Stylistic Analysis of The Forsyte Saga

The extract under the title is taken from the trilogy “The Forsyte Saga” written by the English novelist and playwright, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1932 John Galsworthy. Galsworthy became known for his portrayal of the British upper middle class and for his social satire. His most famous work is THE FORSYTE SAGA (1906-1921), an English parallel to Thomas Mann's Buddenbrooks (1901). Galsworthy was a representative of the literary tradition, which has regarded the novel as an instrument of social debate. He believed that it was the duty of an artist to examine a problem, but not to provide a solution. Before starting his career as a writer, Galsworthy read widely the works of Kipling, Zola, Turgenev, Tolstoy, and Flaubert.
The extract under the study begins with the description of the protagonist – Mr. Jolyon. He feels bad and stays at bed, hiding from the light. But when with lunch he gets the telegram from Irene saying that she comes back, he feels excited and is looking forward to seeing her as earlier as possible. In order to meet her, he leaves his room without somebody’s knowledge and intends to wait her in the coppice, but the heat outside forces him to sit under the oak tree and wait just there. He admires the beauty of the nature, the allure of summer and gradually becomes asleep. Later his faithful dog notices that its master has gone, fallen in the eternal sleep.
While reading the extract some unusual items strike the eye. The first thing we should pay our attention at is the inner condition of the character. We see that in the beginning of the extract he is rather sick and weak, a hopeless old man: “He spent the morning languidly with the sun-blinds down…”
After reading Irene’s telegram, however, he transforms so quickly and easily, as if never being ill: “Coming down! After all! Then she did exist – and he was not deserted. Coming down! A glow ran through his limbs; his cheeks and forehead felt hot. … Coming down! His heart beat