Hello Readers!
Welcome to my blog. Now I,m going to write about my B.A studies blog. In the last year of B.A. we have studies very interesting short story "Quality" written by John Galsworthy. The title itself suggest lot's of thing. This story about Gessler Brothers that how they faced difficult situation. This story about the great shoes maker. We can see that the how people choose things without thinking and observing. Now the days many people also choose quantitative thing instead of qualitative. Very hard working shoes maker suffer because of that people doesn't chose qualitative thing they go behind quantity. The Gessler brothers tragedy signifies a moral decay in search for material civilisation. Human values are threatened by material gain.
We can think this points;
- Quality or Quantity
- Quality versus artificiality
- Human values or materialistic world?
- Concept of industrialisation and modernisation
- does the art of artist is replaced by machine?
Let's we look the short story in detail.
John Galsworthy
John Galsworthy, (born Aug. 14, 1867, Kingston Hill, Surrey, Eng.—died Jan. 31, 1933, Grove Lodge, Hampstead), English novelist and playwright, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1932.
Galsworthy’s family, of Devonshire farming stock traceable to the 16th century, had made a comfortable fortune in property in the 19th century. His father was a solicitor. Educated at Harrow and New College, Oxford, Galsworthy was called to the bar in 1890. With a view to specializing in marine law, he took a voyage around the world, during which he encountered Joseph Conrad, then mate of a merchant ship. They became lifelong friends. Galsworthy found law uncongenial and took to writing. For his first works, From the Four Winds (1897), a collection of short stories, and the novel Jocelyn(1898), both published at his own expense, he used the pseudonym John Sinjohn. The Island Pharisees (1904) was the first book to appear under his own name.
Quality
Quality by John Galsworthy was first published in "The Inn of Tranquillity: studies and essays" in 1912. Title itself is a "quality" of "Quality". It is a short and simple but meaningful. The short story "Quality" describe the value of quality. Narrator see a perfectness in work which is qualitative.
Theme of the Story
The main theme is commitment; commitments to one's work, to one's passion. Every worker artist if he loves his work and is immersed in it. The Gessler brother's commitment towards their work is really touching. For them the struggles, the hardships are nothing as long as they keep doing their work. The tragedy of Gessler brothers signifies a moral decay in the search for material civilisation. Human values are threatened by material gain.
Plot of the story
The story starts with the description of the boot shop; on top was the name plate 'Gessler Brothers' and a few shoes displayed on the window. They make shoes on order. The narrator then narrates one of his meetings with Mr. Gessler. He says it has not been possible to go him much because the shoes he made have lasted very long and are the best of their kind.
One day the narrator goes to their shop to get a pair of Russian leather shoes. Mr. Gessler retreat upstairs and comes back after sometime holding a fine golden Russian leather piece. After the narrator's approval he says he'll get his shoes tomorrow fortnight.
One day the narrator goes to their boot shop and tells him that the last shoes he got from him creak. After a long pause Mr. Gessler asks him to them, he assures that if he can't repair them, he will give the money back.
Another day he goes to Gessler Brothers to order a new pair, wearing a pair of shoes which he bought due to some emergency from a big firm. Mr. Gessler at once recognises that the shoes are not made by him. He touches a particular spot on the narrator's shoe where it isn't comfortable for the narrator and says that it hurts there. He expresses his contempt that thoes large firms attract customers through shiny impressive advertisements to sell their inferior quality products. Then the author explains to him under what circumstances he had to buy those shoes.
The new shoes lasted nearly two years. And in his next visit he receives quite a shock. When he enters the shop, he sees the younger Gessler brother who informs him of elder Gessler' s death. That day he orders several pairs. It takes longer to make them but the quality is even better than the previous ones.
Soon after, the narrator leaves for abroad and returns after over a years. The first shop he goes to is Mr. Gessler's , now seventy five, is unable to recognise him at first. Narrator gives a huge order. The wait is longer than ever but the quality only gets better.
After a week, while passing the little street, the narrator thinks to go in and tell Mr. Gessler that the boots are perfect. But when he goes to the place where the shop was the name plates is no longer there.
Disturbed, he goes into the shop and young English face greets him. The narrator enquires about Mr. Gessler and comes to know of younger Gessler's death. Upon hearing this the narrator is quite shocked.
