In the Victorian era, proper etiquette and manners were predetermined for both men and women. The society they lived in maintained more rigidly defined stereotypical gender roles than in the present. Coming of age was difficult for any young man; therefore, the ability to distinguish between good and bad examples of etiquette was essential to achieving appropriate and respectful femininity or manhood. The stereotypical Victorian woman was considered meek, weak, with few opinions, generally defenseless, and with little chance of gaining social status. For the most part, these women were said to have two main roles: courtship followed by marriage. From a young age, girls dreamed of a successful marriage as this was their only hope to rise in society (Petrie, 199-206). In fact, one writer said “that it is not easy to understand the possibility of raising them to a higher plane than that to which they had been raised, owing to their natural inability for anything other than the domestic and social functions which they performed so gracefully.” " (James, 215). Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay These women were also considered intellectually inferior. Women were expected to learn only the French, drawing and music (Petrie, 200). Subjects such as art, literature and especially science were considered too complex and advanced for a woman's mind (James, 324-25). equality of women, especially in education, a famous author questioned the intellect of men in marrying such passive women. In “Vindication of the Rights of Women,” Mary Wollstonecraft asks: “Women who, with achieving of some artificial results, have they reinforced the prevailing prejudice, simply contribute to the happiness of their husbands? Do they simply show their charm to amuse them? And do women, who have early absorbed notions of passive obedience, have sufficient character to manage a family or educate? children?" (Mellor, 388) In other words, how can a man want a passive and ignorant woman to become his wife as well as the mother and protector of his children? Without proper education, the mother will not be fully equipped to deal with the crucial issues that arise in family management and parenting. Men would also be more satisfied if their wives complemented them, rather than simply entertained them. In Jane Austen's novel Northanger Abbey, however, the female characters express their individual opinions and do not appear to be naturally weak; instead they are forced to be submissive, or meek, towards men and forced to rely on them. For example, when Captain Tilney asks Catherine to leave Northanger, she has no other choice. She is given neither sufficient time to pack her bags nor a guard to ensure her safety as she returns home (Austen, 177). It must yield to man. Being a young and impressionable girl, the young protagonist, Catherine Morland, must face these stereotypes and develop her individual character, while maintaining her intellect and not giving in to expected passivity. To achieve this, he needs both positive and negative examples of acceptable manners. After recognizing the differences in each of his acquaintances, he must choose which attributes to reject and which to embrace. Jane Austen effectively uses characters, both male and female, to aid Catherine in this critical quest. Mrs. Morland, for example, contrasts with theMrs Thorpe. Mrs. Morland is humorless, but she is kind and honest (Todd, 74). He wants the best for his children, but has little time to help Catherine because she spends most of her time educating the younger children. Catherine even hears her parents say once that she is growing into a pretty young woman (Austen, 10). Even though her parents love her and wish her only the best, that's not how they brag about their daughter. On the other hand, Mrs. Morland is not afraid to boast about the greatness of her children – which is obviously why her children are also terrible examples of character. He believes that “all of them [are] more loved and respected in their different position than all the other three beings ever were” (Austen, 25). Catherine, however, becomes more like her mother, recognizing the good in people and not boasting about her relationships with others. Allen and General Tilney are both wealthy men, but they have different attitudes and values. Mr. Allen is practical, sensitive, and humble, while General Tilney is obsessed with material objects. When he shows Catherine the abbey for the first time, he refers to the small size and simplicity of the rooms and even begins to tell her the very price of a particular item, as he has always been fishing for compliments (Austen, 128) . She begs Catherine to compare her assets with Mr. Allen's; falsely suggesting that Catherine must be accustomed to more luxury and nicer things from the Allens, she actually just wants to hear Catherine deny this statement (Austen, 131). In comparison, Catherine falls in love with Henry Tilney, not for his money, but for his personality and his heart. In this respect, he seems more like Mr. Allen. Henry Tilney and John Thorpe are also quite different from each other. Thorpe is overly arrogant while Tilney has the ability to clearly recognize the motivations of others. Thorpe, who is initially determined to marry Catherine, for example, offers General Tilney only the highest compliments towards her. His pride makes the Morlands seem even richer than he believes them to be. In fact, this does not apply only to the Morlands, but "with whomever he was, or could be in contact, his importance always required that theirs be great, and as his intimacy with any acquaintance grew, so regularly grew the their luck". (Austen, 193). Tilney, on the other hand, is thoughtful and tender and even helps Catherine recognize her own follies, such as when she suspects that the General is the cause of his wife's death. He asks her to “consider the terrible nature of the suspicions you have harbored” and to “remember the country and the times in which we live. Remember that we are English, that we are Christians” (Austen, 156) – thus bringing her back to reality. While Thorpe only wants Catherine for her supposed money, Henry Tilney truly loves her. As proof, when Tilney discovers that she doesn't have much money, he continues to court her and eventually marries her. Perhaps the most crucial contrast exists between Isabella Thorpe and Eleanor Tilney. Eleanor is reserved and calm while Isabella is more outgoing and exuberant. Isabella is fickle and attempts to manipulate Catherine into going to Clifton with them by first asking her to withdraw her engagement to Miss Tilney. When this tactic doesn't work, try again by calling her affectionate names (Austen, 79). She also accepts James Morland's proposal, but then flirts with Captain Tilney, forcing James to break off the engagement (Austen, 159-60). It is quite ironic that Isabella claims that she paid no attention to Captain Tilney because she "knew the fickle sex too well" (Austen, 171), when in reality her own fickleness leads her to flirt with him. He tries to get Catherine to write to James, in his defense, but Catherine., 1983. 74-233.