Essay Questions

What is the main conflict in The Barsetshire Chronicles: The Warden by Anthony Trollope?

The main conflict is between Mr. Harding, who represents tradition, and Mr. Bold, who represents reforms. The church and its operations are based on traditional doctrines used over the centuries to run its operations. For instance, the church requires Mr. Harding to head all its operations, including the Hiram Hospital. On the other hand, reformists like Mr. Bold argue that there must be separations between ministering and running the church's projects. Therefore, Mr. Bold runs an activist campaign to remove Mr. Harding from his position at the Hiram Hospital. The conflict continues until Mr. Harding resigns and stops taking his salary from the church operations.

What is the irony of John Bold’s activist campaign for reforms and fairness?

John Bold is a reformer who intends to challenge the authority of church leaders and expose their possible corruption. In particular, Mr. Bold acts on the rumor about Mr. Harding's exorbitant salary from the church's hospital in Hiram. Mr. Bold files a case against Mr. Harding in court. Since Mr. Harding does not want his allegations to interfere with the hospital's affairs, he resigns. Ironically, the hospital starts collapsing after Mr. Harding leaves. Mr. Bold initially thought that by removing Mr. Harding from his position, the hospital would flourish and generate more money to fund various projects. On the contrary, the older people who depend on Mr. Harding's salary to sustain their stay in the hospital end up suffering. Anthony Trollope uses this irony to show readers that activism can sometimes be misleading and destroy the institutions it is supposed to protect.

How does the author illustrate the lack of objectivity in newspapers?

When Mr. Bold raises claims about corruption in the church operations, he requests local newspapers to write about the exorbitant salary of Mr. Harding. The newspapers are a powerful source of information because they influence politics and social issues. However, the saddening thing is that newspapers act on Mr. Bold’s rumors instead of conducting adequate research to substantiate the allegations against him.