The realistic novel, characterized by its presentation of reality and its rational philosophy, was a genre created in response to the romantic, or "gothic," novel and characterized by sensationalist escapism. Unlike the poetic, dreamlike language of Romanticism, the diction of the realistic novel was more natural and simple, often using satire or dialogue. Realism tended to focus more on character study rather than actual plot, and lacked the fantastical events of the Gothic novel. However, Jane Austen's novel Northanger Abbey broke with the conventions of both literary techniques by using aspects of realism and romanticism. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essay Austen's use of dialogue and satire, as well as the ordinary events depicted in the novel, highlight the realistic aspects of the work. Rather than using flowery, romantic words reminiscent of those used by writers such as Pope, Gray, and Thompson (5), this play uses concrete dialogue between characters to describe events. For example, Henry Tilney's interaction with Catherine (15) consists primarily of dialogue and relies on their speech rather than narrative description. The speaker uses tone and free indirect speech as a means of revealing the minds of the characters, which are arguably more important to the realistic novel than to the plot. Free indirect speech allows readers to gain insight into the emotions and thoughts of the characters in scenes through the narrator's voice without resorting to dialogue. As Catherine explores the abbey for the first night, the storm and “characteristic noises” make her feel “like she [is] really in an abbey” (138). This reveals her own misconceptions about Northanger Abbey and the expectations she has of its similarities to the setting of a true Gothic romance. These aspects help to show more of the characters' inner thoughts, allowing the narrator to reveal their development throughout the novel. The ordinary qualities of the characters in Northanger Abbey, and in particular that of Catherine, are used to attribute a sense of reality to their individual characters. The novel's heroine, Catherine, does not have the characteristics of the typical gothic romance heroine. The reason for her "strange and inexplicable character" is that she possesses none of the remarkable qualities or extraordinary talents so often found in the heroines of Gothic novels, but is instead described as decidedly "ordinary" (4). However, Catherine's maturation is evident towards the end of the novel; she developed the ability to see people as they are (especially Isabella and General Tilney). Reading Isabella's letter describing what happened with Frederick Tilney, Catherine finally realizes the "inconsistencies, contradictions and lies" that revolve around their friendship and declares the contents of the letter "disgusting...empty and... impudent.” (182). This reveals how Catherine is now able to see Isabella's true nature. Her interaction with Henry and her willingness to speak out against her brother Frederick, stating that she "must say she doesn't like him at all" (182), shows newfound independence and further growth as she s now expresses against Henry. , whom she fears offending. After General Tilney abruptly sends Catherine home, his ability to tell Eleanor about it rather than quietly accepting it reveals his growing maturity. Even if “it is with pain” that Catherine expresses herself, she.