Northanger Abbey, chapter 31: The Viscount Who Married My Sister-in-Law
Does that title confuse you? Apologies if it does. But I wanted to convey the convoluted nature of events that lead to Cat’s eventual union with Henry Tilney, and here we are! We begin with the erstwhile couple in a stalemate engagement: Cat’s parents approve, but only General Tilney’s permission can make it official. Until then, they can’t send out “save the date” cards. Even though his reason for disallowing the engagement is based in stubborn stupidity, his choice has to be honored, and the Morlands “[can] not allow themselves to encourage it.” Question: why are the two most level-headed Jane Austen parents capitulating to the demands of a pompous, cruel man-child? The stalemate is in place for an undefined amount of time … at least, however much time can be defined by this being the final chapter, as the narrator admits that “we are hastening together to perfect felicity” in the final pages. How do we untangle this knot? Well, our lovely, patient Eleanor has long been...