In this passage taken from Barchester Towers, author criticize the duality of the
Stanhope’s family in a satirical and a candid manner. By emphasizing their indifferent
nature, author reveals his or her contempt toward Stanhope family’s pretentious attitudes.
This is clearly shown through juxtaposition between their nature and their surface, paradox,
and theme of indifference.
First, there is a strong contrast between the family’s actual inner minds and reflected
surface. The author first display the outer aspects that could be perceived as caring (“The
Stanhopes would visit you in your sickness (provided it were not contagious)”);however, as
shown inside the parenthetic comment, this sentence was actually emphasizing how little
Stanhopes …show more content…
Strong contrast between vigorous efforts made by her and
actual helpfulness through listed activities, reveal how idle she is: “she had aided her father
in his indifference to his professional duties, counseling him that his livings were as much his
individual property as the estates of his elder brother were the property of the worthy
peer”, “She had encouraged her mother in her idleness”, “She had encouraged and fostered
the follies of her sister, though she was always willing, and often able, to protect her form
their probable result”, and “She had done her best, and had thoroughly succeeded in
spoiling her brother, and turning him loose upon the world an idle man without a
profession, and without a shilling that he could call his own”. Furthermore, along with other
family members, there is also a clear mention about miss Stanhope (“ a clever woman, able
to talk on most subjects, and quite indifferent as to what the subject was”). As shown
above, all the family members are presented instable and to lack elements form a regular
structure of family.
The theme of indifference is constantly recurred and it has contributed to the overall
mood of the passage. It is definite that the Stanhopes’ family are described as
Stanhope’s family in a satirical and a candid manner. By emphasizing their indifferent
nature, author reveals his or her contempt toward Stanhope family’s pretentious attitudes.
This is clearly shown through juxtaposition between their nature and their surface, paradox,
and theme of indifference.
First, there is a strong contrast between the family’s actual inner minds and reflected
surface. The author first display the outer aspects that could be perceived as caring (“The
Stanhopes would visit you in your sickness (provided it were not contagious)”);however, as
shown inside the parenthetic comment, this sentence was actually emphasizing how little
Stanhopes …show more content…
Strong contrast between vigorous efforts made by her and
actual helpfulness through listed activities, reveal how idle she is: “she had aided her father
in his indifference to his professional duties, counseling him that his livings were as much his
individual property as the estates of his elder brother were the property of the worthy
peer”, “She had encouraged her mother in her idleness”, “She had encouraged and fostered
the follies of her sister, though she was always willing, and often able, to protect her form
their probable result”, and “She had done her best, and had thoroughly succeeded in
spoiling her brother, and turning him loose upon the world an idle man without a
profession, and without a shilling that he could call his own”. Furthermore, along with other
family members, there is also a clear mention about miss Stanhope (“ a clever woman, able
to talk on most subjects, and quite indifferent as to what the subject was”). As shown
above, all the family members are presented instable and to lack elements form a regular
structure of family.
The theme of indifference is constantly recurred and it has contributed to the overall
mood of the passage. It is definite that the Stanhopes’ family are described as