Jeeves and the Impending Doom

Last updated

"Jeeves and the Impending Doom"
Short story by P. G. Wodehouse
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Genre(s) Comedy
Publication
Publisher The Strand Magazine (UK)
Liberty (US)
Media typePrint (Magazine)
Publication dateDecember 1926 (UK)
January 1927 (US)
Chronology
Series Jeeves
Arrleft.svg  
Bertie Changes His Mind 		  Arrright.svg
The Inferiority Complex of Old Sippy

"Jeeves and the Impending Doom" is a short story by P. G. Wodehouse, and features the young gentleman Bertie Wooster and his valet Jeeves. The story was published in The Strand Magazine in the United Kingdom in December 1926, and in Liberty in the United States in January 1927. The story was also included as the first story in the 1930 collection Very Good, Jeeves . [1]

Contents

In the story, Bertie's Aunt Agatha hires Bertie's friend Bingo Little to tutor her son Thomas. Thomas makes trouble for a guest of Aunt Agatha's, A. B. Filmer, and Bertie and Jeeves have to help Filmer to keep Bingo from losing his job.

Plot

Bertie is about to reluctantly visit his unfriendly Aunt Agatha's house at Woollam Chersey, in Herts. Before he leaves, he receives an unsigned telegram that says it is vital for him to meet perfect strangers at Woollam Chersey. Neither Bertie nor Jeeves understand the telegram. At Woollam Chersey, Aunt Agatha tells Bertie that he must behave himself and make a good impression on her guest, the Right Honourable A. B. Filmer, the Cabinet Minister. Bertie is not pleased, but then sees his friend Bingo Little and greets him cheerfully. However, Bingo shushes him, and asks if Bertie got his telegram. Bingo is tutoring young Thomas "Thos" Gregson, Aunt Agatha's son, and wants Bertie to treat him as a perfect stranger, or else Aunt Agatha will learn he is Bertie's friend, and fire him. When Bertie asks why Bingo is not with his wife in America on her lecture tour, Bingo does not answer.

Bertie struggles to endure the company of the tedious Mr. Filmer. Later, Bingo asks Bertie and Jeeves for help. Bingo confesses that his wife left him two hundred pounds and asked him to stay behind to look after their Pekingese dog, but he lost the money on a horse race. Bingo boarded the dog and got a tutoring job. He fears Aunt Agatha will fire him for not supervising Thomas when Thomas inevitably makes trouble for Filmer. Bertie can only advise Bingo to watch Thomas carefully. Jeeves will consider the matter. Shortly afterward, Bertie and Bingo play in a local tennis tournament. It rains, and everyone goes inside. Filmer is not present, and Bertie senses an impending doom. Aunt Agatha tells Bertie to find Filmer and take a raincoat to him. In the hall, Bertie runs into Jeeves, who learned from Thomas that Filmer had rowed to the island in the nearby lake. Thomas rowed after him and set Filmer's boat adrift, marooning Filmer. Jeeves agrees to follow Bertie.

Well, I could have told that swan it was no use. As swans go, he may have been well up in the ranks of the intelligentsia; but, when it came to pitting his brains against Jeeves, he was simply wasting his time. He might just as well have gone home at once.

— The swan is no match for Jeeves [2]

It rains heavily as Bertie and Jeeves approach the island by boat. Bertie rows, while Jeeves steers with the tiller. They see Filmer on the roof of a building called the Octagon. Bertie tells Jeeves to wait in the boat. As he greets Filmer, Bertie is targeted by a fierce wild swan. Fleeing to the roof, Bertie drops Filmer's raincoat. Bertie chats with the annoyed Filmer until Bertie remembers Jeeves. He calls for Jeeves, who comes. Jeeves uses the discarded raincoat to cover the swan's head, and then heaves the swan off its feet with a boathook. Before the swan can unscramble itself, Bertie and Filmer escape. Filmer is sure that Thomas had set his boat drift, and Bertie is concerned for Bingo.

