Rereading the patriarchal text: 'The Female Quixote,' 'Northanger Abbey,' and the trace of the absent mother

The novels 'Northanger Abbey' and 'The Female Quixote' may both be interpreted as proto-feminist novels despite their adherence to a traditional, patriarchal ideology. The novels incorporate an embedded feminist reading that depicts communities of women that offer models of conduct. Female readers can use these models for comparisons of their own behaviors, feelings and actions, just as the novels' heroines search for models or mother figures to guide them.