Blog #2

Catherine’s expectations of pleasure from her visit in Milsom Street were so very high that disappointment was inevitable;

Isabella, on hearing the particulars of the visit, gave a different explanation: “It was all pride, pride, insufferable haughtiness and pride! She had long suspected the family to be very high, and this made it certain. Such insolence of behaviour as Miss Tilney’s she had never heard of in her life! Not to do the honours of her house with common good breeding! To behave to her guest with such superciliousness! Hardly even to speak to her!” “But it was not so bad as that, Isabella; there was no superciliousness; she was very civil.” “Oh! Don’t defend her! And then the brother, he, who had appeared so attached to you! Good heavens! Well, some people’s feelings are incomprehensible. And so he hardly looked once at you the whole day?” “I do not say so; but he did not seem in good spirits.” “How contemptible! Of all things in the world inconstancy is my aversion. Let me entreat you never to think of him again, my dear Catherine; indeed he is unworthy of you.” “Unworthy! I do not suppose he ever thinks of me.” “That is exactly what I say; he never thinks of you. Such fickleness! Oh! How different to your brother and to mine! I really believe John has the most constant heart.” “But as for General Tilney, I assure you it would be impossible for anybody to behave to me with greater civility and attention; it seemed to be his only care to entertain and make me happy.” “Oh! I know no harm of him; I do not suspect him of pride. I believe he is a very gentleman-like man. John thinks very well of him, and John’s judgment—” “Well, I shall see how they behave to me this evening; we shall meet them at the rooms.” “And must I go?”

Austen, Jane. Northanger Abbey (pp. 121-122).

I thought this excerpt was important because as soon as you read the first sentence of the second volume there is foreshadowing and the sense that everything is going to go to pieces. Plus I thought that this scene literally happens probably every day for different people, because I know that I love to gossip and let my friends know what's going on in my life and such. It really shows how important Isabella is to Catherine because she's there to listen and be there for her, and it made me think about the ones who are there for me. Also, I can relate to having extreme expectations for a situation and then things not go as planned, so it does sound like its getting juicy.