Jane Austen is one of the most widely read authors in English literature. The plots of Austen's classic novels often portrayed the dependence of women on marriage as a means to securing social standing. The novels served as a critique of sensibility and they helped lead to 19th century realism.Northanger Abbey was a classic novel that was published after Austen's death in 1817. The plot centers around a teenage girl named Catherine Morland who is invited by her rich neighbors on a trip to the town of Bath.