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.
