Quality - John Galsworthy

Quality

-      John Galsworthy

      

        John Galsworthy was an English novelist and playwright. He won Nobel Prize in literature in 1932. He has first published his works under the pen name of of John Sinjohn.

        The short story Quality was published in 1912. “Quality” contains the autobiographical elements of Galsworthy’s life. It is a story of boot maker who used to make boots for Galsworthy’s father. It describes the life of Mr. Gessler who has lost his shop and business of boot making because of industrialization.

      

        The story contains interesting elements on the part of shoe maker. Mr. Gessler was a man with self pride. He was a German; Galsworthy in this story used the English language with German extent when there are dialogues from Mr. Gessler. The shop was owned by two brothers. The younger brother is the main character of the story.

          Every worker has pride in his work and faith in his skills. Mr. Gessler also has faith in his skill and he loves his work of shoe making as he considered it as an ‘art’. He was not selling boots but he was feeling happiness in creating a work of art. After years when the narrator came back and wanted to get same boots from Mr. Gessler, he saw that on the place of his shop, there was a new show room of shoes. He asked and come to know that Mr. Gessler has died of starvation because... read the original short story for suspense.

        

        Here Galsworthy has presented the concept of industrialization and modernization. In the world of materialism, real art work is of no value. Quantity and artificiality is more valued than the skilled hands of worker who offers quality in the work. In this story writer has presented that how the art of artist is replaced by machine.