History Literature / TheForsyteSaga

** Monty's infidelity to Winnifred is never seen as sympathetic though, because he turns out to be a {{Jearkass}} and Winnifred has been a Berger wife than he deserves.

* Monty's infidelity to Winnifred is never seen as sympathetic though, because he turns out to be a {{Jerkass}} and Winnifred has been a Berger wife than he deserves.

* TheRoaringTwenties: Although not in the sense usually depicted in television and literature. Fleur enjoys a lively social life, but women of the upper middle classes such as herself were not 'flappers', who were derided at the time for being both immoral and unintelligent. Therefore, there is little in the way of tasselled frocks and Charlestons on show. Even so, the divide between the older and younger generations is shown most clearly during this time; Soames finds the age bewildering, his daughter's modern sensibilities unfathomable and troublesome. Even Michael, who is only in his thirties, describes the Charleston as 'a lot of knee-wiggling'.

* TheRoaringTwenties: Although not in the sense usually depicted in television and literature. Fleur enjoys a lively social life, but women of the upper middle classes such as herself were not 'flappers', who were derided at the time for being both immoral and unintelligent. Therefore, there is little in the way of tasselled frocks and Charlestons on show. Furthermore, the divide between the older and younger generations is shown most clearly during this time; Soames finds the age bewildering, his daughter's modern sensibilities unfathomable and troublesome. Even Michael, who is only in his thirties, describes the Charleston as 'a lot of knee-wiggling'.

* BourgeoisBohemian: Young Jolyon was very much a political liberal by the standards of the time. He left his first wife and his eldest daughter to live with another woman, start a family with her and become an artist. And even though he became rich after inherited his father's fortune, which made it possible for him to raise also his younger three children in an upper middle class lifestyle, he stuck by his ideals and remained the antipole to his conservative cousin Soames.

* DaddysGirl: Fleur.

** Young Jolyon and Irene
** Val and Holly Dartie

* PlayingAgainstType: Uptight, unloveable Soames, for whom Irene could not find even a tiny bit of sexual attraction, was played by Errol Flynn in the 1949 film adaptation. The dashing Flynn was known mostly for his roles in romantic swashbucklers and lobbied for the role of Soames in order to demonstrate his acting range.

The books spawned two British television serials. The first version starred Eric Porter, Nyree Dawn Porter, and Kenneth More. It was broadcast in 1967 to great acclaim, and drew in 18 million viewers every Sunday when it was repeated a year later. The second adaptation starred Damian Lewis as Soames and first aired in 2002. There is also a 1949 film, ''That Forsyte Woman'', starring Creator/ErrolFlynn and Creator/JanetLeigh. And in case anyone's interested, there was also a 1990 BBC {{Radio}} dramatisation.

The books spawned two British television serials. The first version starred Eric Porter, Nyree Dawn Porter, and Kenneth More. It was broadcast in 1967 to great acclaim, and drew in 18 million viewers every Sunday when it was repeated a year later. The second adaptation starred Damian Lewis as Soames and first aired in 2002. There is also a 1949 film, ''That Forsyte Woman'', starring Errol Flynn and Janet Leigh. And in case anyone's interested, there was also a 1990 BBC {{Radio}} dramatisation.

* TakeBackYourGift: Soames only realises how much Irene really hated him when he sees that she has left him, taken none of the jewellery he ever gave her, and left him a note saying "I have taken nothing either you or your people have given me"

** Irene has an affair with Philip Bosinney. She tried to escape a loveless marriage and she's described as beautiful and utterly good woman, but the story also shows her devastated husband and Bosinney's fiancée June, who was Irene's friend.

** Although this is also offers a case of {{Values Dissonance}} caused by the passage of time. Soames's actions would have been seen as legitimate at the time, although some of the characters disapprove.

** Young Jolyon had an affair with her daughter's governess and ran away with her, and they later married. Mostly leaning to Good Adultery, since Jolyon is the hero and his first wife was a [[{{SexIsEvil}} shrew]]. Sadly, he wasn't that happy with his second wife Heléne because her temper wasn't very steady and she was said to be jealous even of her own daughter Holly.

