Signora Neroni Character in “Barchester Towers” is very important. Dr.Stanhopes who has a wife, two daughters and one boy, basically he himself and his wife are a careless kind of personalities. So, the growth of their children is done in a very open and baseless atmosphere. However, his eldest daughter Charlotte is a very household kind of daughter and cares for everything in the house. The youngest daughter Signora who is very beautiful and she has a pride of her beauty. She is in the habit of enjoying with the young folk and used to spend most of her time in chatting with the young boys and folk. She gets married to an Italian boy named Neroni. After the birth of her first daughter, Naroni proves to be a bad person and Signora (Madeline) went back to her parental house and started living with her parents.

Signora still feels pride in her beauty and spends most of her time with the young folk by gossiping and wants to hear or listen to the praises of her beauty from the others. Most of the men also liked her and they started remaining stayed around her while other women disliked her for her bold and vulgar kind of activities but Signora (Madeline) did not care about their criticism. She is always very much fascinated by her own charms, and beauty. She proves to be clever and witty but insensible in life manners.

She is also too much fond of wearing new trend clothes and dresses all the time. Dr.Stanhope who often becomes angry at Madeline’s spending extra money on dresses as his daughter Charlotte utters:

“She has little to amuse her Sir!”.

In volume II of the novel, we see that a counterpart of Mr.Slope is introduced in the shape of Mr.Arabian who is as unworldly and unmaterialistic as Mr.Slope is unscrupulous and worldly. The archdeacon appoints him as a rector to the church; hoping him to prove more than a match for Mr.Slope. It is this part of the novel in which we see that Eleanor suffers a lot on the basis of groundless suspicion and then Archdeacon openly declares that she is going to marry Mr.Slope. Further, she is irritated more by Mr.Arabin’s agreement with Archdeacon’s suspicions. Here, Mr.Slop’s true identity is exposed to us and he is put to shame by Signora Neroni when his false pretensions of love for her are exposed.

On the very important issue of the appointment of the dean of the church, Mr.Slope was very much interested in getting such kind of influential post. The reason being, he wanted to have great power and authority at high level. Mrs.Provdie was not in favour of granting, or assigning this post to Mr:Slope who had become in great confusion but his confusion was solved when he felt encouraged and satisfied by the newspaper, in which it was the younger people would be given preference in appointing the posts or places of influence in the church. A little later, we see that he was sent off to another diocese by the bishop on Mrs.Proudie’s allegations of his having illegal and unpriestly behaviour and relation with Signora Neroni because he often used to have silly and worthless flirtations with her. .

In brief, we can say that Signora Neroni, being very conscious and aware of her outer charms, beauty and seductive manner and gestures, allures and excites the young folk.

The beauty lovers and seekers of feminine charms, are easily succumbed by her beauty and channels of body freely and openly at any cost. The course of the action of the novel proves a very strange fact that whenever one succumbs to physical charms and beauty madly and deeply, is ultimately humiliated and shamed by her. So, it is right to say that Signora Neroni with her seductive charms and flirtation loves to put the male romanticism to shame.

Character Sketch of Mr.Slope In “Barcherster Towers” is one of the central figures of this novel. A deep analysis or study of this novel shows that there are some certain main issues or disputes or affairs with which the novel takes its start. If we throw light on the history of the Govt. of England then we come to know that the church in England is fully kept separate from the states. Round about all the major and chief ecclesiastical appointments are kept in the hands of the government.

Political influences and powers play an important role in getting such a high and influential post in the church. That’s why, every government or administration tries its best to choose such a candidate or a man who should not have a least contradictory or opposite outlook or views from the views of the present government or administration. There had also been practice in England that those who contradicted from the policies and outlooks or views of contemporary government or administration, were penalized by discharging them from their posts. Same was the case of Dr. Grantly, he was in favour with one administration but not with the next and so, he lost his chance at the appointment. The people of the High Church were conservative and always believed in church privileges; wanted no interference of the state in the affairs of the church such as practices of catholic character, church discipline and dogma.

As the history shows that the parties of High -Church were more strengthened, became in power and expanded through the influential efforts of the Oxford Movement in the 1830s and 1840s. The Low Church parties were opposite to the High Church in many respects and these parties became in power and grew larger in the Methodist movement of the late eighteenth century. The parties or followers of Low Church gave more stress on fulfilling the spiritual and physical needs of the people.

