The Warden opens the Chronicles of Barsetshire series, which includes six books, the action of which takes place in the fictional county of Barsetshire in the west of England. The central theme of Trollope’s novel is the activities of Anglican priests, who are gradually losing their influence and are criticized by society. It seems that this topic was relevant only at that time, having no connection with the current era. However, this topic is still in high demand. Many things in it have something in common with ongoing processes in other spheres of society.
The protagonist of the novel is Septimus Harding, who is a warden of the almshouse. He is an honest and sincere person, who complies with his obligations. Unfortunately, he turns out to be a victim of intrigues. He is guilty of only two things – he is a relative of the archdeacon, and his daughter’s lover is entirely unwanted for her relatives. The formation of public opinion is of great importance in this scandalous case. The author clearly shows how it is easy to manipulate the minds of citizens with the help of publications in newspapers and other sources of information.
The main problem in The Warden is that people cash in on their faith, do not comply with their obligations and give their relatives church ranks, thereby making more profits and squeezing more value. However, such people like Mr. Harding are not to blame for what is happening. The second point is an intervention of relatives in destiny. Eleanor Harding has the full right to marry anyone and anytime. Her father supports her, but her sister’s husband strongly opposes this. The third problem in this book is a false accusation. A very important moment is to collect reliable facts and draw conclusions, but not attack a person, who is not guilty of this. Some people see and know that a person is good, but they still try to charge him for the sake of self-affirmation and personal gain.
The novel itself is modest and not as brilliant as the author’s subsequent novels. Nevertheless, it is a necessary and important part of the series. The readers get acquainted with the characters of subsequent wonderful parts, having an opportunity to gradually and harmoniously join the themes, mood and language of further narration.
