Development of the Self in Mary Shelly's Frankenstein and Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey

Abstract

Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein and Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey are both Romantic texts that focus on nascent consciousness: Shelly’s novel charts the experience of Frankenstein’s Creature from creation whilst Austen’s follows Catherine Morland’s transition into the adult world. This essay will argue that the texts demonstrate that the development of the self comes as a result of an individual’s relationships with literature and femininity. It will examine the connections the texts draw between these concepts and development, how their intersection influences the fates of key protagonists, and conclude that the most developed individuals are critical readers who understand and challenge restrictions on feminine autonomy.