Tradition versus Reform
The novel sets itself up as an examination of the theme of church traditions against church reformations in the form of John Bold challenging Mr. Harding. It is a testament to the author's rejection of mere didacticism that this conflict is never actually reconciled one way or the other. The story presents arguments against corruption within the clergy, but in the person of the deeply flawed reformist who wants to break it all apart. The complexity of the interrelationships among characters representing both tradition and reform is ultimately highlighted by the decision of John Bold to put an end to the legal proceedings which spring forth from this conflict. By the end, neither side can claim victory over the other.
Tabloid Press
The power of the press comes in for quite a walloping in this novel. Two characters appear in the novel that is based upon Thomas Carlyle and Charles Dickens, respectively. They both come under very harsh scrutiny for their roles in the reporting of societal conditions. Newspapers were a fairly recent invention and those running them quickly learned the value of tabloid coverage. This aspect of the power of the press is delivered with a rough satirical punch in the characters of Dr. Pessimist Anticant and Mr. Popular Sentiment who are the analogs of Carlyle and Dickens. The newspaper in the narrative, The Jupiter, comes to embody a theme that is still active today: can the press be trusted to present information objectively?
British Anti-Catholicism
A minor theme pursued in the narrative is the satirizing of anti-Catholic sentiment in England. This theme is situated in the character of Sir Abraham Haphazard and his attempt to pass legislation known as the "Convent Custody Bill." That the narrator views the anti-Papist sentiment as unworthy is made evident not just by the absurdity of Haphazard's name, but the contents of his bill which would allow Protestant ministers over fifty to search any Catholic nun suspected of anything that Protestant denominations deemed suspicious. The underlying intent of the bill is designed to divide the Irish according to their religious denomination. Thus, this theme illustrates the inextricable tie between politics and religion in U.K. society.
