Symbolism in The Japanese Quince
Symbolism in The Japanese Quince
ESSAY OUTLINE
I. In his work The Japanese Quince, John Galsworthy uses symbolism to portray the discontent for change in human nature, the rigidity of social classes in Victorian England, and the potentiality of experiencing something not of the norm. II. Galsworthy gives the impression that both Mr. Nilson and Mr. Tandram enjoy their scheduled, monotonous lives. “He experienced… a feeling of emptiness just under his fifth rib.” Underneath the fifth rib would be the stomach, implying that Mr. Nilson is hungry. Though he is hungry, he does not eat because he has “’half an hour to breakfast.’” This shows the extremity to which Mr. Nilson follows his schedule. Mr. Tandram claims that he prefers blackbirds to thrushes because they have “more body in the note.” However, when looking at the physical qualities of the two birds, one can see that a thrush is multicolored, usually brown/orange with random spots while the blackbird is simply one solid color. This symbolizes that Mr. Tandram prefers a plain, normal lifestyle rather than a spontaneous, unscheduled one. Mr. Nilson and Mr. Tandram show disinterest to worlds outside of their own because of their habitual day-to-day niches.
III. Through the appearances and actions of Mr. Nilson and Mr. Tandram, one can truly see how rigid the Victorian upper-middle class was. “His firm, well-coloured cheeks, with their neat brown mustaches, and his round, well-opened, clear grey eyes, wore a reassuring appearance of good health. Putting on his black frock-coat, he went downstairs.” The two neighbors are IDENTICAL when it comes to appearance. It is almost eerie. Both men look at the tree holding their paper behind their backs. The posture, attitude, clothing, and physical characteristics are all the same. This serves to show just how alike all of the upper-middle class is. Both of the men wear black frock-coats. The black is symbolic of the death that they will die. They are
ESSAY OUTLINE
I. In his work The Japanese Quince, John Galsworthy uses symbolism to portray the discontent for change in human nature, the rigidity of social classes in Victorian England, and the potentiality of experiencing something not of the norm. II. Galsworthy gives the impression that both Mr. Nilson and Mr. Tandram enjoy their scheduled, monotonous lives. “He experienced… a feeling of emptiness just under his fifth rib.” Underneath the fifth rib would be the stomach, implying that Mr. Nilson is hungry. Though he is hungry, he does not eat because he has “’half an hour to breakfast.’” This shows the extremity to which Mr. Nilson follows his schedule. Mr. Tandram claims that he prefers blackbirds to thrushes because they have “more body in the note.” However, when looking at the physical qualities of the two birds, one can see that a thrush is multicolored, usually brown/orange with random spots while the blackbird is simply one solid color. This symbolizes that Mr. Tandram prefers a plain, normal lifestyle rather than a spontaneous, unscheduled one. Mr. Nilson and Mr. Tandram show disinterest to worlds outside of their own because of their habitual day-to-day niches.
III. Through the appearances and actions of Mr. Nilson and Mr. Tandram, one can truly see how rigid the Victorian upper-middle class was. “His firm, well-coloured cheeks, with their neat brown mustaches, and his round, well-opened, clear grey eyes, wore a reassuring appearance of good health. Putting on his black frock-coat, he went downstairs.” The two neighbors are IDENTICAL when it comes to appearance. It is almost eerie. Both men look at the tree holding their paper behind their backs. The posture, attitude, clothing, and physical characteristics are all the same. This serves to show just how alike all of the upper-middle class is. Both of the men wear black frock-coats. The black is symbolic of the death that they will die. They are