This paper analyses Mrs Humphry Ward’s novel "Helbeck of Bannisdale", which was first published in 1898. It illustrates how the theme of religious controversy between Protestantism and Catholicism and between the Church of England and the Evangelical sects, is treated by Mrs Ward with a remarkable inwardness with the subject, which carries a weight of conviction that is not always to be found in other novels dealing with the same theme. Mrs Wards manages to present a singularly unprejudiced analysis of the religious conflict between the two protagonists. Furthermore the delicate balance between the author’s instinctive rejection of Catholicism and her desire to be fair-minded in presenting some of its attractive qualities is maintained throughout the novel.
