Abstract
There is no shortage of fools in any of Jane Austen's novels, and Northanger Abbey especially has a youthful satirical exuberance which is more subdued in the later novels. If we think of the fool in Shakespearean terms, Henry Tilney readily springs to mind. In his first conversation with Catherine he has a way of turning on her with a deflating punch-line that is reminiscent of Shakespeare's Touchstone:
'As far as I have had an opportunity of judging, it appears to me that the usual style of letter-writing among women is faultless, except in three particulars' - 'And what are they?' -'A general deficiency of subject, a total inattention to stops, and a very frequent ignorance of grammar.'
'As far as I have had an opportunity of judging, it appears to me that the usual style of letter-writing among women is faultless, except in three particulars' - 'And what are they?' -'A general deficiency of subject, a total inattention to stops, and a very frequent ignorance of grammar.'
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 48-51 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Journal | Jane Austen's Regency World |
| Volume | 56 |
| Publication status | Published - Mar 2012 |