At the house, after Bertie takes a bath, he sees Jeeves, who says he has attended to the matter. To protect Bingo, Jeeves convinced Filmer that it was Bertie who set his boat adrift. At first Bertie is insulted, but changes his mind when Jeeves says that Aunt Agatha intended to make Bertie become Filmer's secretary. Jeeves suggests that Bertie avoid his aunt by climbing down a waterpipe outside a window. Jeeves will have a car waiting nearby. Bertie looks at Jeeves reverently, and follows his plan.

Style

Wodehouse occasionally uses a transferred epithet, especially an adjective modifying a noun rather than the corresponding adverb modifying the verb of the sentence. This occurs with the word "moody" in the following quote from the story: "He uncovered the fragrant eggs and I pronged a moody forkful." [3]

According to Wodehouse scholar Kristin Thompson, when Jeeves does or says something unusual and it is not explained later, it may be a cue to the reader that he has manipulated events in ways that Bertie, the narrator, is not aware of. Thompson suggests that Jeeves may have used his "informal conversation" with Thomas to encourage him to maroon Filmer on the island, in order to ultimately discredit Bertie with Filmer so Bertie would not become Filmer's secretary. Later, when telling Bertie about Thomas's plan to maroon Filmer, Jeeves seems unconcerned and distracts Bertie by calling his attention to his badly knotted tie (not "the perfect butterly effect"). [4]

Whether or not Jeeves manipulated events to this extent, he does make a remark at the end which Bertie fails to understand but can be understood by the reader. He explains to Bertie why he told Filmer that Bertie had marooned him on the island: "I had scarcely left you when the solution of the affair presented itself to me. It was a remark of Mr Filmer's that gave me the idea." This is a subtle reference to what Filmer said when he assumed Thomas was the one who marooned him: "He has a grudge against me. And it is the sort of thing only a boy, or one who is practically an imbecile, would have thought of doing." The phrase "practically an imbecile" presumably gave Jeeves the idea to blame his employer. [5]

Publication history

"Jeeves and the Impending Doom" was illustrated by Charles Crombie in the Strand and by Wallace Morgan in Liberty. [6]

The American edition of a collection of Wodehouse stories, The Weekend-End Wodehouse, published in 1939 by Doubleday, included the story. [7] The story appeared in Selected Stories by P. G. Wodehouse, a 1958 collection of Wodehouse stories published by The Modern Library, and in The Most of Wodehouse, a 1960 collection of Wodehouse stories published by Simon and Schuster. [8] It was also featured in the 1983 collection P. G. Wodehouse Short Stories, which was illustrated by George Adamson and published by The Folio Society. [9] The collection A Wodehouse Bestiary, a 1985 omnibus of Wodehouse stories involving animals, featured "Jeeves and the Impending Doom". [10]

The story was included in the 1932 anthology London Omnibus published by Doubleday, and in the 1940 anthology Modern Humour published by J.M. Dent & Sons. [11]

Adaptations

An episode of The World of Wooster adapted the story. The episode, titled "Jeeves and the Impending Doom", was the fourth episode of the third series. It was originally broadcast in the UK on 27 October 1967. [12]

This story was not adapted into any Jeeves and Wooster episode.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeeves</span> Fictional character in P. G. Wodehouse stories

Jeeves is a fictional character in a series of comedic short stories and novels by English author P. G. Wodehouse. Jeeves is the highly competent valet of a wealthy and idle young Londoner named Bertie Wooster. First appearing in print in 1915, Jeeves continued to feature in Wodehouse's work until his last completed novel Aunts Aren't Gentlemen in 1974, a span of 60 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aunt Agatha</span> Fictional character in P. G. Wodehouse stories

Agatha Gregson, née Wooster, later Lady Worplesdon, is a recurring fictional character in the Jeeves stories of the British comic writer P. G. Wodehouse, being best known as Bertie Wooster's Aunt Agatha. Haughty and overbearing, Aunt Agatha wants Bertie to marry a wife she finds suitable, though she never manages to get Bertie married, thanks to Jeeves's interference.

