Shodh, Samiksha aur Mulyankan (International Research Journal)—ISSN-0974-2832 Vol. II, Issue-9-10 (Oct.-Nov.

-2009) 42

“Galsworthy’s ‘Silver box’

Galsworthy was a thorough social idealist and a thorough “The silver Box” in1906, in naturalistic manner. The play
artist. He possesses a remarkable faculty to discover dra- had been praised by all class of audience. In his very first
matic elements in natural and unforced situations the never play he showed his craftsmanship . This play is one of the
introduces false themes, he always maintain a classic bal- first example of naturalistic school of England . Vernon
ance which can be seen in his work. His work reveal that he Frank says.
is essentially English in his humor he wrote plays first to “ A single play ‘The Silver Box’ by till then where
instruct and then to delight. He was completely dissatisfied caused astonishment , even in the amidst of astonishing
with the French pattern plays of his days and wished to court theatre session. “ 4
present real life. He says - “My dramatic invasion, and the “The Silver Box” is Galsworthy’s first play. It arrays
form of it, was dictated rather by revolt at the artificial class against class in a manner prophetic of its author’s
nature of the English play of the period, and by a resolute subsequent work. It opens with a night scene in which we
intention to present real life on the stage “1 Galsworthy see young Jack Barthwick returning home completely drunk.
believes the writer should make its audience think. He enters the room with a purse in his hand which he has
His temperamental preoccupation was with so- stolen for a joke from the girl with whom he has been spend-
cial reform. His didactic tendency is a great menace some ing the evening.
times, but his skill enables him to copy with the demon of He is accompanied by a rather less drunk working-
didacticism using the device of creating occasion for speech man, who met him outside the house and helped him find
making and propounds on the dramatist’s behalf Sheila Kays the keyhole for his key. Barthwick falls asleep and Jones,
Smith remarks, the working-man, seizes the opportunity to steal the street
“ Undoubtedly his most striking quality as a dramatist girl’s purse and silver cigarette-box from the table. The play
is his sense of formal and craft but he is far removed from then goes on to show how different are the consequences for
that school of playwright, of which Pinero and H.A. Jones an upper-class and a lower-class criminal. Jack Barthwick is
are leaders, whose technique amounts to little more that a visited by the girl, who demands her purse back, but she is
working knowledge of the stage. “2 When we study the satisfied when his father, a rich M.P., instead gives her a
themes of his plays we will notice that he chooses the graver generous sum of money. Jones is sentenced to a month’s
aspects of contemporary life and he lays strong emphasis hard labor, no one thinks about him at all. In this play a case
on incidents as the outcome of forces stronger than the in portrayed of Jack and Jones. Jack is a pleasure seeking
individuals. Ibsen too adopted the same method but he con- man and the son of a rich M.P. Law favors the rich and
centrated on the individual only while Galsworthy gave crushes the poor.
more emphasis on the forces of nature as Skemp remarks. “ Jones meets Jack at night and helps him to open the
For Galsworthy the individual problem leads always to the door of his house, where upon Jack offer him wine as he has
fundamental problem of the general relations between indi- no money to pay and in fit of sudden impulse Jones, an
viduals within the social organism “3 unemployed person , decide to score off jack. Mr. Barthwick,
His plays are well made plays. The plays of the liberal M.P., cross questions Mrs. Jones and finds out
Galsworthy are full of thought and substance. He uses where the previous history of him. It reveals that Mr. Jones had a
necessary the usual tricks of the melodrama, but he display child before marriage. He decides on this account decides to
a thorough artistic restraint Galsworthy wrote his first play discontinue the poor Mrs. Jones, who is honest . The police
*,**Research Scholar, J.H.Govt.P.G.College, Betul, M.P.
*** Asstt. Professor, J.H.Govt.P.G.College, Betul, M.P.
Shodh, Samiksha aur Mulyankan (International Research Journal)—ISSN-0974-2832 Vol. II, Issue-9-10 (Oct.-Nov.-2009) 43
arrests Jones on a charge of theft, Jones has a small quarrel unemployed Jones wonders in search of employment and