They were not of the view that human beings are somewhat detached intermediaries between God and man The men of the Evangelical Movement had their outlook and views which were about half-way in between Anglicanism and Methodism. They worked with the state to correct such absurdities, vices, follies foible and abuses which they found within the social system. These men and their followers were the low church party, and the readers of Barchester Towers must regard Dr. Proudie and Mr. Slope as representing the views of this party.

The very striking achievement or landmark of this movement was the termination or end of the slave trade in 1807. The Low Church groups also insisted that the Bible would be the primary and basic authority in ecclesiastical affairs and moral questions but not on tradition. Another hallmark of the Low Church parties was the establishment of Sunday schools through which they imparted the education to the people and urged Sunday observance, philanthropy in addition to these they also promoted or made many schemes of social reformations.

Further, they also condemned and made many elaborate rituals invalid which were being practiced or tainted with Catholicism. From the very outset of the novel, we come to know a tussle which in going on between Low Church and High Church and which also gives birth to the main action (plot), of this novel As both the parties of Low Church and High Church are at conflict or dispute as to whether the appointment of the new bishop would be made by a conservative or liberal administration.

It is worthy to note here that Trollope has presented Dr. Grantly, Revered Harding and Mr. Arabin as the clergies of High Church in Barchester. While Mr. Proudie, Mrs Proudie and Mr. Slope are the representatives of low church. These are Dr. Grantly’s failure and Dr. Proudie’s success which serve as raising a conflict or dispute within local church. From the new appointment of Mr. Proudie, Trollope creates a situation in which the plot of the novel takes birth which further leads to main plot in the rest of the novel. After the death of old Dr. Grântly, his son Dr. Grantly junior was fully qualifying for the post of bishop and was also ambitious for getting this post but all his hopes and wishes could not come true when MR. Proudie was appointed to that post. Being indifferent to religion, the new could not withstand the resistance but he had bold and aggressive wife and secondly shrewd and intriguing family chaplain Mr. Slope.

So, we see that bishop was in safe hands. Though in the coming developments, we see Mr. Slope went out of favour and Mrs. Proudie got the Bishop all to herself. Mrs. Proudie was excessively a woman of aggressive nature who always kept the Bishop’s chaplain Obadiah Slope in permanent quarrel or dispute. There was delivered a sermon by Mr. Slope, on the first Sunday in which there was given stress or emphasis on the importance of simplicity, humility and nobility in the church services. He also wanted to exclude the element of chanting from the outward ceremony, His sermon also proves that the Low church reformers considered themselves as crusaders who wanted to purify the church of its pagan emphasis on outward ceremony which was related to the use of music and tuning and chanting in the formal rituals.

As there had been practice of chanting, music and tuning in the services of the cathedral for the last many generations; so, the chapter could find no proper, apt and solid reason for the discontinuity of the practice. Later, in the counsel, an action was taken against him and it was decided that Mr. Slope should never be given permission to preach again. Mr. Slope who always remains in launching his unscrupulous and worldly movements; makes another effort by keeping. Rev. Septimus Harding from holding the position of warden in Hiram’s Hospital. He informs Mr. Harding said that as he would be expected to hold or perform or conduct many services a week and he would also be expected to manage Sunday schools in relation to asylum. The issue of appointing a new man on the seat of warden in the Hospital was going on and there seemed no solution of the controversy in the near future. But the controversy over the hospital was settled when Dr. Proudie and Mr. Slope became agree to offer the post to Mr. Quiverful. But this cause of conflict moved towards other direction.

As deanship was a post of influence and it had a great deal of power because the dean used to control the Cathedral services and staff. So, the appointment became a matter of serious concern for both the parties of High Church and Low Church. It was very obvious that if Mr. Şlope had become dean then the High church party would have lost one of their primary seats of influences in the diocese. Because it was the dean who terminated Mr. Slope from spreading his preachings, teachings and doctrines from the cathedral pulpit after his insulting sermon made by him on the first Sunday.

With the passage of time, there occurred another change of policy which was also affected in the diocese It was declared by bishop through Mr. Slope that absen clergymen should return to their duties as soon as possible and start helping in the administration of the clergymen of different districts. At this bishop’s announcement, Dr. Grantly introduced Mr. Arabin as a champion of High Church Mr. Slope who plays a very important role in the plot construction of the novel and who always makes any kind of unscrupulous and worldly affair or movement.

