Essay 1: Choose a work of literature written before 1900. Write an essay in which you present arguments for or against the work’s relevance for a person in 2007. Your own position should emerge in the course of the essay.
Thesis statement: In Jane Austen’s, Northanger Abbey, the work has no relevance for a person in 2007. The stereotypes of the characters presented in the novel are completely irrelevant to the stereotypes of people in today’s society. Austen presents the main character, Catherine Morland, as the heroine but Catherine’s characteristics are nothing like a typical heroine.
Paragraph 1: introduction, thesis statement
Paragraphs 2-3: body paragraphs, present argument, provide examples from text of how Catherine’s stereotype is irrelevant to today’s stereotypes
Paragraph 4: conclusion, re-state thesis statement
Almost all types of literature, including novels, short stories, and poems all contain morals or characters that have some relevance to people today. However, literature written before 1900 used to have some relevance to people during that time, but most of it has become irrelevant to people today due to how much times have changed. In Jane Austen’s, Northanger Abbey, the work has no relevance for a person in 2007. The stereotypes of the characters presented in the novel are completely irrelevant to the stereotypes of people in today’s society. Austen presents the main character, Catherine Morland, as the heroine but Catherine’s characteristics are nothing like a typical heroine.
The Essay on Frankenstein Themes Still Present In Todays Society
Many of the themes of Frankenstein relate to the life and times of today. Classics such as Frankenstein contain many of the qualities of a timeless book, because people today can still relate with the same issues and problems as the people during Frankenstein's time. I believe the reason Frankenstein has remained a classic is because so many of the themes still relate to the times of today. There ...
Northanger Abbey is a gothic parody in which the main character, Catherine, is inaccurately portrayed as a heroine. Catherine cannot even recognize the obvious developing relationship between her brother James and her friend Isabella. She is naïve and even fails to recognize Isabella’s true nature until it has already hurt James. All of these things prove how this novel has no relevance to a person today. Any typical heroine today would be able to recognize the building relationship between James and Isabella.
Catherine also leads John Thorpe into thinking she loves him accidently and she makes a fool out of herself in front of Henry Tilney when he finds out she suspects his father of murder. Catherine struggles at reading people and understanding them, which is not a typical trait of a heroine. This also shows how this novel has no relevance to a person today. A heroine today is typically talented at reading people and usually has a strong understanding of how the other characters are feeling.
Typically, many types of literature have a significant meaning to people in reality. However, Northanger Abbey does not show any particular relevance to a person in 2007. The main character is inaccurately portrayed as a heroine and the stereotypes of the other characters presented in the novel are completely irrelevant to the stereotypes of people in today’s society.
