Barchester Towers · Chapter
The Thornes of Ullathorne explained
Mr.
What happens
Mr. Arabin is to read himself in at St. Ewold's on Sunday, with the archdeacon assisting and Mr. Harding taking the archdeacon's duty. Mrs. Bold accompanies them, and they plan to lunch at the squire's house. The chapter introduces Wilfred Thorne, the bachelor squire of Ullathorne, a man proud of his lineage and devoted to old English literature and genealogy. His sister, Miss Thorne, is an elegant old woman who romanticizes the past and dresses richly. The chapter also describes the Tudor architecture of Ullathorne Court, its interior, and the beauty of its exterior, especially its aged stone color.
Themes in this chapter
Social Class and Snobbery
Mr. Thorne's obsession with blood and lineage, and his condescension toward those of recent family, exemplifies the snobbery of the landed gentry.
Tradition vs. Reform
Miss Thorne's longing for past usages and her resistance to change (e.g., the fireplace grate) contrast with her brother's reluctant acceptance of modern comforts.
Hypocrisy and Moral Ambiguity
Miss Thorne's idealized view of historical figures like Cranmer and Elizabeth I, ignoring their flaws, shows a sentimental hypocrisy about the past.
Characters to notice
- Mr. Arabin
To read himself in at St. Ewold's on Sunday, accompanied by the archdeacon and Mrs. Bold.
- Archdeacon Grantly
Assists Mr. Arabin at the reading desk; his duty at Plumstead is taken by Mr. Harding.
- Mr. Harding
Takes the archdeacon's duty at Plumstead Church while the archdeacon accompanies Mr. Arabin.
- Eleanor Bold
Accompanies the party to St. Ewold's and plans to lunch at the squire's house.
- Mr. Thorne
Squire of Ullathorne, a bachelor proud of his lineage, knowledgeable in old English essays and genealogy.
- Miss Thorne
Mr. Thorne's sister, an elegant old woman who romanticizes the past, dresses richly, and is proud of her appearance.
Key passages
“He was a fair specimen of what that race has come to in our days which, a century ago, was, as we are told, fairly represented by Squire Western. If that representation be a true one, few classes of men can have made faster strides in improvement.”
Mr. Thorne is a modern example of the English squire class, which has greatly improved since the rough days of Squire Western.
The narrator contrasts the refined Mr. Thorne with the boorish Squire Western from Fielding's Tom Jones, suggesting social progress.
“She was accustomed to speak of Cranmer as though he had been the firmest and most simple-minded of martyrs, and of Elizabeth as though the pure Protestant faith of her people had been the one anxiety of her life.”
Miss Thorne held an idealized and historically inaccurate view of Cranmer and Queen Elizabeth I.
The narrator gently mocks Miss Thorne's romanticized view of history, noting that Cranmer was a timeserver and Elizabeth was essentially a papist in her own way.
“It is the colour of Ullathorne that is so remarkable. It is of that delicious tawny hue which no stone can give, unless it has on it the vegetable richness of centuries.”
The unique tawny color of Ullathorne's stone comes from centuries of weathering and organic growth.
The narrator praises the aged beauty of the building's exterior, emphasizing the patina of time.