This time, Mr. Slope falls in love with Eleanor and wants to marry her. He asks Mr. Quiverful to assume the duties of Hospital but when feeling himself in fix and in order to please Eleanor he makes Mr. Quiverful to surrender in the favour of Mr. Harding. Though he had made Mr. Proudie agree with him yet it was Mr. Harding who made a crucial decision that he could simply not take the responsibilities of new duties at his age. So on the other hand, luckily Mr. Quiverful a low church man was. given promotion. At another occasion in the novel, we see whether it may be termed as Mr. Slope‘s sensibility or wisdom or tricky nature as it is known that the dean of Barchester has been attacked by the stroke of apoplexy and now his condition is beyond recovery.

Now it was being thought that Dr. Grantly would accept this post of deanship but Mr. Slope was also interested in getting such kind of influential post so that he could get same power and authority at high level, Mrs. Proudie who was not in favour of granting or assigning this post to Mr. Slope after the death of the dean. Mr. Slope who had become in great confusion but his confusion was solved when he felt encouraged and satisfied by the newspaper, in which it was said that younger people would be given preference in appointing the posts or places of influence in the church.

A little later, he was sent off to another diocese by the bishop on Mrs. Proudie’s allegations of his having illegal and non priestly behaviour and relation with Signora Neroni because he often used to have silly and worthless flirtation with her: By using the influential authorities of Oxford, Mr. Arabin got the post of deanship which symbolises or highlights a victory for the High churchmen. The very hallmark of Low Church parties was the insistence of the Bible to be the primary authority in all the moral questions and they also promoted or spread education of the people through establishing the “Sunday Schools.” They uplifted the standard or esteem of “Sunday schools” which were actually considered Sabbathday School as holidays. There were the major points with Low Church divines on the basis of which Mr. Slope and Mrs. Proudie attached on Dr. Grantly first time.

To sum up this above mentioned discussion; we can analyse that these are chief causes of conflict or dispute between the High Church and Low Church on which the novel is based. Actually and eventually the forthcoming action of the novel resolves itself into a “conflict between good people and bad people rather than between clerical faction”. This is the very issue which Trollope presents and concludes in Barchester Towers. As we know that Mr. Slope’s involvement in the plot.construction is very much and from the very beginning of his presentation on the stage; he proves to be a very disturbing and trouble creating factor for the lives of most of the major characters in the novel. After his departure from Barchester, the high and low Church parties became on a permanent truce.

We also see that their actual battle or disputes also come to an end and finally the novel takes its satisfactory ending. Though they remain opposed in principle but continue to live side by side without creating any other trouble. At the end of the novel, we see that all the major characters meet with their satisfactory ends and each side of the church whether low or high has its own victory. As Mr. Quiverful has got his seat in the hospital and Mr. Arabin wins the deaner Mr. Harding, being a man of noble nature, accompanies Mil Quiverful to the hospital and happily and willingly introduces him to his old fellows of the hospital.

Here Trollope also conveys a moral message to his readers, as well as the viewers! that tolerance, forbearance and self-respect are those virtues which always reward in virtue and on the other hand these virtues also terminate the vices. The satisfactory ending of the novel also emphasizes on the pleasant quality of Trollope’s art of writing that he never ever wanted to give preference for one religious sect over the other. To conclude this above mentioned discussion, we can say openly and vehemently that the elements of tolerance and forbearance also serve a very key role in developing the relations of the characters in a very pleasant way.

Though Mrs. Proudie defeats Mr. Slope yet it does not mean one character’s victory over the other socially. In the course of the action of the novel, though the people of the High Church are presented better than the low church people in some chapters only. . But it is very crystal clear proof that their success is not only due to their own efforts. Dr. Grantly, the mouthpiece of High *Church and the leader of his sect, does not succeed in securing the hospital for Mr. Harding, he creates hindrances rather than help the romantic pair of Eleanor and Mr. Arabin.

As influential powers and authorities play very vital role in dismissing and appointing a person at any post or seat of influence; so, he also depends on Dr. Guynne to influence the appointment to the deanship. Mr. Arabin, being å champion of the High Church, never opposes or degrades Mr. Slope or the Proudies who are the representatives of Low Church -The deanship which is the post or seat of influential authority and by which the High Church Parties carry on or maintain its authority, superiority and power; in Barchester, is “simply” handed to him From the very beginning to the end of the novel, it seems that Trollope has no willing mood or he does not want to develop or create any kind of dreadful, painful and, troublesome conflicts in the novel; sometimes he also seeks from superficiality in order to maintain the peace of coherence, flow, and harmony of the events, incidents and happenings of the story of the novel.

