Analysis Of The Apathy In The Man Of Property

As the representative writer of the literary history of British realism, John Galsworthy is a considered famous writer who is able to seize of the characteristics of the times. The Man of Property is the first novel in the trilogy of the Forsyte Saga. The Man of Property is recognized as Galsworthy masterpiece. The novel based on the background of the British society in the late19th century and early20th century. The novel depicts the history of the British bourgeois society and family life. Several protagonists in the novel are the ordinary "owner". They are the rich people who don’t need to worry about food and clothing. The indifference of the people in the novel can be seen everywhere. The life of every member of Forsyte is not rich in the spiritual life.This paper analyzes the apathy of the Forsytes from the perspective of British middle-class social status in the late19th century by applying the theory of analytical psychology and archetype. The awareness of property and possessiveness of the Forsytes become the money relationship among their family members. We understand the roots of apathy in the novel by analyzing the blind accumulation in property and the relationship in gentleman.On the research of The Man of Property, foreign scholars are mainly concentrated in the author’s source of ideas, writing background and the artistic expression of the novel. In addition to the analysis of Galsworthy’s creative ideas and features of the language, domestic scholars also analyze realism and materialism in the novel. This thesis, according to the apathy theory and psychological theory, analyzes and interprets the main characters in The Man of Property, explores and reveals the roots of the characters’ apathy.This thesis consists of five parts. The first part is the introduction of John Galsworthy’s life and The Man of Property. At the same time, this part provides a literature review of the thesis. The second part is the theoretical introduction which includes Dr. Martin’s apathy theory as well as Jung’s analytical psychological theory. The third and the fourth part are the analysis of the apathy performance of the main characters, by applying the theory of analytical and archetype. They show the social reality and irrational factors and the social change. The fifth section is the conclusion, which reveals the phenomenon that people searching for the material pleasures and neglecting to the spiritual world make us more clear of the importance of self-understanding and the development of personality.