Style and Technique
Besides the tree and its blackbird occupant, “The Japanese Quince” has a number of other symbols. Both Nilson’s mirror, at which he gazes in the story’s second paragraph, and the scrolled stairs leading up to his house suggest the themes of self-knowledge and the aesthetic versus the pragmatic. When Nilson searches in his mirror to find the cause of the disturbing sensation, he mistakenly looks for the physical or superficial rather than within himself. At the story’s conclusion he remains a mystery to himself, like a scroll (the shape of his stairs) that has remained wound up rather than being unrolled and read. Conversely, what he is missing from life is, at the same time, suggested by the mirror and stairs. Though his hand glass has its practical side (literally), its back is made of ivory, which is there for its aesthetic appeal. Though his stairs are eminently usable, their scrolled design is beautiful rather than utilitarian.
That the Japanese quince is enclosed in the “Square Gardens” suggests a social and human-made confinement of nature, paralleling the main characters’ repression or walling off of things natural. The tree and blackbird themselves have manifold symbolic aspects. The blackbird resembles in some respects both Nilson and Tandram. They are both dressed in their business “uniforms” of formal black frock coat; they, like the blackbird singing in the tree, have been emotionally stirred by spring and the Japanese quince.
Moreover, the bird is described not only as “chanting out his heart” but also as perched in the “heart” of the tree, the repetition of the word “heart” reinforcing the ideas of emotion, passion, or romance. Lastly, the bird is in a kind of communion with the tree, each one contributing to the other: The bird gives the tree an added musical beauty and vitality, while the tree shares its fragrance and shelter with the bird. For a brief moment, Nilson and Tandram also commune and communicate with each other, though all too soon their practicality intervenes and interdicts. Their black frock coats, after all, though resembling the blackbird’s plumage, are the sober, colorless badges of the sedate and matter-of-fact business world.
The tree is an exotic rather than a fruit-bearing one, a feature implying the theme of the contrast between the aesthetic and the pragmatic: It is simply beautiful to look at, though it will not provide a crop to be eaten or sold. In this respect, it resembles a work of art. While various edifying concepts can be derived from books of sociology, psychology, history, critical essays, and the like, what will be missing are the beauty, emotion, and pleasure to be gained from seeing a beautiful tree, listening to a blackbird’s song, or reading a story such as “The Japanese Quince.”
Historical Context
Modernism in Art and Literature
In the years leading up to World War I, the rigid boundaries of the Victorian
Age began to dissolve, giving rise to new artistic and literary styles.
Surrealism, characterized by its dreamlike landscapes filled with symbolic
objects, gained popularity through the works of Giorgio de Chirico, a young
Italian painter. His piece, Enigma of an Autumn Afternoon, was among
several that showcased innovative artistic styles. French painter Ferdinand
Leger, influenced by the Cubists, gained recognition for his "mechanical"
paintings, such as Nudes in the Forest . Henri Matisse, known for his striking colors and broad shapes, became associated with the "Fauves," a term meaning "wild beasts." In 1910, Wassily Kandinsky created the first nonrepresentational painting, paving the way for numerous twentieth-century art movements, including Abstract Expressionism. In literature, James...
(This entire section contains 439 words.)
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Joyce wrote and soon publishedA Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (1916), which marked a departure from traditional literary styles with its stream-of-consciousness technique and its rejection of societal norms in an era where old beliefs and traditions seemed obsolete. Other English-language works published in 1910 mirrored a world on the brink of transformation due to the impending upheaval of World War I, an event that would profoundly impact every aspect of Western society. E. M. Forster's novel Howard's End depicted an Edwardian love story set in upper-class British society. That same year, Rudyard Kipling and Frances Hodgson Burnett also published books that would soon be regarded as outdated. Galsworthy, considered a writer of the old order, faced criticism after World War I as the Bloomsbury Group, led by Virginia Woolf, rose to literary prominence. He was eventually seen as out of touch with contemporary ideas and relegated to a minor status in the literary canon.
British Imperialism
On May 6, 1910, King Edward VII passed away, and within four years, the era of
relative peace and prosperity known as the Edwardian Era ended with the onset
of World War I. Edward's reign had followed the Boer War, fought from 1899 to
1902, in an effort to control the Boer Republics of South Africa, resulting in
significant British casualties. Consequently, many Britons began to seriously
question whether the nation's imperialism was worth the human and financial
costs. Over time, the British Empire gradually evolved into the British
Commonwealth, an association of self-governing countries, a transformation that
continued throughout the first half of the twentieth century. Galsworthy is
often viewed as emblematic of the era of British imperialism, during which the
ruling classes, composed of landed gentry, enjoyed prosperity and greatly
benefited from the country's industrialization and imperialism, largely
indifferent to the dire conditions faced by many urban dwellers, particularly
children.
Literary Style
Omniscient Narrator
A third-person omniscient narrator recounts the events of the story.
Galsworthy's choice of this narrative technique is a significant aspect of "The
Japanese Quince" and adds depth to its meaning. With access to unspoken
thoughts, the omniscient narrator delves into Mr. Nilson's mind as he goes
about his morning. Although Mr. Nilson remains silent, readers are made aware
of his health concerns and his discomfort around Mr. Tandram. Additionally,
readers understand his effort to appreciate the morning, a detail that a
third-person limited narrator could not convey beyond his walk around the
square with a newspaper in hand.
