From Northanger Abbey
Eleanor Tilney
Henry’s sister • Gentle and steadfast
Henry’s quiet, elegant sister, whose calm manner hides a warm heart, and who becomes Catherine’s gentlest friend.
Who is Eleanor Tilney?
Eleanor Tilney is Henry’s gentle, thoughtful sister, who becomes Catherine’s truest friend. She is quiet and well mannered, and she has lived a lonely life at Northanger since her mother died. Under her calm manner she is deeply kind and loyal.
Eleanor Tilney is a character in Northanger Abbey, the 1817 novel by Jane Austen, retold for ages 6–9 by Sean Lee.
What is Eleanor Tilney like?
- gentle
- loyal
- patient
Eleanor Tilney’s story
Eleanor is in Bath with her father, and Catherine first meets her at a ball. She is quieter than Isabella, but she is honest and warm, and the walk up Beechen Cliff with Catherine and Henry is the start of a real friendship.
At Northanger, Eleanor shows Catherine the abbey and tells her that her mother died suddenly nine years before, while Eleanor was away from home. She misses her mother very much. Her stern father rules the house, and she has little say in it.
When the General suddenly orders Catherine to leave, Eleanor must deliver the message. She calls herself a most unwilling messenger, checks that Catherine has enough money, and begs her to write. In the end Eleanor marries the man she has long loved, who has just become a viscount, and her happy marriage helps soften her father’s heart.
“I am indeed a most unwilling messenger.”
A moment to remember
Late at night, Eleanor comes to Catherine’s room, pale and upset, to bring her father’s order, and makes sure Catherine has money for the long journey home.
Family and friends
- Catherine Morland: dearest friend
- Henry Tilney: brother
- General Tilney: father
Talk about it
Eleanor was kind even when it was very hard for her. How can you be a good friend when something sad is happening?
Questions about Eleanor Tilney
- Who does Eleanor Tilney marry?
- She marries a gentleman she has loved for a long time, who has just become a viscount, a kind of English lord. Austen jokes that his servant left behind the washing bills Catherine found.
- What happened to Eleanor’s mother?
- Mrs. Tilney died of a sudden illness nine years before the story. Eleanor was away from home and did not get back in time.
- Why does Eleanor send Catherine home?
- She does not want to. Her father orders it, and Eleanor has to pass on the message, which makes her very unhappy.
Read the story in
Northanger Abbey
Ages 6–9, 72 pages
