Episode 25: Northanger Abbey, Ch. 1-2

This week on The Literary Life podcast, our hosts are pleased to begin talking about Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey. For this introduction episode Cindy Rollins and Angelina Stanford are joined by Thomas Banks. Together they discuss the advent of the novel as a form, as well as some predecessors of Austen.

Angelina points out Austen's satirical voice in poking fun at the sentimental novel in the first few chapters. She also encourages us to look for the real life dangers the main characters encounter in contrast to those sensations of the popular sentimental or Gothic novel. Furthermore, we ought to notice who is reading various genres of literature and what that says about those characters.

Cindy and Angelina also talk about Jane Austen's writing and her economy of style and the lasting quality of her books. Along with criticism of sensationalism, Austen also adds a healthy dose of criticism of the education given young women in her day. We also learn that this is a novel of development as we watch Catherine Moorland learn her way around the world.

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Located in beautiful Franklin Tennessee, New College Franklin is a four year Christian Liberal Arts college dedicated to excellent academics and discipling relationships among students and faculty. We seek to enrich and disciple students intellectually, physically, emotionally, and spiritually, to guide them to wisdom and a life of service to God, neighbors, and creation.

Also, be sure to check out Cindy's new Patreon page, Morning Time for Moms discipleship group, as well as Thomas and Angelina's webinar sessions on Dicken's A Christmas Carol.

The Dying Christian to His Soul

by Alexander Pope

Vital spark of heav'nly flame!
Quit, O quit this mortal frame:
Trembling, hoping, ling'ring, flying,
O the pain, the bliss of dying!
Cease, fond Nature, cease thy strife,
And let me languish into life.

Hark! they whisper; angels say,
Sister Spirit, come away!
What is this absorbs me quite?
Steals my senses, shuts my sight,
Drowns my spirits, draws my breath?
Tell me, my soul, can this be death?

The world recedes; it disappears!
Heav'n opens on my eyes! my ears
With sounds seraphic ring!
Lend, lend your wings! I mount! I fly!
O Grave! where is thy victory?
O Death! where is thy sting?

Book List:

(Affiliate Links)

Walking on Water by Madeleine L'Engle

Tom Jones by Henry Fielding

Pamela by Samuel Richardson

Fanny Burney

Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliff

Castle Rackrent by Maria Edgeworth

The Castle of Ontranto by Horace Walpol

Confessions of a Justified Sinner by James Hogg

Othello by William Shakespeare

Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare

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Connect with Us:

Find Angelina at https://angelinastanford.com, on Instagram @angelinastanford, and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/

Find Cindy at https://cindyrollins.net, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/

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