Doppelganger
"Doppelganger" is a literary term used to describe a character who serves as a
double for the protagonist. In "The Japanese Quince," Mr. Tandram acts as Mr.
Nilson's doppelganger, described as "about Mr. Nilson's own height, with firm,
well-colored cheeks, neat brown mustaches, and round, well-opened, clear grey
eyes; and he was wearing a black frock coat." Mr. Nilson's neighbor is also
walking around the square with a newspaper held behind his back. Even Mr.
Tandram's name, reminiscent of the word "tandem," which means working together,
suggests his role as Mr. Nilson's doppelganger. The doppelganger's purpose is
to show what occurs when the protagonist encounters someone with similar
traits. For Mr. Nilson, this encounter does not pull him out of his isolated
world. After their brief and insignificant conversation, both men return to
"the scrolled iron steps" of their homes.
The Senses
The language in "The Japanese Quince" is rich with terms that appeal to all
five senses. Through this vivid language, Galsworthy expresses his appreciation
for nature and aims to inspire similar feelings in the reader. Visual imagery
includes the description of the quince tree, with its "young blossoms, pink and
white, and little bright green leaves" on which "the sunlight glistened."
Auditory elements are represented by the cuckoo clock, the song of the
blackbird—whose voice has "more body in the note" than a thrush, according to
Mr. Tandram—and the cough that captures Mr. Nilson's attention at the story's
end. The sense of touch is suggested by adjectives like "spiky" to describe the
quince tree leaves and the "faint ache" that troubles Mr. Nilson. Smell is
conveyed through the phrase "faint sweet lemony scent, rather agreeable than
otherwise," which Mr. Nilson detects from the blooming bushes. Finally, taste
is evoked by the narrator's depiction of Mr. Nilson's ailment, which spreads
through him like "some sweetish liquor."
Compare and Contrast
1910: On May 31, the Republic of South Africa is established after the region gains independence from Great Britain.
1997: On July 1, Hong Kong is returned to China, ending over a century of British rule. During the handover, Great Britain relinquishes control of its last significant colony. A sardonic remark suggests that Britain's power has dwindled from an empire where the sun never set to a small island where the sun rarely shines.
1910s: With the progress in modern medicine, people begin to understand the connection between exercise, diet, and good health. John Harvey Kellogg's Battle Creek Sanitarium in Michigan becomes a popular destination where affluent guests engage in the latest health and fitness trends.
1990s: Awareness of fitness and nutrition grows among the population. The industry for low-fat foods and exercise equipment becomes a billion-dollar market. Nevertheless, more than 25 percent of the U.S. population remains overweight.
1910s: Public schools in Britain, educating the empire's boys, emphasize physical sports like rugby football and cricket. Boys who show sensitivity, intellectual interests, or a reflective nature are often deemed peculiar and become frequent targets of bullying.
1990s: British public schools continue to value sports highly. However, now coeducational, these schools place much greater importance on academic success across various subjects.
Bibliography and Further Reading
Sources
Field, Louise Maunsell. "Mr. Galsworthy in War and Peace," in The New York
Times Review of Books, March 28, 1920, p. 139.
Ramsey, Roger. "Another Way of Looking at a Blackbird," in Research Studies, Vol. 39, No. 2, June 1971, pp. 152-154.
Smit, J. Henry. An excerpt from The Short Stories of John Galsworthy, Haskell House, 1966, pp. 43-46, 56-60, 143-146.
Sternlicht, Sanford. "The Short-Story Writer," in John Galsworthy, Twayne, 1987, pp. 87-100.
Further Reading
Bradbury, Malcolm and James McFarlane, editors. Modernism: 1890-1930,
Penguin, 1991.
This study explores the critical movement of Modernism that emerged between
1890 and 1930. It provides a thorough survey of the various art forms that
define Modernism and examines its key characteristics.
Cox, C. B. and Dyson, A. E., editors. The Twentieth-Century Mind:
History, Ideas, and Literature in Britain, Oxford University Press,
1972.
This collection features essays by renowned scholars discussing the
intellectual climate of early twentieth-century Britain. Topics include the
social, political, economic, and religious conditions of life in the first
quarter of the century.
Dupre, Catherine. John Galsworthy: A Biography, Collins, 1976.
A detailed and authoritative examination of the events and milestones in
Galsworthy's life.
"John Galsworthy," in Short Story Criticism, Vol. 22, edited by
Margaret Haerens, Gale, 1996, pp. 55-103.
This volume contains excerpts of previously published criticism on Galsworthy's
works. Included are critical perspectives from Sheila Kaye-Smith, L. P.
Hartley, Isabel Paterson, and Sanford Sternlicht, among others.
Ginden, James. John Galsworthy's Life and Art, University of Michigan
Press, 1979.
This study uses historical context to explore how the social and cultural
conditions of Galsworthy's time influenced his work.
Perrine, Laurence. Literature, Structure, Sound, and Sense, 5th ed.,
Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, 1988, pp. 61-64.
Perrine argues that "The Japanese Quince" is a commentary on social class,
interpreting the characters Nilson and Tandram as representatives of their
social stratum and the quince tree as "a radiant symbol for beauty, joy, life,
growth, freedom, ecstasy."