Collins, Judith.

Jane Austen's Mansfield Park and Anthony Trollope's The Warden and Barchester Towers all follow the experiences of a timid heroine or hero. The setting and the dramatic irony of each novel play important roles in the characterization of these gentle "heroes." Elements of irony and of setting thus are inseparable from the portraits of both Austen's Fanny Price and Trollope's Mr. Harding. An exploration of each element--of the timid hero, of the element of place, and of dramatic irony--proves that the three elements are equally important in determining the novels' distinctive portraitures.