Catherine Morland facts for kids
Catherine Morland is the main character in Jane Austen's famous book, Northanger Abbey. She really enjoys reading mysterious and spooky "gothic" novels, which were very popular when she lived. Sometimes, she gets a bit mixed up between the stories she reads and what's actually happening in real life. This often leads her into funny or tricky situations! Catherine lives next door to a wealthy man named Mr. Allen, and she gets to travel with him and his wife to Bath, a lively city in England. Jane Austen created Catherine to gently make fun of common stories where perfect heroes and heroines always fall in love and live "happily ever after."
Jane Austen describes Catherine as having a very loving heart. She has a cheerful and open personality, without being proud or fake.
Catherine's Early Life
The story of Northanger Abbey starts by saying that no one would have guessed Catherine would become a heroine when she was a baby. Her father, Richard, is a clergyman (like a pastor). He isn't super rich, but he's not poor either. Her mother is described as sensible and kind, and also very healthy. When Catherine was young, people called her "plain." She had a thin, awkward shape, pale skin, dark, straight hair, and strong features.
Catherine loved playing games with boys more than playing with dolls. She didn't like school lessons much, but she loved listening to stories and fables. She enjoyed playing around on an old piano, but she hated learning music. In fact, the day her music teacher left was one of the happiest days of her life! She wasn't good at drawing, writing, or French. However, she was usually kind to her brothers and sisters and always listened to her parents.
Growing Up and Adventures
When Catherine turned 15, she became "almost pretty." She grew a bit fuller, looked cleaner, and became more lively. She started reading better books by famous writers like Pope, Gray, and Shakespeare. Mrs. Allen, her neighbor, invited Catherine to come with her to Bath, and Catherine happily agreed.
In Bath, Catherine was always very polite to Mrs. Allen. She felt proud and happy when a few men called her a "pretty girl." She soon met and fell in love with Henry Tilney. Even though they had some misunderstandings, they quickly became good friends. Catherine also became friends with Henry's elegant sister, Eleanor Tilney. Eleanor invited Catherine to visit their family home, Northanger Abbey.
Henry's father, General Tilney, was very kind to Catherine at first, and she was very happy. But sometimes, Catherine's imagination got the best of her. For example, she started to think that General Tilney might have done something terrible to his wife, who had passed away. Henry gently talked to her, which helped her to see things more clearly and realize her ideas were just from her books.
Later, General Tilney suddenly became very rude to Catherine, which made her very sad. But then, Henry came and asked her to marry him! He explained that his father had first thought Catherine was very rich, which is why he was so kind. Later, he found out she wasn't rich and thought she was poor, which made him rude. Actually, Catherine is neither extremely rich nor poor; she lives quite comfortably. In the end, Catherine and Henry get married and live happily.
