered a spinster just because you were approaching your twenties, it was that lacking money to bring to a marriage (for which "dowry" is actually not the best word) was one thing that would make it likely that you could end up becoming a spinster, around your late twenties. Churchh 16:42, 4 October 2006 (UTC)

Is Minelli's "the Reluctant Debutante" movie losely based on Northanger Abbey?

It seems to me that many of the movie characters, and part of the plot, are based upon Austen's novel.

Certainly its not for me to challenge Marilyn Butler if she has written...

...that Jane Austen referenced Ann Radcliffe's works, "A Sicilian Romance" and "The Romance of the Forest" somewhere in Northanger Abbey; ----yet---- in this section of the article, I have two reasons for reinstating the previous narrative (ie, of 4 March 2010); namely:

1) that narrative is correct --ie, the article's 4 March phrasing (of JA referencing AR's works) can indeed be identified in the novel, in chapter 6, as JA writes a scene referring to 'Udolpho' and 'The Italian' (see source citation to the novel). Plus, the 4 March narrative provides coherence for the reader in that it connects the mention of 'Udolpho' and 'The Italian' with quoting the scene (in chapter 6) of JA's characters talking about 'Udolpho' and 'The Italian'. There is no advantage --and there is confusion-- in inserting Ms Butler's for JA's actual references here.

2) re Ms Butler's references to other Ann Radcliffe novels: If reporting Ms Butler's comments is deemed valuable, then it can be done in this section also. Earlier I requested the location(s) of such references be identified in the novel by specific citation (to the novel). In good faith I again request this be done --here, if not in the article-- if Ms Butler's book is referenced.--Jbeans (talk) 09:40, 18 March 2010 (UTC)

Baseball

The reference to baseball in the novel has been used to argue that the game is English, not American, in origin and that rounders is the variant.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baseball#Origins_of_baseball

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baseball_Before_We_Knew_It

Gavinturner (talk) 17:19, 27 November 2010 (UTC)