Trollope's humor and the incredible passivity of some of his characters

Yes Trollope does have a good sense of humor - notable in his many shrewd asides to readers and also in the staging of some of his scenes, in particular I'm thinking of the scene in Dr Thorne when Frank Gresham declares his love for Mary Thorne, as she's riding a donkey, and he stands beside her, embracing her (her knees?) in some awkward way and reaching his hand out for her and all she can do is softly utter "Oh Frank" as she takes one of his fingers in the palm of her hand (hey, this is Victorian literature after all - we'll settle for symbolic sex) and you have to picture the donkey that she's on, drooping its head, maybe nudging the two of them. It's not a moment exactly typical of Trollope, but the kind of offbeat moment that gives this vast domestic drama a bit of color and change of pace. Still struck as noted in yesterday's post by the incredible passivity and indifference of so many of the characters - none of the Gresham children willing to stand up to the mother and dispute her right to ban Mary Thorne from their household and to forbid them even to speak w/ Mary (for fear she will bewitch the precious male heir) and now Frank, though boldly telling his more sympathetic if feckless father that he plans to marry Mary Thorne, meekly acquiesces to the parental demand that he spend a year-and-a-day abroad - just to get him away from Mary in hopes that he will find someone more suitable, that is, someone rich. Why would he go away for a year? Why should he? Show a little backbone, lad.