1. What the narrators Impressions about Gessler and
his shop when he first visited it? Did he find any change when he visited it
for the last time?
Ans. The narrator was a
teenage boy when he was first introduced to Gessler and his shop. His father
had been there customer before. Gessler was living with his brother. Two shops
had been let into one, in a small by Street in the West End. The shop was named
as 'Gessler brothers'. They stood for quality. Everybody knew that. Pairs of
different colour and shapes were displayed in the window. Narrator was
surprised to find that Gessler brothers had any spare pair with
them. Gessler made only what was ordered. It was unthinkable that what he made
could ever have failed to fit. There was some variety in shapes and colours.
There was a pair of pumps, the patent leathers with cloth tops, the tall brown
riding boots with marvelous sooty glow. There was something very dignified
about the shop and the Shoemaker. There was no sign on his face to show that he
made shoes for the royal family. The Shoemaker did not claim distinction on
this account. It was something else. It was adherence to the ideal of quality
that made him a special kind of shoe maker. It was an art which he pursued with
the devotion of an artist.
Time past, things
changed. The narrator was a grown up man now. He had ordered four pairs of
shoes. One evening he received the parcel. The shoes are of excellent quality
and finish. In the mouth of one of the shoes, he found the bill. He could
understand that mr Gessler must be in need of money. He send the cheque
immediately. A week after receiving the pairs, he went to the shop to thank Mr
Gessler for making fine shoes. But inside the shop there was a young man
with an English face. The narrator asked about the Gessler. The man hesitated,
and then gave the sad news Mr. Gessler was dead.
The young man told
shocked narrator that gessler died of slow starvation. He was not getting
enough work to earn for his food. He was penniless. For long he was not getting
orders. After spending on leather and rent, he was left with no money. He often
skipped his meal. He slowly starved and died. Young man had seen
Gessler suffer slowly. If he got some order, he took too long a time to
execute it. The result was that he began to lose his customers. He could not on
to keep his body and soul together.
2. How is 'Quality', an apt title
for Galsworthy's story?
Ans: Quality' is a touching story of
two brothers who are expert shoemakers. The narration focuses on their love and
commitment towards their art. In fact, they sacrifice everything including
their lives to maintain the quality of their work; hence the title is the most
suitable.
The story is a first-person
narration and Galsworthy reminisces about his meetings with the Gessler
brothers, especially the younger one who is more articulate of the two. The
narration brings out the basic character of the shoemaker as a man of integrity
and devotion to work.
Gessler's make leather boots of
fine quality. They make shoes purely on order. They want the shoes to be custom
fit to each individual, according to the form of the customer's foot. One day,
the narrator walked into the shop wearing boots from a big business house and
Gessler commented that such shoes got buyers because of clever marketing and
advertisements and no quality. He complained that such big business houses take
away businesses from quality workers.
Ironically, he loses business to
big business and had to sacrifice half of his shop to them. In spite of that he
went on with his work with quality, dedication and the same painstaking work.
He loved his work unconditionally.
But quality requires time and
that was what made the Gessler's lose their business. The younger brother, Mr.
Gessler, would spend hours and hours pouring so much love and care over the
shoes that he never thought of economic losses incurred. He was willing to
sacrifice everything to attain perfection. His love for leather is shown by the
way he handled it with tender care and how he used to shape it according to the
shape of foot of his customer. He took pride in the work he was doing, and was
contemptuous of the factory-made stuff and even critical of the people who
bought such stuff.
Even when the man became weak
with hunger and hard work, he never stopped work, but spent hours and hours to
carve the shoes to perfection. He forgot time and never lit fire and died of
near starvation. Such workers are rare in this age of the money-minded and
profit-oriented world that never cares for quality and high craftsmanship. The
whole story revolves around the quality of the leather, of the shoes made out
of it, of the craftsmanship and the shoemaker himself. Such work is rare; such
people are rare. So, the title Quality' is most apt for the story.
3. Write down the character sketch of
Mr. Gessler.
Ans: Mr. Gessler is a master craftsman.
He does wonders with footwear. He is a man of integrity and shows utmost
devotion to his craft. The problem is that he never allows quality to suffer
before practical necessities and that spells his doom over his successful
profession.
Obviously, the Gessler brothers
never believed in showing off. The shop has a simple board and a display of
just a pair of shoes in the window; so 'mysterious and wonderful'. There is no
claim of catering to a royal family. When the author asks the younger brother,
whether it is hard work to craft shoes, he simply says it is a work of art. One
can never enter the shop without feeling a sense of grandeur. It is like
entering a church.
The man takes pride in his
craftsmanship but it is only a healthy pride; not arrogance. The high-quality
leather he uses and the wonderful shoes he makes is ample proof of his love for
his art. It is shown by the way he looks at them and passes his fingers over
them. Surely, he understands the 'soul of boots'.
Being a man of integrity, Gessler
is honest to his profession, so when once the writer complains that a pair of
boots creaks, he offers to take them off the bill. He is also a man of few
words, and goes through all the hardships without complaining. The author comes
to know about his difficulties only when he gives vent to his feelings; that
too only once, "Dey dake it away from us, who lofe our boods". Only
then the author notices the lines on his face caused by bitter things, bitter
struggle, and the grey hair that has appeared suddenly in his red beard.
The man is also not willing to
sacrifice quality for business. He does not employ anyone to help him; he does
all the work himself, takes a long time to deliver the boots, never takes
orders in bulk and takes care of the finest details to ensure that his shoes
are a perfect fit.
