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The term binary refers to an entity which comprises two parts. In language, it may designate pairs of words which function as direct opposites of each other, such as 'up and down', 'rich and poor', 'truth and falsehood', 'life and death' etc. When applied to literary criticism, the term may be used to indicate characters, locations, or subject matter which are compared and contrasted for narrative effect. The ability to identify these binaries enables a deeper reading of a particular text. In Northanger Abbey, these binaries are evident in Austen's delineation of the principal characters and their relationships. For example, the consummate conversationalist Henry Tilney is contrasted with the boorish John Thorpe, while Henry's sister, the virtuous Eleanor Tilney, is compared with the duplicitous Isabella Thorpe. When considering the locations in the story, the neoclassicism of Bath is juxtaposed with the refined Gothic of the story's eponymous Abbey.
One of the most overt binary oppositions relates to the genre of the novel. Critics generally regard Northanger Abbey as a parody, or burlesque, of the Gothic novels of the late eighteenth century, especially the work of Ann Radcliffe. Austen targets in particular The Mysteries of Udolpho, a popular and influential novel by Radcliffe, published in 1794. The very act of one text parodying another inevitably establishes a binary opposition between the two works.
As well as the Gothic novel, Austen also parodies the sentimental novel, another popular genre of the day. In her youthful and naive protagonist Catherine Morland, she sends up the heroines of sentimental novels, such as those by Frances Burney, by defining her central character in direct opposition to them. Whereas the authors of sentimental heroines often characterized their creations as abounding in virtuous feelings, from the opening passages of Northanger Abbey, Austen renders Catherine in terms thoroughly unpropitious to her becoming a heroine. At the age of ten, she is described as being very plain, having "a thin awkward figure, a sallow skin without colour, dark lank hair, and strong features" (1,1, p.5). At fifteen, Austen relates that her 'heroine' sometimes heard her parents remark that "Catherine grows quite a good-looking girl, - she is almost pretty to day" (1,1, p.6).
The novel's three brother-sister pairs: Henry and Eleanor Tilney, John and Isabella Thorpe, James Morland and the heroine herself, are all juxtaposed. The actions of the characters serve to contrast and complement each other, ultimately exercising a major influence over the ironic patterning of Austen's narrative.
Henry Tilney and John Thorpe are subtly compared, particularly in their journeys with Catherine. Whereas Henry smoothly and successfully conveys the heroine to his childhood home, Thorpe makes a misguided attempt to take Catherine to Blaise Castle. Thorpe's boasts regarding the castle are intriguing as they reveal much about his character. He describes it as "the oldest in the kingdom" (1, 11, p.60) with dozens of towers and long galleries. In reality Blaise Castle is actually a folly built in 1766 designed to look like a castle. This contrasts sharply with the Tilney's home of a genuinely medieval Abbey. Catherine had earlier concluded that she found Thorpe "quite disagreeable" (1, 9, p.49), her initial impressions compounded when on noticing her friend Eleanor from Thorpe's carriage and asking him to stop, he "only laughed, smacked his whip, encouraged his horse, made odd noises, and drove on" (1, 11, p.62).
The characters of Eleanor Tilney and Isabella Thorpe are also compared. Whereas Eleanor is shown to be affable and trustworthy, Isabella is portrayed as being shallow and effusive, as well as subsequently treacherous in her actions. The scene where the two of them meet to discuss Gothic novels indicates Isabella's tendency towards exaggeration. After arriving nearly five minutes before Catherine, Isabella greets her friend with "My dearest creature, what can have made you so late? I have been waiting for you at least this age!" (1, 6, p.24). The exaggerated language evident in Isabella's dialogue subtly anticipates her later duplicity. In a letter addressed to Catherine during the second volume of the novel, Isabella appears utterly unaware of her selfishness and greed when she inadvertently discloses how she cast aside the heroine's brother in favour of the wealthier Frederick Tilney.
As the above analysis has shown, the contrasting of characters, locations, themes and situations, is an effective technique with which Jane Austen organizes her narrative. The role of binary oppositions forms an integral part of Northanger Abbey.
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