The Japanese Quince

            
             Literature is a wonderful form of escape from our daily stresses, but not every book on the shelf should be taken at face value. In John Galsworthy's "The Japanese Quince," a small ornamental Oriental tree in the heart of a nearby public park plays a powerful role and is an important symbol in the life of the "well known" Mr. Nilson. The quince tree represents life, growth, freedom and joy, all of which Mr. Nilson is lacking in his daily schedule.
             Mr. Nilson is a well-to-do London businessman who follows the patterns of the wealthy and takes advantage of its benefits, yet Mr. Nilson is far more unfortunate than the classification he looks down upon. Mr. Nilson may have the life of the wealthy, but he does not live a rich life. An average day in the life of Mr. Nilson consists mainly of schedule and order, to everything its own place and time. As mentioned before, his breakfast is served to him at precisely eight-thirty each morning. On one specific morning, Mr. Nilson feels an uncomfortable sensation "just under his fifth rib" (73), and proceeds to exit out his French window in his black frock coat and descend the "scrolled iron steps into the fresh air" (73). As he reaches the bottom of the staircase and enters the public garden, he notes that his "feeling of emptiness" (73), as he describes it, essentially has not diminished but in fact had increased in the morning air. As he enters into the garden, a little bl!.
             ackbird lures him toward a glistening, lively, pretty, yet unfamiliar tree whose "leaves the sunlight glistened" (74), located in the heart of the park. He studies the tree and its features as its warmth and happiness seem to draw him closer and entrance him further in the tree, making the queer feeling in his chest fade away unnoticed. Mr. Nilson slowly withdraws his fascination from the sapling only to be startled by the presence of his neighbor, Mr. Tandram, who is also admiring the tree in an identical fashion.