Northanger Abbey

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the bulleted outlines below. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. The Tilney home, Northanger Abbey, is a mock-Gothic setting.

• How does Austen establish the mock-Gothic atmosphere of Northanger Abbey? (topic sentence)
• Give at least three examples of imagery, language, or plot detail that support your analysis.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, show how this atmosphere helps to support the novel’s larger concern with The Difference Between Fantasy and Reality.

2. One of the targets of Austen’s satire in Northanger Abbey is the habit of using literature for cheap or petty purposes.

• What argument does the novel advance about the proper purposes of literature? (topic sentence)
• Give at least three examples of characterization, plot detail, or language that support your interpretation.