Abstract

"Catherine Morland Grows Up" chronicles the journey of the heroine of Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey, Catherine Morland, specifically her trials and the circumstances which she experiences in order to develop into a mature young woman. The essay delves into the sources of Catherine's immaturity and the negative consequences that result as well as the turning point which results in Catherine's recognition scene that leads to her enlightenment that begins the gradual development of her conscious. My essay (and the novel) describes Catherine's traits that delay her maturation. If we use her as an example and resolve our own problems, we find that our lives too can break the bonds that deter us from realizing what we can truly become