The rise of large corporations
"Quality" is partly about the rise of large corporations in the 20th Century. Published in 1912, this short account chronicles the beginnings of mass consumerism and the development of large corporations, both of which had a devastating impact on small businesses. Overall, the narrator's experience buying his shoes from a larger business is depicted as impersonal and of a lesser quality compared to the intimacy of the Gessler brothers' store.
The importance of small businesses
In this short narrative, Galsworthy stresses the better quality of items bought from smaller businesses, hence the title "Quality." As a customer at the Gessler store, Galsworthy is given personal and high-quality service. In addition to this, the shoes he buys are of an impeccable standard and are fitted to his individual feet. However, Gessler then buys some shoes from a larger corporation, which are not as good.
Financial struggle
Galsworthy critiques the capitalist economic structure of the 20th century, in which big corporations could outperform small businesses. This leads to an unfair distribution of wealth, meaning that small business owners often struggle to make ends meet, despite many being committed to providing the best quality of products. This is reflected in this story about the Gessler brothers, who both die as a result of their devotion to creating high-quality shoes.