with the police and on the charge he is still more sternly he says -“ a lady says D’ you want to earn a few pence, my
dealt with by the law. Jack and Jones have committed the man ? “ and gives me her dog to ‘ old outside a shop fat as a
same crime. But Jones is punished because he is poor. butter’s was tons ‘ o ‘ meat had gone to the making of him.
Jack being the son of rich M.P. goes free. Jones says: “ 9 It shows the sympathy of the playwright towards Jones.
“ Call this justice ? what about him ? E got drunk E took the The play deals with a contemporary life, ordinary people,
purse ‘ e too the purse but it’s the money that got him off and suggest how there is one law for the poor and one for the
justice “ 5 Jack and Jones committed the same crime. But rich. The play has a tragic tone but it is not tragic.
treated differently. Through this play Galsworthy want to It is according to the naturalistic style of drama which
present the idea of the society which have different rules for faithful presents the reality. It has no soliloquies the whole
the two sections of society. The play is realistic and so there drama takes place before, as if we are on the stage. In the
is no melodramatic painting nor do we find a trace of con- play we notice that both are almost but not quite parallel.
scious wickedness. Barthwick is not a villain. The judge is Jack Steals a woman’s sky blue velvet silk purse, the latter
not a wicked person yet the actions of Jack and Jones re- steals a silver cigarette box both are parallel, although the
ceive different treatment. theft was wrong in both cases, Jones’ side is weakened and
The Silver Box that Jones took away from Jack was Jack’s side is strengthened . This is because Jack enjoyed
out of spite. Jones is an honest man who wants to work he favorable circumstances of economic and social status
says. “ A man wants to sweat his soul and to keep breath in whereas unemployed Jones was leading a life of poverty .
him and ain’t allowed that’s Justice that’s freedom and all Thus Jones is condemned to one month’s hard labor for the
the rest of it “ 6 Jones feels very odd when he is not working noblest thing he ever did the second point which engages our
when he is out of employment. He drinks heavily. He drinks attention is that the power of wealth diverts the course of
but of another kind of work that sets him to drink. Accord- Justice. As due to wealth. the magistrate himself, influenced
ing to Galsworthy : “ The key note of Barthwick is want of by weather and power.
courage. He thinks himself full of Principles and invariably Mrs. Jones would have left her husband however, she
compromises in the face of facts. The key note of Mrs. is faithful and loyal to him, she stands by him. While he is
Barthwick is want of imagination “ 7 not to her. Galsworthy excellently portrays his best and his
“The Silver Box” contains a social satire on unjust worst characters together. Barthwick symbolizes hypoc-
social prejudice. In “Silver Box”, which is architectonic in risy. In “Silver Box” Galsworthy has dealt with the problem
style and realistic, having no freaks or chance to any exterior of underdogs. Thus his plays are the plays of social themes
element. We find a sympathy for the underdog in his plays. and are known as drama of ideas. Thus he is a great humanist
Jones loves his children. He is unemployed and feels - “ If full of intimate pity for human suffering. Galsworthy stands
I’d ha known as much as Ido now, I’d never ha’ had one for fair play, human understanding and fellow feeling. His
o’them . What’s theuse o’ bringin’ e’r into a state o’ things studies of the contemporary English society and its inher-
like this ? It is a crime, that’s what is in , but you find it out ent conflicts and maladjustment are valuable human docu-
too late, that what’s the matte with this i’re world. “ 8 The ments of considerable historical and artistic importance.

R E F E R E N C E

1- H. V. Marrot, The life an letters of John Galsworthy (Opoit London 1935) P 193 2- Shila , Kaye - Smith , John ,
Galsworthy , (Heinemann , London 1916) P. 18 3- A.R. Skemp, The plays of Mr. John Galsworthy (Oxford , Vol-IV 1913)
P.-162 4- Frank Vernon , The Twentieth Century Theatre (Opoit , London 1935) P.- 35 5- John Galsworthy, The silver Box
, (Act III, Se II) P. 82 6- Ibid (Act II , Sc. I) P. 38 7- H. V. Marrots , Life and letters of John Galsworthy (Opoit, London
1935) P. 32 8- John Galsworthy, The silver Box , (Act. III , Sc I) P. 42 - 43 9- Ibid (Act -II , Sc. - I) P. 41