“Quality” by John Galsworthy

“Quality”-  

                                                                 by John Galsworthy

                                                       

Is one of the most famous English novelist and playwrights of the early 20^th century. He won the noble prize for literature in 1932.During his career ,27 plays ,173 short stories and other works.

“The Forstyte Saga”

Galsworthy is known for his portrayal of the British upper middle class and for his social satire.

He regarded novel as a lawful instrument of Social Propaganda’ He believed that it was the duty of an artist to state a problem. To throw light,upone it, but not to provide a solution.

“Quality” is a realistic portrayal of social life. It is constructed in a rather conventional way.

“The action line in this story follows the customary course of well-constructed plots.”

Plot:             

            It is a particular arrangement of happenings in a novel that is aimed at revealing their causal relationships or at conveying the novelist’s ideas.

A plot is sometimes called a ‘Story line:

phases of  plot:

Exposition

Conflict

Climax

Denouement

1.Exposition:

It provides the reader with the knowledge of Gessler Brothers, their shops, and their attitude toward making boots.

2.Conflict:

The brothers are faced by the competition of the big firm. When they lose one of the two shops, the conflict between the big firm and handicraftsmen is strengthened.

3.Climax:

The climax arrives when the surviving younger brother can no longer make a living.

4.Denouement: Conclusion-resolution.

The denouement comes with his death and the success of big firm.

2.Character:

The main characters are the Gessler Brothers.

We may infer that they are German immigrants or Englishmen of German origin.

They are poor, belonging to the lower social stratum.

They show integrity and complete dedication to their work.

The characters are revealed in conflict in both ways:

1.Externally, between Gessler Brother and the big firm.

2. Internally, within the younger brother himself.

v  The brothers in a difficult situation and poses a moral choice before them:

a.       Whether they should give up their ideal to meet the competition or…

b.      Stick to their ideal and face any consequences.

v  The younger brother would rather die of starvation than cheapen his products

v  His tragic death :

               His tragic death is an outcome thus greatly intensifies his noble personality and heightens the theme of story.

v   The meaning of “Quality”:

  The word Quality acquires a double meaning.

1.       In highly competitive commercial society , the Gessler brothers maintain the quality of their boots.

2.       They display their quality of human nature.

v  Symbols :

     The basic symbols are the Gesslers, their boots and the leather they use .They form a compound symbol of an Uncompromising ideal.

      Their boots, made of the best leather and incarnating the very spirit of all footgear, are their ideal which stands for a supreme quality of human nature.

v  The Gessler Brothers stands for their type of human beings.

v  Their personal moral victory reveals is the richness of human values.

v  Their death symbolizes the defeat of something larger than themselves.

          The Gessler brothers tragedy signifies a moral decay in search for material civilization. Human values are threatened by material gain.

                          

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