John Galsworthy

Biography

John Galsworthy (1867-1933) authored several novels, plays, short stories, and even tried his hand at poetry. Although he received his law degree, he decided to quit law and instead was sent abroad by his father to look after the interests of the family business. Through his travels, he met Joseph Conrad who became a life-long friend and influence, publicly praising his works. However, his greatest influence and inspiration for his writing was his lover, Ada Pearson. As the wife of his first cousin, their ten-year affair was kept under wraps until they finally married. His lover and later wife believed he would become a great writer and used her energies to encourage and support him. His infidelity with Ada and her unfortunate previous marriage would influence his writing; indeed, he often wrote about the theme of women who were unhappy in their marriages and needed liberation.

Galsworthy’s style focuses on the craftsmanship of writing. He respected language and would write each sentence as a balance between expression and over-expression. Writing about important social issues, his plays were realist works with an instinct for dramatic balance. Although he avoided politics generally, some of his writings were labeled as subscribing to the Liberal party, particularly due to his emphasis on social issues. But overall, Galsworthy used irony and satire to evaluate the condition of contemporary English life. His short story “The Neighbors” illustrates this interest both in English life and social issues.