Northanger Abbey | Characters & Character Analysis

Northanger Abbey Characters

Catherine Morland

Catherine Morland is the protagonist of the novel and by any standard the dominant character. At the opening of the novel, she is a seventeen-year-old girl belonging to a family with modest income. The Morlands are in nearly all respects a typical family of the era. They live in the rural town of Fullerton, in Hampshire, England. As a youth, Catherine pursued varied interests including piano-playing, cricket, and basic art. Typical of most children, she lacked the persistence necessary to develop advanced skills in any one area. Something of a hoyden, she was cheerful, loved, and even-tempered. As Catherine entered her teenage years her image developed into the gracious good looks of a young woman; simultaneously, she was forced to give up her tomboyish pursuits in preference for reading and other more-proper pursuits. As a young woman, Catherine is cheerful, affectionate, and devoid...
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