Northanger Abbey

About the story

Catherine Morland loves spooky novels. On her first trip to the city of Bath she makes friends, meets the witty Henry Tilney, and is invited to his family's home, Northanger Abbey — where she's sure she'll find dark secrets. The real lessons turn out to be about people, not ghosts.

Before reading

• Have you ever imagined something scary that turned out to be ordinary?
• What makes a story "gothic"?

Discussion questions

1. How do the novels Catherine reads change the way she sees the world?
2. Isabella Thorpe seems like a perfect friend at first. What changes?
3. What does Henry Tilney teach Catherine?
4. What does Catherine expect to find at Northanger Abbey? What does she actually find?
5. How do the pictures make ordinary things look spooky through Catherine's eyes?
6. Who is the real "villain" of the story, and why?

Words to know

• Gothic — a style of story with old buildings, mystery, and suspense.
• Abbey — a building that was once home to monks or nuns.
• Heroine — the main female character of a story.
• Parody — a funny imitation of a style.
• Naive — trusting, without much experience.

Activities

• Spooky vs. real. Make a two-column chart: what Catherine imagines vs. what is really there.
• Write a gothic scene. Describe an ordinary room in your home as if it were in a spooky novel.