The Issue Of Sexuality By Galsworthy s Justice - 964 Words

In Galsworthy’s Justice, the author explores the issue of sexuality through the character of Ruth Honeywill, Falder’s lover. Galsworthy uses their relationship to show how there is not any chance, at the present time, to see an improvement in the government sexual politics. The whole play presents the sharp contrast between common sense – what people perceive as reasonable – and law, which here is almost seen as a character itself with its own will. Law crushes people under its power with such a blind cruelty that the reader is immediately bound to empathize with the characters. More precisely, since the people witnessing Falder’s tragedy seem to perceive the incompatibility between justice and their instinct to forgive the man, the audience tends to sympathise with those characters that are the most sympathetic. However, Galsworthy goes even further with Ruth: her storyline is almost paradoxical. Ruth is always presented as an honest woman in a terrible familiar situation, whose relationship with Falder is nothing but deep love and great care for each other. There is nothing physical going on between them: Ruth is already in a difficult position because the law does not acknowledge her role of victim, she knows perfectly well that no matter what happens, being unfaithful to her husband will only make things worse at the present. In fact, you can see how the centre of the trial rapidly shift from a trial for stealing to a trial on Falder’s moral conduct. Even his lawyer