Plays : First Series

"Plays: First Series" by John Galsworthy is a compilation of plays, probably from the early 1900s, which starts with "The Silver Box" using characters to discuss social classes plus right and wrong behaviors. The story has John Barthwick, a rich politician, with his son Jack, getting into trouble that involves Mrs. Jones, a poor woman just trying to survive. The story kicks off when Jack Barthwick, after a night of drinking, brings home a stolen purse causing problems that connect the rich Barthwick family to the struggling Jones family, showing how different their lives are. Mrs. Jones' husband, having lost hope and turned to violence because he can't find work, complicates things when a silver cigarette box goes missing, leading to accusations and moral questions. The beginning of the play sets up the conflict between how different social classes see each other, who is responsible for their actions, and the search for fairness, opening the door to a look at how society is set up and the choices people make.