Justice by John Galsworthy is a famous play highlighting the moral dilemmas of society. The plot consists of a man who was imprisoned because of forgery. The author emphasizes the causes of crimes instead of the crime.
Here you can get the following information about the play:
- Author
- Characters
- Summary
- Analysis
- Themes
- Review
- Takeaways
- Conclusion
Author
Justice is a famous literary work by Sir John Galsworthy. It was written in the 20th century. The common themes of the play are forgery, hypocrisy, and social issues.
Some of his famous works are:
Characters
Characters in the play are:
Folder
He is the protagonist. He is a poor clerk who was accused of forgery.
Ruth HoneyWill
She was a poor lady who lived with a misogynist husband. She was tired of his cruel actions.
RobertCokeson & Hector Frame
They were other clerks in the law firm.
Walter & James How
They were lawyers. They noticed forgery in the cheque.
Justice By John Galsworthy Summary
The story starts with the love story of poor clerk Falder. He was in love with Ruth. She lived with a violent husband. She wanted to leave him. Folder shared his plan for their escape. He tried to deceive his owners. He embezzled money for the sake of Ruth. Walter and James How noticed forgery in the cheque.
Falder replaced nine pounds with ninety pounds. He appeared in court. The justice system accused him of bribery and deception while Ruth was declared as the cheater’s wife. Falder was sent to jail.
After some weeks, Ruth met Walter and James How. She informed them about her difficult life in the absence of Falder. The court allowed Falder to go outside but he had to report regularly to the police.
Falder was living a miserable life after his escape. He wanted to move to Canada. The play ends with the death of Falder. A detector tried to catch him as he forgot to report on time. He jumped out of the window and ended up dead.
Analysis
John Galsworthy emphasized the dual standard of the justice system. The present system focuses on crime rather than the cause behind it. Further, the present system only punishes the poor while rich ones roam freely.
The author shares this idea throughout the play. Poor Falder was imprisoned while no one punished Ruth’s cruel husband. She lived a miserable life but the system accused her as unloyal.
The system should focus on the reasons why Falder took such a step.
Themes
The following are the themes in the play:
Social Difference
Through this play, John Galsworthy highlighted the hypocrisy of the justice system. The rich and poor both received different treatments.
Justice & Injustice
The play delves into the certain limits of justice. The rich cherish life while the poor are sent to jail.
Redemption
It seems Falder was ashamed of the forgery but society didn’t forgive him.
Review: Justice by Galsworthy
The major point from the play is that justice should be served equally. There should be no discrimination between rich and poor. The system can control crime by minimizing the causes. If the court had punished Ruth’s husband, Falder wouldn’t take such a step.
The play criticizes the dual treatment and failure of the legal system.
Lessons For Readers
Some of the lessons from the book are:
- The system must treat all equally.
- Justice should be given to every individual.
- The causes of crimes should be controlled.
Conclusion: Justice by John Galsworthy
In a nutshell, Justice by John Galsworthy explores the faults in the present-day legal system. The common themes in the play are deception, social inequalities, and moral dilemmas. Overall, it was a good play for those interested in satirical writing.
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