The Silver Box: A Comedy in Three Acts

"The Silver Box: A Comedy in Three Acts" by John Galsworthy is a stage production, probably from the early 1900s, diving into social problems of that period. The story uses the contrasting lives of the rich Barthwick family and the poor Jones family to look at class differences, right and wrong, and what people owe to each other. The play begins when Jack Barthwick, a Member of Parliament's misbehaving offspring, comes home drunk, starting events that will change both families forever. Because of Jack's thoughtless actions, Mrs. Jones, who cleans for the family, is blamed when a silver cigarette case and a purse disappear from the Barthwick's house. Through talk between the characters, the play shows their personalities and home lives, pointing out the stress between rich and poor and what happens when people do things because they are desperate or have too much. This all prepares the scene for a funny but touching study of morals and how society makes people act.