Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen is a satire of Gothic novels, which were very popular at the time, in 1798-99.This coming-of-age story revolves around Catherine Morland, a young and naïve heroine, who entertains the reader on her journey to a better understanding of the world and those around her. In the course of the novel, she discovers that she differs from those other women who crave wealth or social acceptance, as instead she wishes only to have happiness supported by genuine morality.