Melissa's Post on Northanger Abbey

Hi Melissa,
I'm just recopying your blog post here--same as I did for Jennifer--so it is more visible to everyone in the class.
EHA

I agree that Austen takes us out of the story with her personal commentary, and I particularly enjoy the extra angle she provides by doing so. It adds a more personal touch to the story, and it treats any Austen fan to intimate moments where you can see how her own mind wonders during the writing process. As Jennifer mentioned, the scene when Austen takes a moment to highlight the conflict between novels and poems, as she mentions that poems are, "...so often consisting in the statement of improbable circumstances, unnatural characters, and topics of conversation which no longer concern anyone living..." Though her commentary is quite insightful, it does not necessary fit into the narrative, and this begs the question: Does this moment highlight her imperfections as a writer, or is it too valuable to critic? The comments she makes are truly insightful, so they cannot be disregarded as mistakes, yet they are not completely integrated which hints at her immaturity as a writer. In my opinion, though such an inclusion might not be 'proper' because it really does break the flow of the story, the point she is making is too well asserted and relevant to her time to not be seen as incredibly valuable. 

On a completely different note, I cannot ever read Austen and not be enamored with her ability to explore the tensions between the sexes. A specific quote from Mr. Tilney when he states that, “man has the advantage of choice, woman only the power of refusal” truly struck me because this so eloquently sums up the traditional gender roles men and women have lived with for thousands of years. Austen explores this truth in her story’s so well as she unveils the struggles both genders face with the rigid behavioral practice. Sure, we see the emotions that Catherine faces as she has to sit back and wait for men to approach her, but she also, and possibly unknowingly, emphasizes how difficult these standards can be on men. It would be very one sided to see the brutish Mr. Thorpe as being completely selfish. Instead, he has anxieties of his own and feels the pressures to perform, and he has just not managed to execute his actions with the proper finesse to garner Catherine’s favor. To sum it up, Austen’s exploration into gender roles helps reveal how flawed these standards can be for both sides.