Framley Parsonage · Character

Harold Smith

A pompous politician and lecturer, brother-in-law to Sowerby, who swells with pride when he is at last summoned into the cabinet.

supporting

Also known as Mr. Harold Smith, Smith, Harold

First appearance: Mr. Harold Smith’s Lecture

See Harold Smith in Mr. Harold Smith’s Lecture Book page

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Harold Smith moves through the novel as a man of self-importance, forever lecturing and forever certain of his own consequence, and his elevation to the cabinet briefly makes his whole circle hold their heads high. His elation is comic and revealing: he cannot quite decide whether cabinet ministers are gods or men, and he is content to sit silent at first among the Olympians. His political fortunes and his connection to Sowerby entangle him in the electioneering turmoil that sweeps through Barsetshire.

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Character Web

27 connections

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Relationship types

Other

Character groups

Financial and Political Entanglements
Framley Village and Clergy
Extensive Supporting Cast
Minor Social Climbers

+22 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

In this excerpt, the dramatic climax occurs as Lucy receives Lady Lufton’s note, triggering an intense emotion…

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In the story

Harold Smith appears across 14 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

The Framley Set, and the Chaldicotes Set
Harold Smith is a member of Parliament and a rising politician, married to Sowerby's sister. He is laborious and well-informed but conceited and pompous.
Chaldicotes
Plans to give a lecture about Borneo and discusses the islands with the bishop.
Mr. Harold Smith’s Lecture
Anxious and serious about his lecture on the South Sea islands, annoyed by the jokes and delays.
Sunday Morning
Mentioned as the subject of the charity sermon and the earlier lecture that provoked laughter.
Gatherum Castle
Engages in political discussions at the castle; proposes throwing in shells against the prime minister.
Mrs. Proudie’s Conversazione
Briefly appears, discussing her husband's political negotiations with Lord Brock and the uncertainty of his appointment.
The New Minister's Patronage
Newly appointed Lord Petty Bag; Mark seeks his patronage for the prebendal stall.
Money Dealings
Mentioned as the Lord Petty Bag, though Mark does not deliver his intended resignation message.
Harold Smith in the Cabinet
Newly appointed cabinet minister, elated but soon criticized by the Jupiter article.
The Triumph of the Giants
Loses his position as a cabinet minister when the ministry resigns.
Magna Est Veritas
Mentioned as Mrs. Harold Smith's husband and a cabinet minister who might help Sowerby.
The Goat and Compasses
Mentioned as having been made unhappy by the dissolution rumor, though he does not appear directly in the chapter.
Mr. Sowerby Without Company
Mentioned in relation to past financial dealings with Sowerby; his wife acts as intermediary with Miss Dunstable.
Nemesis
Believes the article was written by his enemy Mr. Supplehouse, though the narrator doubts this.

Chapter companion notes

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See Harold Smith in Mr. Harold Smith’s Lecture