Northanger Abbey · Chapter
XIV explained
Catherine enjoys a walk with Henry and Eleanor Tilney around Beechen Cliff, where they discuss novels, language, and the picturesque.
What happens
Catherine enjoys a walk with Henry and Eleanor Tilney around Beechen Cliff, where they discuss novels, language, and the picturesque. Henry teases Catherine about her use of the word 'nice' and later clarifies a misunderstanding about 'expected horrors in London,' which Eleanor had mistaken for a riot. The walk ends with an invitation for Catherine to dine with the Tilneys.
Themes in this chapter
Reality vs. Imagination
Catherine's confusion about 'expected horrors in London' (a new novel) versus Eleanor's imagined riot highlights the contrast between imaginative literary expectations and real-world events.
Satire of Gothic Novels
The discussion of Udolpho and the misunderstanding about a 'shocking' publication satirize the Gothic novel's influence on readers' perceptions.
The Role of Women
Henry's comments on women's understanding and the narrator's remarks about ignorance in women reflect contemporary gender expectations.
Characters to notice
- Catherine Morland
Engages in conversation about novels and language, feels ashamed of her ignorance about drawing, and is delighted by the invitation to dine with the Tilneys.
- Henry Tilney
Leads the walk, teases Catherine about her use of 'nice,' discusses novels and the picturesque, and clarifies a misunderstanding about a supposed riot.
- Eleanor Tilney
Accompanies the walk, defends Catherine against Henry's teasing, and extends an invitation to dinner on behalf of the Tilneys.
- Mrs. Allen
Supports Catherine at the beginning of the chapter and gives permission for Catherine to dine with the Tilneys.
Key passages
“The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.”
Anyone who doesn't enjoy a good novel is extremely foolish.
Henry defends the reading of novels, challenging Catherine's assumption that gentlemen disdain them.
“I never look at it without thinking of the south of France.”
Whenever I see Beechen Cliff, I am reminded of the south of France.
Catherine associates the landscape with descriptions from The Mysteries of Udolpho, showing her imagination influenced by Gothic novels.
“Where people wish to attach, they should always be ignorant.”
If you want to attract someone, it's better to know little.
The narrator ironically suggests that ignorance can be an advantage for a woman seeking to attract a man.