Northanger Abbey

Jane Austen wrote about situations with which she was familiar and the social life of Bath was no exception. Northanger Abbey concentrates on the interaction between three families which are all very different. The Morlands are respectable but have little education, while the Tilneys are wealthier and more sophisticated. The Thorpes, however, are vulgar social climbers of whom both the Morland and the Tilneys fall foul. The clarity with which the families’ differing values are depicted adds to the realism of the novel.