Editor's Choice
What are the main themes in John Glasworthy's play Loyalties?
Quick answer:
The main themes in John Galsworthy's play Loyalties include the power of social conventions and the hypocrisy they entail, as demonstrated by the bias against Ferdinand De Levis. Other central themes are deception, as seen in Ronald Dancy's lies, and justice and its unequal application. Additionally, loyalty and discrimination are explored, with each character showing loyalty to different ideals and the discrimination faced by Jewish characters, especially De Levis.
In Loyalties, John Galsworthy primarily addresses the theme of the power of social conventions, along with the hypocrisy that supports them. Ferdinand De Levis is apparently accepted as a member of the British elite, until he challenges Ronald Dancy. Because Dancy’s family has a longer history of upper-class status, and De Levis is a newcomer and a Jew, almost everyone sides with Dancy but ultimately is forced to abandon him. A related theme is deception. Dancy maintains his status, despite his financial setbacks, through elaborate deceptions. When it emerges that he has not only lied about the robbery but engaged in many other fabrications, society turns against him. A third important theme is justice and its unequal application. Although De Levis is certain that Dancy took the money, the men in Dancy’s social set think he is behaving inappropriately in pursuing justice. Although his lawyer plays a key role...
Unlock This Answer Now
Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.
Already a member? Log in here.
in straightening out the situation, he cannot achieve true justice because Dancy first plans to escape through military service but ultimately takes his own life.
It is an irony that one of the main themes of Loyalties is the concept of loyalty. Each character has a different person or concept to which he or she is loyal. Captain Dancy misjudges the loyalty of his friends. Mabel is fiercely loyal to her mate. Winsor is loyal to tradition. Canynge is loyal to his reputation in the Army. Most importantly, De Levin and Jacob Twisden are the only people loyal to the truth. Of course, De Levin is the victim. Jacob Twisden is the lawyer.
COLFORD. Guilty or not, you ought to have stuck to him—it's not playing the game, Mr Twisden.
TWISDEN. You must allow me to judge where my duty lay, in a very hard case.
Yet another theme is that of discrimination. In fact, this is the most general of themes to notice about this play. In short, it is Jewish people (and especially De Levin) who are discriminated against. He is trying to gain membership to the Jockey Club. The rich people do not want to allow him membership and, as a result, stage a robbery. De Levin decides to find the real culprit behind this robbery and find the only person he can trust is Twisden.