<i>The Inimitable Jeeves</i> 1923 short story collection by P. G. Wodehouse

The Inimitable Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse was the first of the Jeeves novels, although not originally conceived as a single narrative, being assembled from a number of short stories featuring the same characters. The book was first published in the United Kingdom by Herbert Jenkins, London, on 17 May 1923 and in the United States by George H. Doran, New York, on 28 September 1923, under the title Jeeves.

<i>Carry On, Jeeves</i> 1925 short story collection by P. G. Wodehouse

Carry On, Jeeves is a collection of ten short stories by P. G. Wodehouse. It was first published in the United Kingdom on 9 October 1925 by Herbert Jenkins, London, and in the United States on 7 October 1927 by George H. Doran, New York. Many of the stories had previously appeared in the Saturday Evening Post, and some were rewritten versions of stories in the collection My Man Jeeves (1919). The book is considered part of the Jeeves canon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Extricating Young Gussie</span> Short story by P. G. Wodehouse

"Extricating Young Gussie" is a short story by the British comic writer P. G. Wodehouse. It was first published in the United States in the 18 September 1915 issue of The Saturday Evening Post and in the United Kingdom in the January 1916 edition of The Strand Magazine. It was included in the collection The Man with Two Left Feet (1917).

<i>Very Good, Jeeves</i> 1930 short story collection by P. G. Wodehouse

Very Good, Jeeves is a collection of eleven short stories by P. G. Wodehouse, all featuring Jeeves and Bertie Wooster. It was first published in the United States on 20 June 1930 by Doubleday, Doran, New York, and in the United Kingdom on 4 July 1930 by Herbert Jenkins, London. The stories had all previously appeared in Strand Magazine in the UK and in Liberty or Cosmopolitan magazines in the US between 1926 and 1930.

<i>The Mating Season</i> (novel) 1949 novel by P. G. Wodehouse

The Mating Season is a novel by P. G. Wodehouse, first published in the United Kingdom on 9 September 1949 by Herbert Jenkins, London, and in the United States on November 29, 1949, by Didier & Co., New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aunt Agatha Takes the Count</span> Short story by P. G. Wodehouse

"Aunt Agatha Takes the Count" is a short story by P. G. Wodehouse, and features the young gentleman Bertie Wooster and his valet Jeeves. The story was published in The Strand Magazine in London in April 1922, and then in Cosmopolitan in New York in October 1922. The story was also included in the 1923 collection The Inimitable Jeeves as two separate chapters, "Aunt Agatha Speaks Her Mind" and "Pearls Mean Tears".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scoring off Jeeves</span> Short story by P. G. Wodehouse

"Scoring off Jeeves" is a short story by P. G. Wodehouse, that features a young gentleman Bertie Wooster and his valet Jeeves. The story was published in The Strand Magazine in London in February 1922, and then in Cosmopolitan in New York in March 1922. The story was also included in the 1923 collection The Inimitable Jeeves as two separate chapters, "The Pride of the Woosters Is Wounded" and "The Hero's Reward".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sir Roderick Comes to Lunch</span> Short story by P. G. Wodehouse

"Sir Roderick Comes to Lunch" is a short story by P. G. Wodehouse, and features the young gentleman Bertie Wooster and his valet Jeeves. The story was published in The Strand Magazine in London in March 1922, and then in Cosmopolitan in New York in April 1922. The story was also included in the 1923 collection The Inimitable Jeeves as two separate chapters, "Introducing Claude and Eustace" and "Sir Roderick Comes to Lunch".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Delayed Exit of Claude and Eustace</span> Short story by P. G. Wodehouse

"The Delayed Exit of Claude and Eustace" is a short story by P. G. Wodehouse, and features the young gentleman Bertie Wooster and his valet Jeeves. The story was published in The Strand Magazine in London in October 1922, and then in Cosmopolitan in New York in November 1922. The story was also included in the 1923 collection The Inimitable Jeeves.