Critical Observation Of Trollope Literary work and analysis of the text of the novel, we come to know that Trollope’s art of plot construction is very superb and unique. In “Barcheter Towers”, Trollope deals with two main plots one is related to Eleanor’s romantic involvements and the second one is related to High church and Low church conflict.

The action of the novel, most of the time revolves around these two main plots. Trollope gives equal importance to both Eleanor’s adventures with Mr. Arabin, Mr. Slope and Bertie and the problem of the hospital or the deanship. We cannot term Eleanor’s love adventures as a main plot because this subplot develops in the context of the broader conflict between High and Low church parties. The action of the first fourteen chapters revolves around the main issue of appointing new bishop, warden and dean in Barcheter. Then there started love affairs among the major characters which bring a new complication to the main issue or dispute.

In this way, the love affair forms a plot in itself which is termed as a sub plot of the novel. w It is noteworthy that it is uniqueness of Trollope’s art of writing that the developments of the main plot and romantic subplot are mingled to one another in the novel that it is very hard to separate them. As both High church and Low church groups are busy in defeating to one another on the disputes, the same is happened in the romantic subplot in which Eleanor Bold passes through the choice of suitable match for her because there are two rival clergymen for her hand in marriage.

Barchester Towers is consisting of a number of subplots and all of which are related to the ecclesiastical power of struggle. If we divide the novel in three parts then we see that the first volume which shows the dispute of appointing a new bishop in Barchester, the death of the old Bishop Grantly is informed to the Prime Minister who was to appoint the new bishop and the press holds a debate over the most suitable candidate. Mr. Proudie from London is got appointed and shrewd Mr. Slope raises a war between the conservatives and the reformists by his first sermon in the cathedral. It causes of specific blows on the practices and customs of the archdeacon and his father-in-law Mr. Hardin.

In Volume II we see that a counterpart of Mr. Slope is introduced in the shape of Mr. Arabin who is as unworldly and un materialistic as Mr. Slope is unscrupulous and worldly. The archdeacon appoints him as a rector to the church, hoping he will prove more than a match for Mr. Slope. It is this part of the novel in which we see that Eleanor suffers a lot on the basis of groundless suspicions and then Archdeacon openly declares that she is going to marry Mr. Slope. Further, she is irritated more by Mr. Arabin’s agreement with the archdeacon’s suspicions. Here, Mr. Slope’s true identity is exposed to us and he is put to shame by Signora Neroni when his false pretensions of love for her are exposed.

It is also the volume II in which Mr. Arabin proposes Eleanor to marry but she is too angry with him to forgive him hurriedly. Though she knows the true nature of his feelings towards her yet she does not encourage him. Mr. Slope being very shrewd and unscrupulous gets busy in his. efforts to get the post of dean after a fatal attack of paralysis on old Dean.

There is a great difference of opinions on the issue of appointing the post of warden of Hiram’s Hospital between Mrs. Proudie and Mr. Slope. Both Mrs. Proudie and Mr. Slope are at row or quarrel on this dispute. Mrs. Proudie wants Mr. Quiverful to get appointed to the post but Mr. Slope wants Mr. Harding to get appointed as a favour to Eleanor whom he plans to marry. As Bishop favours Mr. Slope and Mrs. Proudie loses the contest but she wins the bishop back to her side by pursuing him aggressively and bishop becomes agree to make no favour for Mr. Slope.

In the third Volume of the novel, we see that a change from conservative to liberal outlook was inevitable. It is at Ullathorne house where all the major and important developments in the action of the novel proceed and are solved. Trollope himself clarifies that the threat was really not so serious as it was taken to be and further he assures us that all will be well in the end. It is on the age 126 of volume 1 of the novel, for instance, he tells the “gentle hearted reader” that “It is not destined that Eleanor will marry Mr. Slope or Bertie. Stanhope.

To sum up this above mentioned discussion, it can be concluded by saying that it is rightly said that Trollope is a master story-teller and is also rightly acknowledged as “male . Jane Austen. Just like Jane Austen, he also had an ability in his art to paint a complete picture on two inches of ivory. Barchester Towers has two main plots; one is related to the High Church and Low Church dispute of appointing a new bishop and second is related to Elionor’s love adventures. As the farmer is termed as the main plot and the later can be termed as sub-plot. Both these two plots are intermingled to one another that it is very difficult to separate them. The story is so aptly structured and so amusingly told that the plot of the novel is rightly considered as one of the unique examples of Trollope’s art of writing. 

