Politics, Power, and Piety: A Review of Anthony Trollope’s Barchester Towers
Published in 1857, Barchester Towers is the second novel in Anthony Trollope’s Chronicles of Barsetshire series and arguably its most beloved. A satirical, yet humane look at power struggles within the Anglican Church, the novel paints a vivid picture of provincial life, ecclesiastical maneuvering, and the human comedy behind clerical collars and drawing-room doors.Far from being a dry tale of religion, Barchester Towers offers a sharp and often hilarious portrait of ambition, hypocrisy, love, and class, making it a cornerstone of Victorian literature that still delights modern readers.
📚 Overview and Plot Summary
Set in the fictional cathedral town of Barchester, the novel opens with the death of the bishop. This vacancy sets off a storm of ecclesiastical politics. The new bishop, Dr. Proudie, is a weak-willed man dominated by his ambitious, meddling wife, Mrs. Proudie, and the manipulative and sycophantic chaplain, Mr. Obadiah Slope.
Their arrival disrupts the delicate balance of Barchester’s clergy, especially threatening the position of the gentle Mr. Septimus Harding and his son-in-law, Archdeacon Grantly, both upholders of high-church tradition. Meanwhile, Eleanor Bold, Mr. Harding’s widowed daughter, becomes entangled in romantic misunderstandings and social pressures, as both Mr. Slope and others seek her hand—some for love, others for more strategic reasons.
What follows is a blend of comedy, satire, courtship, and intrigue, as various characters maneuver for influence and affection in a town where politics are personal and piety is often a matter of performance.
🎭 Characters and Satire
Trollope excels at creating memorable, multidimensional characters:
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Mrs. Proudie: The true tyrant of Barchester, she is both comedic and terrifying, wielding domestic and clerical power with iron conviction.
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Mr. Slope: Perhaps the most entertaining villain, he is oily, ambitious, morally flexible, and utterly memorable.
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Eleanor Bold: Strong-willed yet misunderstood, she embodies Trollope’s quiet feminism, defying male assumptions about her role and desires.
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Mr. Harding: A symbol of humility and virtue, his quiet dignity provides a moral anchor amidst the chaos.
Trollope's style is gently ironic, never cruel but always observant. He delights in exposing vanity, hypocrisy, and social ambition—especially when cloaked in pious language or high ideals.
📖 Themes and Insights
🏛️ Church Politics and Hypocrisy
While the setting is the Anglican Church, Trollope’s real subject is human nature. He uses the church as a microcosm of Victorian society, full of maneuvering, vanity, and factionalism. Power struggles are less about theology than ego, status, and control.
🧠 Morality vs. Ambition
Characters like Mr. Harding represent quiet, personal morality, while others—like Mr. Slope and Mrs. Proudie—are driven by ambition dressed as righteousness. Trollope suggests that integrity often lacks prestige, but is the nobler path.
👩 Women, Marriage, and Autonomy
Though set in a patriarchal world, Barchester Towers offers sharp insights into the limited agency of women—and the subtle ways they exert influence. Eleanor’s independence and Mrs. Proudie’s domineering presence present two contrasting forms of female power, both ahead of their time.
😂 Satire and Comedy of Manners
At its heart, this is a comedy of manners, poking fun at the pretensions of both clergy and gentry. Trollope’s humor is observational, never farcical, and always underpinned by moral curiosity.
🧾 Style and Structure
Trollope’s narrator frequently breaks the fourth wall, commenting on characters and plot developments with dry wit. The prose is graceful, leisurely, and filled with psychological insight. While the pacing can feel slow by modern standards, the richness of detail rewards patient readers.
This is not a novel of plot twists or melodrama—it’s a novel of character, dialogue, and social observation.
⭐ Review: Why Barchester Towers Still Matters
Strengths:
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Brilliantly drawn characters full of life and contradiction.
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Witty, intelligent prose with deep psychological nuance.
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A thoughtful critique of power, pride, and human frailty.
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Rare combination of moral seriousness and comedic lightness.
Drawbacks:
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Slow-moving for readers accustomed to action-heavy narratives.
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Church politics may seem esoteric at first, though the underlying themes are universal.
🎯 Final Verdict: A Masterclass in Social Comedy
Barchester Towers is more than a Victorian novel about clergy—it’s a timeless exploration of ego, kindness, rivalry, and restraint. It delights with character and irony, offering readers a world that is both richly specific and endlessly familiar.
“There is no happiness in love, except at the end of an English novel.”
Trollope may say this tongue-in-cheek, but in Barchester Towers, the journey—layered, humorous, and humane—is as satisfying as any romantic resolution.
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