The young man explains to him that Gessler died from starvation; he used to devoted himself to shoe making so much that he used to forget about everything else. All the money went in the rents and leather. The fate was quite obvious from the beginning. But both the narrator and the young man agrees that the Gessler brothers made good quality boots.
Phases of Plot
Exposition :
It provides the reader with the knowledge of Gessler Brothers, their shops, and their attitude toward making boots.
Conflict :
The brother are faced by the competition of the big firm. When they lose one of the two shops, the handicraft men is strengthen.
Climax :
The climax arrives when the surviving younger brother can no longer make a living.
Denouement :
The denouement comes with his death and the success of big firm.
Mr. Gessler is an excellent craftsman the narrator remarks about;
Thank you .....
Desai, Kaushal. “‘Quality’ by John Galsworthy.” LinkedIn SlideShare, 5 Jan. 2019, www.slideshare.net/mobile/kaushal111/quality-by-john-galsworthy.
Theme of the Story
The main theme is commitment; commitments to one's work, to one's passion. Every worker artist if he loves his work and is immersed in it. The Gessler brother's commitment towards their work is really touching. For them the struggles, the hardships are nothing as long as they keep doing their work. The tragedy of Gessler brothers signifies a moral decay in the search for material civilisation. Human values are threatened by material gain.
Plot of the story
The story starts with the description of the boot shop; on top was the name plate 'Gessler Brothers' and a few shoes displayed on the window. They make shoes on order. The narrator then narrates one of his meetings with Mr. Gessler. He says it has not been possible to go him much because the shoes he made have lasted very long and are the best of their kind.
One day the narrator goes to their shop to get a pair of Russian leather shoes. Mr. Gessler retreat upstairs and comes back after sometime holding a fine golden Russian leather piece. After the narrator's approval he says he'll get his shoes tomorrow fortnight.
One day the narrator goes to their boot shop and tells him that the last shoes he got from him creak. After a long pause Mr. Gessler asks him to them, he assures that if he can't repair them, he will give the money back.
Another day he goes to Gessler Brothers to order a new pair, wearing a pair of shoes which he bought due to some emergency from a big firm. Mr. Gessler at once recognises that the shoes are not made by him. He touches a particular spot on the narrator's shoe where it isn't comfortable for the narrator and says that it hurts there. He expresses his contempt that thoes large firms attract customers through shiny impressive advertisements to sell their inferior quality products. Then the author explains to him under what circumstances he had to buy those shoes.
The new shoes lasted nearly two years. And in his next visit he receives quite a shock. When he enters the shop, he sees the younger Gessler brother who informs him of elder Gessler' s death. That day he orders several pairs. It takes longer to make them but the quality is even better than the previous ones.
Soon after, the narrator leaves for abroad and returns after over a years. The first shop he goes to is Mr. Gessler's , now seventy five, is unable to recognise him at first. Narrator gives a huge order. The wait is longer than ever but the quality only gets better.
After a week, while passing the little street, the narrator thinks to go in and tell Mr. Gessler that the boots are perfect. But when he goes to the place where the shop was the name plates is no longer there.
Disturbed, he goes into the shop and young English face greets him. The narrator enquires about Mr. Gessler and comes to know of younger Gessler's death. Upon hearing this the narrator is quite shocked.
The young man explains to him that Gessler died from starvation; he used to devoted himself to shoe making so much that he used to forget about everything else. All the money went in the rents and leather. The fate was quite obvious from the beginning. But both the narrator and the young man agrees that the Gessler brothers made good quality boots.
Phases of Plot
Exposition :
It provides the reader with the knowledge of Gessler Brothers, their shops, and their attitude toward making boots.
Conflict :
The brother are faced by the competition of the big firm. When they lose one of the two shops, the handicraft men is strengthen.
Climax :
The climax arrives when the surviving younger brother can no longer make a living.
Denouement :
The denouement comes with his death and the success of big firm.
Mr. Gessler is an excellent craftsman the narrator remarks about;
"I will say that far him
not a man in London maid
a better boot"
Such a very interesting short story, we think abort importance of qualitative things or qualitative what we chose?Thank you .....
- Citation
Desai, Kaushal. “‘Quality’ by John Galsworthy.” LinkedIn SlideShare, 5 Jan. 2019, www.slideshare.net/mobile/kaushal111/quality-by-john-galsworthy.
