The nineteenth century is coming to an end, and representatives of the big bourgeoisie—with their nobility and decency—are becoming an increasingly rare part of society. The Forsytes deliberately turn a blind eye to this fact, surrounding themselves with self-satisfied convention and a determination to maintain the status quo. Soames Forsyte struggles to uphold moral principles in the face of the social revolution that came about as a result of the war. As he works through the complexities of love, marriage, and social status, the novel weaves itself into a strange tapestry of public expectations and private desires. A deep study of human relationships makes the work an outstanding portrait of an age that is constantly changing—reflected, as in a mirror, in the destinies of the Forsyte family clan.