Blog Post #1 - Northanger Abbey

“‘I am sure,’ cried Catherine, ‘I did not mean to say any thing wrong; but it is a nice book, and why should not I call it so?’
‘Very true,’ said Henry, ‘and this is a very nice day, and we are taking a very nice walk, and you are two very nice young ladies. Oh! It is a very nice word indeed!–it does for every thing...applied only to express neatness, propriety, delicacy, or refinement...But now every commendation on every subject is comprised in that one word.’” (Austen 104).


Henry Tilney’s feedback to Catherine’s misuse of the word “nice” in the passage above definitely shocked me. I did not know whether to interpret it as a lighthearted enlightenment of the broadness that the word nice entails, or whether it was an opportunity for Mr. Tilney to one-up Miss Morland’s knowledge in literacy. In doing so, he did showcase his competency and wit, which Catherine seemed to eventually understand as flirting and slight boasting, but the initial comment seemed out of Henry’s nature. I perceived Mr. Tilney as a sensitive man, especially when compared to John Thorpe. This encounter, even though not harsh, was a bit alarming since it did not fit the previous conception I had of him. This conversation reminded me of a handful of my English teachers in high school, who harped on the fact that the word “nice” should be avoided at all costs in writing, since there are too many interpretations. Putting myself in the shoes of Miss Morland, I felt annoyed with Henry, as if he would continue to criticize the sentence structure and word choice of Catherine’s conversation. This passage raises questions of whether or not Henry’s character development will change in the next volume of the book and whether or not Catherine will positively respond to his casual criticisms. A couple pages later is where Mr. Tilney comments on how it is appealing to be a young woman who is ignorant, as it is an opportunity for teaching. I wonder if Mr. Tilney will complement Catherine’s curiosity and knowledge, or if he will undermine and mold her to take an interest in the subjects he finds appealing. I hope this will not be the case since John Thorpe is already the epitome of an egotistical man that found joy in Catherine’s complacent nature and great deal of agreeability. This raises questions on the education standards of young women in this time period and their ability to speak out and/or question men.