"Jeeves and the Greasy Bird" is a short story by English humorist P. G. Wodehouse, and features the young gentleman Bertie Wooster and his valet Jeeves. The story was published in Playboy magazine in the United States in December 1965, and in Argosy magazine in the United Kingdom in January 1967. The story was also included in the 1966 collection Plum Pie.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeeves and the Unbidden Guest</span> Short story by P. G. Wodehouse

"Jeeves and the Unbidden Guest" is a short story by P. G. Wodehouse, and features the young gentleman Bertie Wooster and his valet Jeeves. The story was published in the Saturday Evening Post in the United States in December 1916, and in The Strand Magazine in the United Kingdom in March 1917. The story was also included in the 1925 collection Carry On, Jeeves.

"Clustering Round Young Bingo" is a short story by P. G. Wodehouse, and features the young gentleman Bertie Wooster and his valet Jeeves. The story was published in the Saturday Evening Post in the United States in February 1925, and in The Strand Magazine in the United Kingdom in April 1925. The story was also included in the 1925 collection Carry On, Jeeves.

"Episode of the Dog McIntosh" is a short story by P. G. Wodehouse, and features the young gentleman Bertie Wooster and his valet Jeeves. The story was published in The Strand Magazine as "Jeeves and the Dog McIntosh" in the United Kingdom in October 1929, and in Cosmopolitan as "The Borrowed Dog" in the United States that same month. The story was also included as the fifth story in the 1930 collection Very Good, Jeeves.

"The Spot of Art" is a short story by P. G. Wodehouse, and features the young gentleman Bertie Wooster and his valet Jeeves. The story was published in The Strand Magazine in the United Kingdom in December 1929, and in Cosmopolitan in the United States that same month, as "Jeeves and the Spot of Art". The story was also included as the sixth story in the 1930 collection Very Good, Jeeves.

"The Love that Purifies" is a short story by P. G. Wodehouse, and features the young gentleman Bertie Wooster and his valet Jeeves. The story was published in The Strand Magazine in the United Kingdom in November 1929, and in Cosmopolitan in the United States that same month, as "Jeeves and the Love that Purifies". The story was also included as the eighth story in the 1930 collection Very Good, Jeeves.

"Jeeves and the Old School Chum" is a short story by P. G. Wodehouse, and features the young gentleman Bertie Wooster and his valet Jeeves. The story was published in The Strand Magazine in the United Kingdom in February 1930, and in Cosmopolitan in the United States that same month. The story was also included as the ninth story in the 1930 collection Very Good, Jeeves.

"Indian Summer of an Uncle" is a short story by P. G. Wodehouse, and features the young gentleman Bertie Wooster and his valet Jeeves. The story was published in The Strand Magazine in the United Kingdom in March 1930, and in Cosmopolitan in the United States that same month. The story was also included as the tenth story in the 1930 collection Very Good, Jeeves.

"The Ordeal of Young Tuppy" is a short story by P. G. Wodehouse, and features the young gentleman Bertie Wooster and his valet Jeeves. The story was published in The Strand Magazine in the United Kingdom in April 1930, and in Cosmopolitan in the United States that same month, both as "Tuppy Changes His Mind". The story was also included as the eleventh story in the 1930 collection Very Good, Jeeves.

References

Notes
  1. ↑ Cawthorne (2013), p. 72.
  2. ↑ Wodehouse (2008) [1930], chapter 1, p. 20.
  3. ↑ Hall (1974), p. 86.
  4. ↑ Thompson (1992), p. 192.
  5. ↑ Thompson (1992), p. 193.
  6. ↑ McIlvaine (1990), p. 151, E36.25, and p. 185, E133.130.
  7. ↑ McIlvaine (1990), p. 116, B6a.
  8. ↑ McIlvaine (1990), p. 120, B11a and B12a.
  9. ↑ McIlvaine (1990), p. 129, B32a.
  10. ↑ McIlvaine (1990), p. 130, B24.
  11. ↑ McIlvaine (1990), p. 196, E72, and p. 197, E96.
  12. ↑ Taves, Brian (2006). P. G. Wodehouse and Hollywood: Screenwriting, Satires and Adaptations. McFarland & Company. p. 179. ISBN   978-0-7864-2288-3.
Sources
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.