Fraternity by John Galsworthy (1901)

Name: Fraternity
Author: John Galsworthy

The novel explores the lives of two brothers, a wealthy and influential family's sons, who are part of an elite social circle in London. The story delves into their relationships with women, their struggles with identity, and the consequences of their actions. One brother is a member of a prestigious club, where he becomes embroiled in a scandal involving a woman from a lower social class. This event sets off a chain reaction that exposes the hypocrisy and superficiality of the upper-class society they inhabit. The other brother, who is more introspective and sensitive, grapples with his own sense of purpose and belonging within this same social circle. He becomes increasingly disillusioned with the values and morals of those around him. Throughout the novel, Galsworthy critiques the social conventions and class divisions that govern the lives of these characters, highlighting the tension between their public personas and private desires.

By John Galsworthy · First published 1901 · Genre: Literary Fiction, Social Commentary, Drama · 41 chapters · 117,601 words

First lines

In the afternoon of the last day of April, 190 -- , a billowy sea of little broken clouds crowned the thin air above High Street, Kensington. This soft tumult of vapours, covering nearly all the firmament, was in onslaught round a patch of blue sky, shaped somewhat like a star, which still gleamed -- a single gentian flower amongst innumerable grass. Each of these small clouds seemed fitted with a pair of unseen wings, and, as insects flight on their too constant journeys, they were setting forth all ways round this starry blossom which burned so clear with the colour of its far fixity. On one side they were massed in fleecy congeries, so crowding each other that no edge or outline was preserved; on the other, higher, stronger, emergent from their fellow-clouds, they seemed leading the attack on that surviving gleam of the ineffable. Infinite was the variety of those million separate vapours, infinite the unchanging unity of that fixed blue star.

What this Textopian page supports

Fraternity is listed on Textopian as a novel by John Galsworthy, dated 1901 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

Work type: Novel
Author: John Galsworthy
Date: 1901 CE
Language: English
Genres: Literary Fiction, Social Commentary, Drama, Philosophical Fiction, Historical Fiction
Length: 117,601 words
Structure: 41 chapters, 2,820 paragraphs
Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)

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Discussion starters

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How does this novel by John Galsworthy fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
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Similar titles

Genres

Literary Fiction — The work explores complex themes of human relationships and societal issues with a focus on character development and emotional depth.
Social Commentary — It critiques social structures and norms, reflecting on the impact of class and community.
Drama — The narrative involves intense emotional conflicts and interpersonal dynamics, characteristic of dramatic storytelling.
Philosophical Fiction — It delves into existential questions and moral dilemmas, prompting readers to reflect on deeper philosophical issues.