What's In A Name?

As a modern American, I step outside my personal experiences every time I write Jane Austen fan fiction. But setting Northanger Abbey in near present day Argentina required even more inspiration for reimagining the story's many places and people. Even though what became the second chapter started as a single short post, I had to answer some important questions.

First, where in Argentina should Estancia Aldea Norteña take place?

Austen wrote primarily about places she knew; her family spent several years in the seaside town of Bath, which influenced the descriptions found in both Persuasion and Northanger Abbey. While I've never been to South America, search engines provide a wealth of information on vacation spots around the globe. I soon hit on Mar del Plata, a midsize city on the Atlantic Coast about 400 kilometers south of Buenos Aires.

This setup required I discover new names for the Allens, Catherine, and Henry, while also deciding why they would all meet up (as opposed to a convenient Regency ballroom). I've depended on a handy website called "Behind the Name" for years when crafting characters. My protagonists were soon rechristened Catalina Moreno, Enrique Tilve, and Señor y Señora Aguirre. When some quick research uncovered a unique therapy called "tangolates," I latched onto healthcare rather than Anglican priesthood for both Catalina's father and love interest, with joint pain once again prompting the Mr. Allen character to travel.

More chapters meant a larger cast requiring more altered names and backstories. I didn't try to find exact Spanish equivalents for each one. Rather, I focused on spiritual/cultural rather than strict translation. So James Morland became Javier (rather than Jaime or Diego), and the Thorpes are now the Lobos (I'm sure astute readers will know why).

Focusing on the emotional beats also helped me transform the few interactions allowed during Austen's time into a wider and more diverse series of events. There are trips to the beach, aquarium, a soccer or fútbol game, and ultimately, Catalina travels with the Tilves to an Argentine ranch in place of an English abbey. Finding the name to that last setting gave me the title: Estancia for the ranch, and then Aldea Norteña, or "Northern Village," as a Spanish take on the British "Northanger."

I'll describe more of my research and decision making as the plot unfolds, since I don't want to spoil too much of the opening chapters. Look for the cover art tomorrow, the first chapter Friday, and an exploration of telenovelas next week. Thank you for continuing to read and support this blog; in appreciation, here's an excerpt from chapter six, in which Catalina, Javier, and their friends go out for a night on the town.

---

At last they arrived and slammed to a stop in a parking place a few blocks from the plaza. "Everything's blocked off, can you believe it? I guess we'll just have to walk."

Catalina was so relieved she jumped out at once.

At least when Javier helped Isabel out, he advised caution on the ride back. "It'll be so dark, better slow down some friend."

They fell into couples, with Javier and Isabel drifting farther behind them, whispering. "Do you know where we're eating?" Catalina asked her companion, trying to start a neutral conversation.

"Of course I do, why wouldn't I?" Juan snapped. "Sorry, but why doesn't Javier get his own car, if he's going to tell people how to drive?"

"Because he couldn't afford to," Catalina answered at once, defending her brother, "and I think he's right: it can't be safe to drive so fast."

"Why own a car at all if you aren't going to enjoy it? Besides, why shouldn't he be able to get one? Doesn't your tío give him all the money he wants?"

"Tío Ricardo doesn't even own a car himself, why would he get Javier one?"

"I mean Señor Aguirre, duh. He pays for the room, the fees, everything Javier could need at school."

"Yes, it’s very kind of him to help out, he has been so good to all of us."

"With plenty of money left! I saw his car. Old but stylish. Imported, right?"

"But that is a rental; the Aguirre car is back home. We couldn't drive all the way here, it would have been far too expensive."

Juan muttered something about cheto misers that Catalina didn't understand, and decided she didn't want to. "But what about the restaurant?" she asked a little desperately, hoping they would get to it soon.

"It's good, don't worry, very top of the line. We have one like it back near the University. Plenty of steak and wine."

"Do they serve fish, too?" she asked hesitantly.

"I don't know, why, did you want that instead?"

Catalina tried to say something about Lent, and Juan laughed. "I bet you got crossed, too, like Javier? I was right: you are a cute little madonna."

It didn't seem right to let him call her that, especially the way he said it, without any respect at all. She shivered despite the heat, and Juan slung an arm around her shoulder. "Don't worry, my little saint, you’ll get enough drink tonight to warm right up."

"I don't want that much."

"Don't worry: we won't tell dear Tita and Tío, and it'll be so late when you get back how will they guess? I know all the ways to sneak in after dark, believe me."

He started to tell her a few stories, and Catalina resolutely stared straight ahead and tried to remember the periodic table she had been studying just yesterday, or the last show on TV she had watched, anything to avoid hearing all her parents' worst fears about University life confirmed. At least, she comforted herself, there wasn’t any hint that Javier had done any of the stupid things he hinted about, but that was little comfort when she could also hear her brother cooing and laughing with Isabel so far behind them as the sun went down.

At last they got to the restaurant, and it proved to be far more respectable than Catalina had feared. Her brother ordered for them both and kindly paid for the whole meal, so there was no trouble over what to eat. There was a television with a fútbol game on, so there were fortunately no more crazy stories about University, and they all cheered when Buenos Aires won.