Romance and narrative games of illusion and reality: Parody in 'El Ingenioso hidalgo Don Quijote de la Mancha' and 'Northanger Abbey'

There is a paradox inherent to literature: while literature is seen as a means of arriving at general truths as articulated in history, it is also a fiction. The blending of historical truth and imagination is particularly evident in the romance genre which purposely incorporates both elements. Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra and Jane Austen have confronted this contradictory message, which is especially evident in romance, through parody in their novels Don Quijote de la Mancha and Northanger Abbey, respectively.;To discuss parody, I incorporate L. Hutcheon's definition of parody and examine how Cervantes and Austen's parodic humour is incorporated as a means of mocking the romance through controlled distortion. At the same time, however, they are not malicious in that both authors find and emulate praiseworthy aspects of the romance. This definition of parody further emphasizes the need for a critical value-judgement, not only of the original but of the imitation as well, on the part of both the author and the reader.;Cervantes and Austen's parodies follow a similar pattern of creating comic heroes who naively believe that the romances they read are a true representation of reality. As well, because the protagonists are also readers contemporary with their audiences, Cervantes and Austen use their characters' behaviours as a means of social commentary. Finally, both authors never let the reader forget that their protagonists are only fictional characters, adding yet another layer to the illusory nature of "fictional reality." By playing with the levels of reality, the authors challenge the reader to be alert to the fallacies and absurdities inherent in romances and also to question them.;In order to examine more closely the manner and results of parodying and criticizing the romance genre, I analyze, in Chapter One, the romance genre, looking at narrative form and the nature of characterization, setting and plot. Then, in Chapter Two, I discuss Cervantes's use of the romance in the Quijote. Finally, in Chapter Three, I compare this with Austen's use of the parody of romance in Northanger Abbey.