Gothic Anxieties in Northanger Abbey and Jane Eyre

Horace Walpole's 1764 novel The Castle of Otranto marked the birth of Gothic fiction. Jane Austen, born in 1775, and Charlotte Bronte, born in 1816, are regarded as two of the finest writers of their generation. In their works, such as Austen's Northanger Abbey and Bronte's Jane Eyre, the Gothic style serves as a lens to explore the fears and anxieties of heroines such as Catherine Morland and Jane Eyre. Both women grapple with gothic illusions in which their fears blur with reality. These scenes vividly depict their mental states, from uncanny apparitions to haunting dreams, reflecting their escalating anxiety.

Catherine in Northanger Abbey consciously seeks gothic elements in her life. She dreams that her carriage will be attacked on the way to Bath and is unhappy when they arrive without incident. Isabella feeds Catherine's hyperactive imagination with gothic stories when they arrive in Bath. Catherine's imagination allows her to transform banal everyday situations into wildly exaggerated gothic scenes. Catherine exaggerates her enthusiasm for the book Udolpho, claiming that she would never leave it if she did not meet Isabella. Catherine's speech here is very similar to Isabella's typical way of speaking, which is highly exaggerated. Catherine's exaggerated speech is the same as that of the Gothic heroes or heroines of the time. This illustrates Isabella's effect on Catherine, as well as Catherine's deep longing to be the heroine of a Gothic romance. Her determination never to stray from the gothic novel predicted later events when her imagination led her to believe that her life was indeed the subject of a gothic novel.

Jane Eyre, unlike Catherine, does not arbitrarily explore the gothic themes in her life. However, Jane's life is full of authentic gothic situations. When Charlotte Bronte introduces her to the reader in Gateshead, Jane sits alone in the window seat by the cold, damp window while her aunt and cousins sit by a nice, warm fire in the other room. This is a highly bleak and depressing scenario, as Jane is entirely socially isolated, having been discredited and alienated by those who should have cared for her. This is one of the main reasons for her strong desire to fit in. One of the primary sources of worry and anxiety for Jane Eyre is the feeling of loneliness and being out of place.

Much of Northanger Abbey is about a young woman opening up to the world. On the other hand, the sequences in Northanger Abbey are at odds with the rest of the work. When Catherine arrives at Northanger Abbey, her mind is filled with the Gothic novel she is reading. In comparison, Catherine is in Northanger Abbey, and the narrative veers towards the Gothic aesthetic. The reader's experience is further confused because the story is told from Catherine's point of view, and her reading of gothic books confuses her vision of reality. For example, on Catherine's first night at Northanger Abbey, there is a storm, and she is alone in bed. She discovers a previously unseen chest and, with some difficulty, opens it. She finds some old papers with writing on them. However, before she can read them, the wind blows out her candle, and Catherine rushes to her bed, half afraid of dying. When she examines the mysterious letters in the morning, she discovers they are nothing more than laundry lists. This scene is exciting for Catherine but also terrifying.

The scene with Jane in the Red Room is one of the most dramatic gothic sequences in Jane Eyre. Jane has been condemned to the Red Room after a quarrel with her cousin John. Jane equates this room with death because it is where her uncle died. Jane was frightened when she was there. This 'punishment' feels like child cruelty to her, which adds another gothic element. Jane's imagination is fed by the horror of being in the room where her uncle died, her fear of what will happen to her when she is gone, and of being alone with people who do not love her. As a result, she believes that a light reflected in the room at a moment when she is vulnerable to fear is a ghost. This incident is reminiscent of Catherine's discovery of the documents in the chest in Northanger Abbey. Both women are frightened for no reason, and when they realize this, they think they are being silly.

Catherine's love of gothic novels convinces her that gothic terror exists in her life and the lives of those around her. Henry Tilney exploits Catherine's anxious imagination by articulating fabricated fears about the house. Catherine's active imagination reaches dangerous heights in the gothic atmosphere of Northanger Abbey, fuelled by Henry, her gothic novels, and her anxiety about being away from home. The story reaches its climax when Catherine suspects General Tilney of murdering his wife. Catherine is so convinced that she ignores the General's dislike of visitors in her room. She decides to break into Mrs Tilney's old room alone. Henry approaches her as she explores the room and asks what is happening. Catherine timidly confesses her suspicions, realizing her beliefs are deliberate and selfish.

Jane encounters several other gothic-inspired events at Thornfield. Jane describes Thornfield Hall in foreboding terms on her first day there, using words such as Bluebeard's Castle with arrows, low, dim, small windows, and shuttered doors. As she ponders this, she is interrupted by an intervening voice, a laugh she describes as cheerless and stiff. The source of this laughter is Bertha, the actual cause of the Gothic events. Bertha appears in several famous gothic sequences at Thornwood, including Jane discovering Mr Rochester's bed in a fire. At the same time, he is still asleep in it, and she tears Jane's veil in half after trying it on in the mirror, and a burst of laughter follows. Bertha seems to be responding to Jane's fears and anxieties, as Jane cannot do so on her own. Knowing it will be an unstable match, Jane is worried about the wedding, and Bertha tears her dress. Mr Rochester says things that Jane should not hear, and Bertha sets fire to her bed that night. When Mr Rochester tries to marry Jane while Bertha is still alive, she burns down the house, mutilates Mr Rochester, and dies. Unlike Catherine in Northanger Abbey, these events are not the result of Jane's imagination; they are real. Jane's fears and anxieties continue to feed the gothic events. The situation becomes more gothic when Jane is uncomfortable with something. The difference between Jane and Catherine is that Catherine only imagines her life as gothic, whereas Jane's existence has gothic features.

While trying to be a romantic heroine, Catherine discovers in Northanger Abbey that the fantasy violence and extravagance she thought existed only in gothic tales. She recognizes the existence of evil, but it is not a calculated and modest evil, often designed for non-sublime reasons such as financial gain. Catherine is a modern, true heroine because she is in pain inside.

Jane Eyre's concerns resurface after John's proposal. She still loves Mr Rochester and does not want to marry John in a passionate union. Jane thinks she has heard Mr Rochester calling to her in an ominous gothic scene. She hears several calls and finally decides to go and find him. When Jane and Mr Rochester are reunited, the novel's tone changes dramatically. Jane is no longer nervous or frightened. Because of her abnormalities, she and Mr Rochester can marry and become equals. Jane's surroundings become brighter and more cheerful when she is happy. When Jane is frightened or anxious, the scene becomes more gothic, and when she is happy and comfortable, the scene becomes brighter.

In summary, the gothic elements in the lives of Jane Eyre and Catherine Morland symbolize their worries and anxieties. Although the gothic occurrences in Catherine's life often prove fictitious, they feel authentic to her and reflect an increased sense of apprehension. On the other hand, many of Jane's gothic experiences are genuine, and the magnitude and seriousness of these gothic situations escalate along with her fears.