The Politics Of Rumor-A Study Of Anthony Trollope's The Warden

Anthony Trollope(1815-1882),a well-established novelist of the nineteenth century,contributed to the world a sum of forty-seven novels,various travel books,short story collections,sketches,and biographies,and he was especially noted for his"Barsetshire" and "Palliser" novels.Despite strong religious themes in the two series,they also cover diverse other subjects and topics,among which rumor is a significant one.Rumor is a particularly salient theme in Trollope's first novel of "Barsetshire"series,The Warden(1855).Spreading rumor is not only a social phenomenon in the modern times,but also a frequent topic in the past centuries.And rumor is a common theme in literature.Previous studies concerning Anthony Trollope's The Warden concentrated on such areas as Anthony Trollope's narrative techniques in The Warden,historical criticism revealed in The Warden,Trollope's realism,Trollope's criticism of the secularization of the church,and biographical criticism of Anthony Trollope.However,not many studies have focused on the discourse of rumor in the novel.The thesis conducts a study of The Warden by focusing on the politics of rumor revealed in the novel.It investigates different elements that contribute to the construction,spreading,and acceptance of the rumor about Mr.Harding.Enlightened by Michel Foucault's theories on such themes as power,surveillance,confession,and truth,it aims to probe how the rumor about the protagonist,Mr.Harding,becomes an accepted truth throughout its process of spreading.It examines three major aspects:the first is the transition of social values in the nineteenth century British society,in which people recklessly go after materialistic desires irrespective of their conscience and responsibility.This period is characterized as the age of progress and over-emphasis on materialism driven by the industrial revolution;the second is all-pervading surveillance system,in which a well-knitted discourse controlling mechanism has guaranteed the spreading and acceptance of the rumor.It analyzes how The Jupiter wins people's trust,and how it plots coverage against Mr.Harding and how it incites social critics to criticize Mr.Harding;the third is the internalization of the self,discussing different people's self-identity and individuals' responses to the rumor.It explains Mr.Harding's utilization of technologies of self,believing his self-accusation and self-justification have ultimately given rise to his final surrender to the rumor.In essence,his resignation represents his confession and his acceptance of the rumor.Foucault proposes that truth does not link directly with the reality.The truth is a constructed discourse and it does not have a clear demarcation with rumor.In the novel,the rumor is a constructed discourse and is well plotted through an intricate system of relations:its tri-fold structure comprises changing social values,power-backed discourse,and internalization of self-identity.The tri-fold structure contributes to the emergence,spreading,and acceptance of the rumor.By investigating Anthony Trollope's The Warden,we can better understand how the rumor is constructed in the novel by studying the changing social values,power-backed discourse,and the internalization of self-identity.We can also better grasp the drive for people,the media,and individuals to engage in the relations.Having the broad picture of the politics of rumor revealed in the novel,we can better comprehend the correlation between truth and rumor,between power and individuals,and the development of the discourse of rumor in the novel.