Northanger Abbey

Use this activity to engage all types of learners while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“Catherine Morland, Movie Critic”

In this activity, students will demonstrate their understanding of the characterization and voice of Catherine Morland by reviewing a modern genre film from her perspective.

Catherine’s relationship to Gothic Romanticism changes quite a bit during the novel. This activity asks you to consider exactly how her experiences change her and to apply your understanding of Catherine to a new context. Choose a modern movie—a horror film, a dark romantic comedy, or any other genre clearly related to Gothic Romanticism—and use Catherine’s voice and perspective to write a review.

Your review should be about 500 words. If you need some tips about how to write a film review, see this explainer from the New York Film Academy—but remember that you will not be sharing your own opinions and writing in your own voice. The opinions and writing style should be Catherine Morland’s.

When you finish, you will share your review with a small group. The group will vote on which review best reflects Catherine’s voice and perspective.