Book Thoughts: Female Stereotypes in Northanger Abbey

 I deeply enjoy Austen’s characterization in her novels.  Of the three women -  Mrs. Thorpe, Mrs. Allen, and Isabella Thorpe - we know the least about Mrs. Thorpe.  However, we know enough to see that Austen is poking fun at the stereotypical gossip of her day (and ours too, for that matter).  Close behind her main love of gossip are her pride in her children (and herself) and her concern with fashion.  We can see Austen’s use of satire as she converses with Mrs. Allen and with her daughter, Isabella.  Large portions of her conversation deals with the current gossip in Bath. When she talks with Mrs. Allen she also often talks of her children, and particularly of Isabella.  This shows a lack of consideration for feelings other than her own since Mrs. Allen does not have children and so Mrs. Thorpe has a kind of one-upmanship in this area.  In chapter four we are told that both Mrs. Allen and Mrs.Thorpe talk to each without hearing a great deal of what the other one says. She believes Isabella is the most beautiful girl around and encourages her to value wealth in a suitor.  She and Mrs. Allen frequently discuss items of fashion, another of Mrs. Thorpe’s interests, although she doesn’t have as much money to spend on clothes as Mrs. Allen. 

While we read more often of Mrs. Allen she does not make a huge impression on the reader.  I think of her as a vague character.  She does not ever express strong emotion; and she is the most animated when she is talking about clothes.  Mrs. Allen’s character is stereotypically fashion-oriented.  She is a kind person, in a vague sort of way, but nearly the only subject she shows animation about is related to fashion and shopping.  We see Austen’s use of satire several times through the character of Mrs. Allen.  One example is in chapter 3 when Mrs. Allen is talking to Henry Tilney of how easy it is to shop in Bath – an item of extreme importance to her.  She states, “One can step outdoors and get a thing in five minutes.”  To her, this is one of the main attractions of Bath and she continues to talk of fabric and fashion to Henry at the dance, even though this seems an odd subject to pursue with a young man she has just met.  However, it does not seem odd to Mrs. Allen because her world revolves around fashion, and like Mrs. Thorpe, tends to only focus on what she is interested in herself.  When Mrs. Thorpe talks to her about the Thorpe children Mrs. Allen responds by talking about clothes.  Again, in chapter 12 we see her ability to focus only on clothes.  Catherine is apologizing to Henry Tilney over missing their appointed walk and appeals to Mrs. Allen with much emotion to corroborate her statement.  Mrs. Allen’s reply is, “My dear, you tumble my gown."

Isabella Thorpe’s character is stereotypical of a totally self-absorbed, shallow person out to get all she can…a gold-digger.  In her many conversations with Catherine she does not give any original opinions, but rather re-states what others have said.  For instance, when they are talking about books in chapter 6, although Isabella can rattle off a list of titles she has written down, she cannot tell Catherine anything about them except that Miss Andrews has read them.  In a nice moment of satire, Austen has Isabella play with enjoyment the game Commerce, a game with stakes (representing her love of money) and with bartering (representing her flirting with several men).  Isabella displays her shallowness in her treatment of Catherine in chapter 13 when Isabella, James and John plan to drive to Clifton and Catherine declines to go with them because of a previous engagement.  Although Catherine is firm in her inclination to do what she perceives is right, Isabella treats her with coldness for not doing whatever Isabella wants.  We also see shallowness of character in her treatment of John Thorpe when she discovers he has less money than she thought.  She immediately begins flirting with the elder brother of Henry Tilney and eventually sends James Thorpe away.  Her conversation focuses mainly on herself and the local gossip.  Isabella’s character satirizes the young women of that time who are only interested in marrying for money and security and do not love anyone other than themselves.