Northanger Abbey can be described as a book about books. The �defense of the novel� is the most famous instance, but characters also discuss their reading habits, name specific novels and even consider history books. In her works, Austen often makes use of fiction, poetry or plays, either explicitly or indirectly. Explore how she does this in Northanger Abbey. You should bring in one or more other novels as well. Check the Essay Contest Website for more detailed instructions. Take a look at the winning papers in the college division from previous years.
Kathryn Sutherland of St Anne's College, Oxford, has an excellent article on the British Library website, "Female Education, Reading, and Jane Austen" (2014). The same website has a display showing the Copy of Elegant Extracts Given by Jane Austen to Her Niece. Elegant Extracts is the book that shows up on the shelves of both Emma and Robert Martin, thereby spanning what Emma thinks are insuperable class boundaries. Click here to see a facsimile of Charles Dilly's edition from the 1790s.
This assignment fulfills part of the FYS outcomes: "All FYS courses must contain a Significant Project wherein students will creatively showcase what they have learned (e.g. research paper; multi-modal research project; web-design advocacy project; conference poster; case studies/ethnographies with primary research; other)."