Five Tales

"Five Tales" by John Galsworthy is a compilation of short stories from the early 1900s that gets into the difficult feelings of people and tough moral problems using stories that are connected and focus on love, murder, and how important family can be. The first story, called "The First and Last," starts with Keith Darrant, a lawyer, relaxing at home until his brother Laurence comes by and admits he killed someone when he was very angry. As Keith feels pulled by his loyalty to his brother, but also shocked by what Laurence did, the story builds tension and examines devotion to family, the duty we have to each other, and how our choices can deeply affect us because society has certain expectations.