Anthony Troollope’s Realism is very essential for every writer in presenting or visualizing the true spirit of his age. Those writers or persons of literary genre who follow this technique, are well considered and well-popularized among their readers as well as the viewers.

As far as the case of Trollope is concerned, he is rightly believed as a great realist. A deep and careful study or analysis of his most of his literary works shows that almost all his characters, their ambitions, their desires, their hopes, their wishes, their beliefs, their attitudes, their actions, their likenesses and dislikenesses, in short, their all ways and manners of life are extracted from their contemporary society. Whatever he observes and feels, conveys to his readers without hiding anything or happening of his contemporary age.

When we start studying this novel “Barchester Towers”, we come to know that the Barchester Towers is the story of two church parties which are called Low Church and High Church. As there is going on a tussle or dispute between these two parties whether the new bishop would be appointed by a conservative or a liberal administration; most of the clergymen of Barchester are regarded uniformly of High Church. Dr. Grantly’s failure and Dr, Proudie’s success serve as raising a great deal of conflict within the local Church. This conflict between High-Church and Low-Church provides an action in the novel and further it leads to the main plot of the Barchester Towers. Trollope makes best use of his technique of art and minimizes the difference between fiction and reality and this very thing leads the action to the realistic Dr. Grantly’s ambition. By forging a link to the fictional world, he creates the actual world.

It is one of the best traits of Trollope’s art of writing that he always presents plausible characters and events that involve the reader’s interest and likeness more. The conducts and manners of Dr. Grantly are psychological and Trollope presents him in a psychological vein but handles him without using the elements of sentimentality. He feels pity and sorrow for his father but inwardly his heart longs for having the post of a bishop; though his ambition makes him feel guilty yet he cannot hide or suppress it. Trollope always talks about people’s practical affairs; that’s why his other travel books always deal or convey real human life affairs rather pictorial sights, sketches of places and scenery of outer life.

In most of the literary writings and works, Trollope seems to be presenting himself as a reporter of the great possible newspaper. As a reporter of the great newspaper observes or watches an event, happening or incident then he comments on every thing as the social organization, spheres or fields of economics, politics or legality. Same is the case with Trollope who watches, observes and feels every experience of men and women which came in Trollope’s way as a great novelist.

Most of the characters of Trollope belong to the middle and upper classes of his society and he depicts or portrays them very keenly, minutely, and realistically. As Mr. Slope is a worldly, unscrupulous and ambitious character: Trollope presents him in a hypocritical vein. On the one hand, he plays Eleanor off against her father and on the other hand favours her father in getting appointed as a favour to Eleanor in order to execute his plan of marriage with her. Dr. Grantly is a man of toppling personality and always fluctuates between two situations of opposite kinds.

Due to his wrong headedness, he becomes ridiculous in the eyes of the readers. Eleanor is stubborn and rude and she always keeps herself on the verge of showing irrationality. On one occasion, when Mr. Slope straight-forwardly proposes for marriage, she loses her temper and gives a smart slap on his face. After the stroke of apoplexy on the dean of Barchester, it was generally thought that Dr. Grantly would accept the deanship but Mr. Slope wanted to get this post. Mr. Proudie was not in favour of considering him as a candidate for this post after the death of dean. The confusion of Mr. Slope was solved when it was published in the newspaper that younger men would be given preference in admitting to the places of influence and power in the church.

Mrs. Proudie felt satisfaction and relaxed when Mr. Slope was sent to another place because she could not bear him more in Barchester. It was through the influences of Oxford that Mr. Arabin was appointed as a deen which highlighted a victory of High Church. Through Mr. Slope’s sermon, we come to know that Low Church reformers were purifying the church of its pagan stress on outward ceremony which absolutely affected only the imagination. They gave more emphasis on having belief in “inward conviction” and in faith. This aspect appealed both intellectually and instinctively to the human imagination. How a major or dominant aspect of the general catholic protestant debate; had been since the sixteenth century because it was clarified here that the violent emotions caused of it; must be understood in the light of these greater issues.

In the final analysis of this above mentioned discussion, it can be concluded by saying that Trollope is basically a realist in his approach. All the major events, incidents, disputes and happenings show that whatever Trollope observed, felt and watched in his surroundings of his age, he clearly and openly depicted or conveyed through his works; in which Barchester Towers is a crystal clear proof.