* SexIsEvil: Young Jolyon tells Irene in the 1967 adaptation that his first wife Frances thought that the act of love was 'degrading', explaining his subsequent affair with the unstable Hélene.

** According to the 1967 adaptation this is also the main reason Young Jolyon left his first wife Frances for his mistress Heléne.

The original trilogy, dealing mainly with Soames' generation, consists of ''The Man of Property'', ''In Chancery'' and ''To Let''. A second trilogy, dealing with Soames' daughter Fleur and her contemporaries, includes ''The White Monkey'', ''The Silver Spoon'' and ''Swan Song''. Galsworthy later completed the saga with a trio of novels about the Cherrells (Charwells), who are related to the Forsytes by marriage - ''Maid In Waiting'', ''Flowering Wilderness'' and ''Over the River''.

** Although this is also offers a case of {{Values Dissonance}} caused by the passage of time. Soames' actions would have been seen as legitimate at the time, although some of the characters disapprove.

* HeirClubForMen: Most of "In Chancery" is concerned with Soames' desire for a son.

** June Forsyte's fiance, Philip Bosinney, leaves her for Soames' wife Irene, and eventually dies, either accidentally or as a suicide.

** A less dramatic but more heartwarming example is Val Dartie, son of Montague Dartie. He seems to be following in his father's footsteps - gambling and getting in with a "fast" crowd - but when he falls in love with his cousin Holly, she acts as a steadying influence, and they remain HappilyMarried, while Val takes up horse-breeding as a career.

* MoralDissonance: There's a lot of moral dissonance here, mostly caused by the influence of {{author avatar}}. For example, Irene marries Soames for his money, even though she knows he is desperately in love with her. She later cheats on him with her best friend's fiance. In the book, she expresses no remorse, and the 'good' characters hold no ill-will towards her. Even in the adaptations, she still gets very sympathetic treatment. Also, Young Jolyon is very big on duty and responsibility when guilt-tripping his son, Jon - but wasn't so keen when [[{{Your Cheating Heart}} he ditched his wife and young daughter and shacked up with the governess.]]

* RapeDiscretionShot: In the 1967 version, just as Soames is about to claim his "marital rights" from his reluctant wife Irene, the scene shifts to a barrel-organ playing beneath their window.

* SecondLove: Young Jolyon and Irene. Jon and Anne Wilmot.
* SexIsEvil: According to Young Jolyon, his first wife Frances thought that the act of love was 'degrading', which explains his subsequent affair with the unstable Hélene.

** Although this is also offers a case of {{Values Dissonance}} caused by the passage of time. Soames' actions would have been seen as legitimate at the time, although some of the characters disapprove.

** Young Jolyon had an affair with her daughter's governess and ran away with her, and they later married. Mostly leaning to Good Adultery, since Jolyon is the hero and his first wife was a shrew. Sadly, he wasn't that happy with his second wife Helénebecause her temper wasn't very steady and she was said to be jealous even of her own daughter Holly.

* MaritalRapeLicense: Soames and Irene.

** June likes helping them. She calls them 'lame ducks'.

* HappilyMarried: Young Jolyon and Irene, Val and Holly Dartie.

* InformedAttractiveness: Due to the fact that Galsworthy praises Irene's beauty to improbable levels, even comparing her to Venus on more than one occasion, any actress taking on the role of Irene runs the risk of encountering this trope. The criticism was levelled at Gina McKee when she was in the most recent adaptation.

* LoveRedeems: [[spoiler:Soames dies thwarting Fleur's suicide attempt. Although Young Jolyon, Irene and June say he is incapable of selfless love, he proves them wrong in the end.]] A less dramatic but more heartwarming example is Val Dartie, son of Montague Dartie. He seems to be following in his father's footsteps - gambling and getting in with a "fast" crowd - but when he falls in love with his cousin Holly, she acts as a steadying influence, and they remain HappilyMarried, while Val takes up horse-breeding as a career.

* StarvingArtist: Phillip Bosinney (a radical architect), and Young Jolyon after he's been cut off.

* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: The original saga alone covers four generations of the BigScrewedUpFamily Forsyte.