Who's Who in Trollope's Political Novels

Abstract

E VER SINCE Trollope's political novels were written, there has been controversy as to whether the leading politicians he portrayed-Daubeny, Gresham, Turnbull, Brock, and others-were modelled on contemporary statesmen. In recent years there have been several contributions to this discussion. R. W. Chapman, in an essay entitled Personal Names in Trollope's Political Novels, 1 maintained that certain identifications could be made, in particular those of Daubeny with Disraeli and Gresham with Gladstone; and F. E. Robbins (though apparently unacquainted with Dr. Chapman's essay) supported his general line of argument, chiefly by producing evidence from Framley Parsonage to show that Brock represented Palmerston.2 Miss Beatrice Curtis Brown, on the other hand, has stated that Trollope's statesmen are unidentifiable;3 and A. 0. J. Cockshut, in his book Anthony Trollope: A Critical Study,4 devoted an Appendix of nine pages to attacking the conclusions of Chapman: this is the fullest attempt to show that Trollope had no intention of portraying real personages. But Bradford A. Booth,5 after quoting Trollope's own statements as to his intentions, concludes that, although he denied having invaded anyone's privacy, Trollope did not deny having taken certain contemporary politicians-at least so far as their public char-