QUALITY

Q 1:- describe the features of Mr. Gessler.

Ans. Mr. Gessler the younger of the two Gessler Brothers is the main protagonist of John Galsworthy's short story "Quality”. He is a
traditional German shoemaker who values quality of the shoes more than the profit. He is a little, short statured man. His face is pale
with lots of wrinkles and reddish hair and beard. His voice is guttural, in conformity with his German origin. He has been described “as
if made of leather” which indicates that Mr. Gessler is “stiff and slow of purpose” like leather. He is as dependable as the quality of
leather he uses to make his shoes, though he is slow in execution. The narrator has highlighted the importance of Mr. Gessler’s “gray -
blue" eyes by divesting them with "the simple gravity of one secretly possessed by the ideal." This indicates that Mr. Gessler’s ideal of
being a perfectionist of boot making is reflected in his eyes. Both the brothers look similar, but the elder one looks paler than Mr.
Gessler.

Q 2:- how did the narrator describe about the shop of Gessler brothers and his approach?

Ans. The narrator compared his visit to Mr. Gessler’s shop to that of restfully entering a church. He would sit on a wooden chair in a
dark interior which smelled soothingly of leather, and wait patiently for one of the Gessler brothers to come out and step down the stairs
with a tip tap sound of bast slippers. Wearing his leather apron he would stand blinking, as if awakened from a dream of boots or like an
owl surprised in daylight or irritated at this interruption. When the narrator asked him if he could make a pair of Russia leather boots,
Mr. Gessler would return to the other portion of his shop and then come back holding a piece of golden brown leather and praising it. He
asked the narrator the date on which he wanted his boots ready, and if narrator replied as early as you can, Mr. Gessler would try to
prepare it till the next day’s night. If it was the elder brother, he would say he would ask his brother. If the order was for a new design, he
would trace the outline of the foot and pass his fingers over the toes, sensing the special caret hat went into the creation of that pair.

Q 3:- what was the reaction of Mr. Gessler when the narrator expressed about walking boots creaked?

Ans. The author could not forget the day when he told Mr. Gessler that his walking boots creaked. Mr. Gessler did not reply and stared at
him for some time as If the narrator would modify or withdraw his statement. He remarked that it should not have creaked. When the
narrator insisted that they did, he told him that perhaps he got them wet before they were ready. He was so sure about the quality of his
products that he was shocked to hear about any flaw in his boots. When the author denied such a thing happening, Mr. Gessler lowered
his eyes as if he was trying to recall that defect pair of boots. Looking at him, the Narrator regretted to mention such a grave topic. Mr.
Gessler told him to bring those boots to the shop and he would look at them. He added that some boots are bad from birth and if he could
not repair his boots, he would not charge for them. He was clearly disappointed about his creation having a flaw-something he found
very difficult to digest.

Q 4:- how Mr. Gessler reacted on narrator’s emergency purchase?

Ans. In this story “quality” by john Galsworthy, the author sketches the portrait of excellent shoemakers-Gessler brothers and highlights
the quality of the boots made by them. He also depicts the hardship faced by artisans during industrial revolution .Gessler brothers live
and breathe the fine art of shoemaking and seem to have captured the soul of boot in their creations. They made best quality boots not for
earning but because of their passion. Thus one day when the narrator went to their shop absent minded, wearing the shoes purchased by
him from ‘big firms’ in an emergency, Mr. Gessler not only recognized that those were not his shoes, but also pin pointed the place on
his shoes which was not comfortable and hurt the narrator. Something snapped in him and he revealed the troubles faced by him on his
trade because they were against the big firms who had no sense of honor and dignity. He said that they prosper and do well because of
advertisement and not by their work. Their ads attract the costumers more because their products are machine made,cheap,and consume
less time. But the people forget that these big companies compromise the quality of their goods. On the contrary, Gessler brothers made
good quality boots out of best leather without any help which was a time taking task. It seemed to him that people no longer love good
quality boots. They were losing their costumers and their business was getting low daily. After listening such hard circumstances faced
by Gessler brothers, the narrator ordered many pairs of boots which lasted more terribly than ever that he was unable to visit their shop
for nearly 2 years.

Q 5:- what change did the narrator find during one of his visits?

Ans. When after 2 years the narrator visited Gessler brothers shop, he was surprised to see that outside the one of the 2 little shops which
were hurdled into a single shop initially, another name was painted with the name of bootmaker- making boots for the royal family. The
old familiar boots were now placed in a single window. The little shop was more fragmented and darker than before. As he went inside,
Mr. Gessler, now more aged and weaker, took time to step down the narrow stairs and recognize his costumer. The narrator admired him
and his boots and said that his boots were still in a good condition. Mr. Gessler agrees but said that it seemed to him that people no
longer want good boots. The narrator asked him what had happened to his shop. Mr. Gessler replied that it was too expensive and asked
the narrator if he wanted some boots. Though he wanted only 2 pairs, he ordered 3. Few months later, the narrator decided to pay him a
visit and thought that it was the elder brother. He was shocked to learn that the pale and aged man was Mr. Gessler himself and the elder
brother had died, unable to get over the loss of the other shop. Mr. Gessler in grief commented that his elder brother was a good man
and made good boots. He held a beautiful piece of leather and asked him if he wanted some boots. The narrator ordered many pairs.
Though he received his order after long time, the quality was better than ever. Soon after he went abroad.

Q 6:- what did the narrator noticed at Gessler shop after a break of a year?

Ans. After a break of a year, the narrator decided to visit his old friend Mr. Gessler’s shop . When he left for abroad, Mr. Gessler was 60
years old, but now he looked like a 75 year old man. He was weak and frail. The narrator praised his boots which were not half worn out
and had fitted beautifully. Mr. Gessler asked him if he wanted more boots and that he would make it quickly, it being a slack time. The
narrator requested to make boots of every kind.Mr. Gessler decided to make a fresh model and traced his foot very slowly. It was painful
for the author to see the old man so frail and feeble and was glad to get away. After a long the boots came. Each was a work of skill- in
shape and fit, in finish and quality of leather, they were the best Gessler had ever made. The narrator was shocked to see the bill in one of
them as Gessler had never sent it until the quarterly rent was due. He immediately sent him the cheque.

Q 7:- how did the narrator express his emotional relationship with Gessler brothers?