“The Silver Box” by John Galsworthy is a three-act comedy play that addresses themes of social inequality and the disparity in the operation of the law between the rich and the poor. The play revolves around Mr. John Barthwick, a young man from a wealthy background who indulges in vices such as drinking and extravagant expenses. Read More English Summaries.
The Silver Box Summary in English
Jack Barthwick returns home after midnight in a drunken state. He is the son of John Barthwick, a wealthy member of the Parliament, belonging to Liberal Party. Jack is helped in opening the lock of the house by Jones who is about thirty years of age and shabbily dressed. He is poor and jobless Jack staggers into his dinning room, carrying a velvet bag of some lady. The bag contains a crimson silk purse. He drops the purse and takes a cigarette out of the silver box.
He wants to give some tip to Jones but he has just one shilling in his pocket. So, he offers a drink to Jones in lieu of cash. He introduces himself to Jones and tells that he had a quarrel with a street walker and he snatched away her bag. He talls to a sleep on the sofa. Jones gulps in several pegs of whisky and is over drunk. He suddenly picks up the silver box and the red silk purse. He leaves the room very pleased that he has out beaten Jack.
Mrs Joncs works as a charwoman in Barthwick’s house In the morning, Wheeler, the maidservant tells Mrs Jones about Mr Jones’ misdeed. Mrs Jones admits that her husband maltreats her. He returns home at 2 AM. the previous night and used violence on her. She, however, links his ill-temper to heavy drinking and unemployment. She is worried about how to feed and support her three children. Marlow, the manservant, as well as Wheeler advise Mrs Jones to approach the court.
Mrs Jones sweeps the dining prom. Jack wakes up and complains of severe headache. Marlow finds the silver box missing. He suspects Mrs Jones stealing it. Mr John Barthwick is a prosperous elderly man. He is quiet and serious. He reads out the news of the success of the labour party in a by-election to Parliament. His wife is greatly perturbed. She fears that the Labour Party is hell bent on depriving the upper classes of their rights and property. Education, she says, has increased discontent among the Lower classes and servants have become rile.
John receives a dishonoured cheque for 40. It was drawn by Jack. Bouncing of cheque can put Jack in routle. John rebukes his son when the latter cornes for breakfast. Just then a young lady calls at the house. She complains Jack had quarrelled with her and taken away her bag. this disclosure shocks Harthwick and he sends for Jack. She demands that her purse containing a Quarry eight pounds should be restored to her. Jack returns with the empty bag.
The Silver Box Class 10
She threatens to lodge a complaint of theft against Jack. Barthwick pays her eight pounds and settles the daim. After she is gone, John rebukes Jack and calls him a nuisance to society. Jack replies rudely that he (his lather) has helped him simply because be is afraid of a scandal. John feels uneasy. Marlow reports the loss of the silver box. Mr, Barthwick is shocked at this theft and decides to investigate the whole affair.
He cross examines Mrs Tones to get out information about her past and present circumstances. She reveals that her first child was born before Jones married her. This caused a scandal and Jones was dismissed by his employer. He maltreats her but he is not wicked. She lives in a too for 6 shillings a week. Her rent is in arrears.
She herself receives only half a crown for a full days’ work. She says that she has no knowledge of the silver box. In Jones’ house, Mrs Seddon, the landlady comes to collect the rent. Jones gives her a pound and she goes away. Then, he takes out the crimson purse. He says that he got it by chance lying unclaimed on the road and containing more than seven pounds. He has no sense of guilt. He plans to go to Canada to change his luck. Mrs Jones shakes out his coat and the silver box falls down, It is the same box she was questioned about.
Jones says that he took it under the effect of liquor. He promises to throw it into the river. He hates to be called a thief but Mrs Jones is not satisfied with this explanation. She accuses him of ruining her reputation. Jones calls himself no worse than Jack. While the row is on, Robert Snow a detective in plain clothes comes in. He puts his hand on the box and declares to arrest Mrs Jones. Jones confesses that he has stolen the box, not his wife.
As Snow pulls Mrs Jones to the door and blows his whistle to call other policemen, Jones strikes a’blow upon him. Snow cornes to see John Barthwick and produces the silver box. He informs that Jones has been taken into custody for assaulting him in the discharge of his duty He also reports that lack himself had let him enter the house and offered him a drink. Jones is likely to make the same statement before the Police Magistrate. Snow concludes with the information that he has also recovered a red silk purse with money in it from Jones’ pocket.
Mr Barthwick now desires that the whole affair to be hushed up. He professes sympathy with the poor and asks Snow to drop proceedings against Jones. Snow makes it clear that Jones will have to be tried for assaulting a public servant. He advises John to engage a solicitor to defend his son. He takes away the silver box as it has to be produced in the court. John Barthwick is greatly alarmed. He is afraid of bad publicity in the press. His reputation is at stake. Mrs Barthwick is shocked to hear the details from Jack himself. John says in desperation, “Better to have lost a dozen cigarette boxes, and said nothing about it.” Roper, the solicitor, arrives.
John informs him that the charwoman is innocent, her husband had taken away the purse and the box, when he was let into the house by Jack himself. He reveals his fear that the newspapers would give him a bad name if Jones makes a fuss about the purse. The mother asks Jack to speak the truth and say that he never let Jones into the house. Roper’s advice is that Jack should say nothing about the events of the previous night. Jack is tutored to say that he does not remember anything at all.
After this, Jones and his wife are presented in the court. Mrs Barthwick again reminds his lawyer to keep the red purse out of the case. The hearing begins. Marlow, the first witness, tells about the theft of the silver box. Robert Snow, the detective, tells how he received the box from Jones house. He also reports that Jones used violence against him. Jones says in self-defence that he took to violence because Snow insisted on taking his wife into custody Jones says that he had never before been brought to a police court. He admits that he took away the silver box in his fit of drunkenness.
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Jack is called into the witness box. He swears that he will speak the truth but he pretends to remember nothing, that he does not know Jones and never met him before. When Iones tries to remind him of the incident, Roper intervenes to say that Jones’ questions are not relevant. Jones asks the magistrate to question Jack why he took the lady’s purse.
Roper intervenes again and requests the magistrate to let Jack leave the witness box. Thus, the theft of the purse by Jack, an important issue in the case, is side tracked. The magistrate acquits Mrs Jones and sets her free. He finds Jones guilty of misconduct of attacking a public servant on duty He declares that people like Jones are a nuisance to the community.
Jack remembers that, the same words were used for him by his father. Jones is sentenced to one months imprisonment with hard labour: “Call this justice? What about him? He got drunk! He took the puts His complaint is that Jack is equally guilty and merits punishment but his cry goes unheard. The court adjourns for lunch. Roper speaks to the reporter not to write anything damaging about the Barthwick family. Jack walks out of the court proudly. Mr Barthwick unhears finally the appeal of Mrs Jones for employment.