The action of "The Japanese Quince" appears at first glance quite simple and straightforward, perhaps deceptively so On a beautiful spring morning, Mr. Nilson opens his dressing room window, only to experience "a peculiar sweetish sensation in the back of his throat." Descending to his dining room and finding his morning paper laid out, Mr. Nilson again experiences that peculiar sensation as he takes the paper in his hand. Hoping to rid himself of this uncomfortable feeling, Mr. Nilson determines to take a walk in the nearby gardens before breakfast.
With paper firmly m hand behind him, Mr. Nilson notes with some alarm that even after two laps around the park, the unsettling sensation has not ceased. Breathing deeply only exacerbates the problem. Mr. Nilson is unable to account for the way he feels, until it....
. Summary
"The Japanese Quince" is John Galsworthy's short story of the beauty of nature, and its symbolism of perfection in contrast to the sameness of everyday life.
As the story begins, it is a spring morning in 1910 London. A man named, Mr. Nilson, opens the window of his dressing room and experiences "a peculiar sweetish sensation" in the back of his throat, in addition to a feeling of emptiness under his ribs. Mr. Nilson notes the temperature of 60 degrees and sees that the little tree in the garden has begun to blossom.
Mr. Nilson is momentarily exuberant at the thought that spring has arrived, but then turns back to the business of his stocks and his scrutiny of his face in the mirror. Reassured that he is the picture of health, Mr. Nilson dons his frock....
Analysis
The story is told from the perspective of a third person omniscient narrator that means that the reader is privy to the thoughts and motivations of the main character, without that character revealing them himself. By the author's use of this perspective, the reader understands Mr. Nilson's flood of feelings about the spring morning, as well as his discomfort around