The Island Pharisees: Part I by John Galsworthy offers a sharp social critique of early 20th-century British society. The novel delves into the complexities of class structure and moral hypocrisy within high society, examining the tension between personal conflict and social norms. Galsworthy presents a nuanced character study, focusing on individuals grappling with their own introspections and the demands of wealth and privilege. The story explores family dynamics and the broader cultural commentary on social reform and the impact of societal expectations. Through its detailed psychological depth and critique of social norms, the novel highlights the discrepancies between public personas and private realities. Galsworthy’s work is marked by its exploration of personal and societal issues, reflecting a critical view of the moral and social structures that define the upper echelons of society. The Island Pharisees challenges readers to consider the consequences of moral and social complacency.
John Galsworthy OM was an English dramatist and novelist who lived from 14 August 1867 to 31 January 1933. His novels, The Forsyte Saga, and two more trilogies, A Modern Comedy and End of the Chapter, are his best-known works. He received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1932. Galsworthy, who came from a wealthy upper-middle-class family, was expected to become a lawyer, but he found the profession unappealing, so he resorted to literature. Before his first book, The Man of Property, about the Forsyte family, was released in 1897, he was thirty years old. It wasn't until that book—the first of its kind—that he saw true popularity. His debut play, The Silver Box, had its London premiere the same year. As a writer, he gained notoriety for his socially conscious plays that addressed issues such as the politics and morality of war, the persecution of women, the use of solitary confinement in prisons, the battle of workers against exploitation, and jingoism. The patriarch, Old Jolyon, is based on Galsworthy's father, and the Forsyte family in the collection of books and short tales known as The Forsyte Chronicles is comparable to Galsworthy's family in many aspects.
