The diocese as circus (Anthony Trollope)

The Barchester Chronicles are usually perceived as gentle, reassuring tales of clerical life. This essay refutes this view. It begins with an account of the ecclesiastical and theological debate that had riven the Church of England in the mid-nineteenth century, and describes the parts played by the major protagonists. The diocese that Trollope creates is grounded in the actions of these men. However, such material, instead of locating and dating his texts, is turned into a parodic discourse of the church times. A brief exploration of the nature of parody leads into an examination fo Trollope's parodic methods. Twelve years separate the writing of the first and last novels in the series, and the debate had shifted and cooled considerably in the meantime. In The Last Chronicle of Barset, in making Bishop Proudie's formal signature 'Thos. Barnum', Trollope subverts the theological argument to one of sham and puffery.