Finally, one has to concede the
man is an anomaly in this profit-oriented world, where even values can be
traded for money. Ironically, it is his penchant for perfectionism that brings
his downfall at the worldly level, but one cannot say that at an artistic level
he is a failure. In fact, he triumphs over as a colossal in his field. Who
knows, he may have died a happy man knowing his last work is a masterpiece, the
best shoes he has ever made for the author!
So at the end, art triumphs when
opposed with worldly success, quality triumphs over mediocrity and the man
triumphs over hardcore professionalism.
4. In the light of the short
story Quality,' answer who were the Gessler brothers and why did the author
remember them?
Ans: John Galsworthy in his short story Quality' writes about two bootmakers in London. The Gessler brothers, as the author writes, lived in a rented house in the West End. Their shop was situated in Central London, an area famous for its expensive theatres, shops and hotels. Among the many expensive shops, the shop of the Gessler brothers was extremely simple with no attractive display or sign of advertisement to attract customers. The only sign worth remembering them was a board which had their name "Gessler Brothers" written in German.
The Gessler brothers were
excellent craftsmen who made customized leather boots for the customers. Their
boots though lacking in fashion and designs were high on quality and fitting.
The Gessler's were extremely particular about creating the boots with
perfection. Boot making was an art to them and they spent considerable time in
handpicking the best materials for the customers. They were disciplined in
creating the boots to an extent that they devoted their complete time in the
creation until they achieved the perfection which they desired. They derived
satisfaction by providing excellent services to their customers.
The Gessler brothers were peculiar
as they devoted enormous time in creating a perfect pair of boots and therefore
they never made boots without an order. Their boots never failed to fit and
lasted long enough for customers to visit them infrequently. The author
remembers them for their skilled art of bootmaking which to him appeared
mysterious and wonderful. He had high reverence for them as bootmakers and
always remembered them for their high-quality long-lasting boots.
The author's father was a loyal
customer of the Gessler's and swore by their boots. The author ordered boots
from them but found very little chance of visiting the Gessler's as their shoes
lasted for a long time. In the world of 20th century when mechanization and
fashion was ruling the hearts of the buyers, the author lamented the loss of
two very skilled craftsmen who failed to adapt themselves to the changing times
and succumbed under the pressures of perfect art.
5. Describe the character of the
Gessler brothers with respect to their strengths and failures.
Ans: John Galsworthy introduces to the
readers the very humane characters called the Gessler brothers in his short
story Quality'. Mr Gessler is a humble bootmaker in Central London famous
amongst his customers for creating the perfect pair of boots with the most
authentic materials and the best fit. The Gessler brothers aimed to create the
perfect 'dream boots' which lasted too long for their customers.
The author revered the Gessler
brothers for their skilled craftsmanship in making sturdy boots that lasted
quite long for their wearers. Passion and commitment of work are strengths that
take every man to the pinnacle of success in life. The Gessler's loved their
work and they worked with a passion which helped them to be focused and
disciplined in their art. To them boot making was an art of the highest form
which required enormous time to create the perfect fit for the customers.
Therefore, they believed in creating boots only on orders.
Mr Gessler was particular about
choosing the leather of the boots himself. A stubborn perfectionist, he wished
to carve every piece of boot himself, trusting no one in the process of his
creation. His perfectionism led him to never expand his business and advertise
it. He relied only on his traditions, superior service and quality and this
cost him his business and ultimately his life. He refused to adapt his business
to the trends of the times and it made him suffer a major setback.
Gessler in the name of art
inflicted penance upon himself. He claimed that he did not work for money but
for the love of the art. He lost customers because people ran out of patience.
Gessler failed to see the competition and his disapproval of the big firms led
to his eventual ouster from the industry as a leading boot manufacturer. He
strove on, only to end life through starvation.
Galsworthy has created the story of Gessler brothers to let the reader
understand the strengths and flaws of humans. Our strengths can easily become
are a weakness if we do not guard ourselves and adapt to situations. The author
acts as a social commentator who allows him to pose before the readers the
hardships of the artists in modern times. He effectively creates a character
perfect in art and human nature but flawed in his judgement.
6. What does the story reveal about the author?
Ans: John Galsworthy's short story
Quality' narrates the author's admiration for the Gessler brothers and his
relationship with them. Through the story we are let into the life of the
author and his characteristics as he spans the lives of the Gessler brothers.
The author is an adult, reminiscing about his early childhood in the initial
part of the story. From the very beginning, we are made aware that the author
is fascinated by the work of the Gessler brothers.
The author is straightforward and
does not hesitate to ask questions to the Gessler brothers. He understands and
accepts Mr Gessler's explanation of shoemaking being an art. He even informs
Mr. Gessler about the creaking shoe and the wrong fit that he had received from
him.
An author is a compassionate
person; he is concerned for the well-being of the Gessler brothers as he is
attached to them emotionally, since childhood. He orders multiple pairs of shoes
despite being in no need of them, ensuring the Gessler's could make their ends
meet through some work. He adored the simplicity and humility of the poor
bootmakers and appreciated their art and had the highest respect for it.
Galsworthy was a modernist who
tries to evoke sympathy for the protagonist "Mr Gessler". Yet despite
the tragic end meted out to the old bootmaker, Galsworthy tries to underline
the importance of changing ourselves with the times. His relationship with the
Gessler brothers adds colour and perspective to the narrative.