Female Awakening in Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey

Abstract

Through Northanger Abbey Austen introduces herself as a feminist writer who is interested in social welfare. The female protagonist of the novel establishes herself as a feminist by being awakened of improper education and male’s humiliation upon women of the patriarchal society....Austen’s novel,Northanger Abbey, examines the unconscious and miserable existence of women along with improper education, physical and mental torture upon women and their absence in economic right through the depiction of Miss Catherine, the protagonist of the novel. On one level, the novel exposes the protagonist’s gradual awakening from the improper educational system imposed upon women by the male-oriented society; on the other hand, she realizes the women’s absence in economic right, marriage making decision and ill-treatment of male upon women.... Northanger Abbeydisplays women characters who do not dare to think, argue and rebel beyond the parameters assigned to them. Catherine is unable to understand the texts in depth, Isabella is fond of love making, Mrs. Allen has passion in dress and Miss Tilney can not question her father of his order to leave Catherine his house immediately though she is unsatisfied with her father’s command. Catherine with Mrs. Allen set out her adventurous journey but she can not envisage whether that will be a safe or doom. All the female characters in Northanger Abbeyhave become the victim of a malegoverned society because patriarchy could not digest individual thinking of a woman.