Bertram Wooster
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Bertram Wilberforce Wooster is a fictional character in the
comedic Comedy is a genre of dramatic works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. Origins Comedy originated in ancient Gr ...
Jeeves stories created by British author
P. G. Wodehouse Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse ( ; 15 October 1881 – 14 February 1975) was an English writer and one of the most widely read humorists of the 20th century. His creations include the feather-brained Bertie Wooster and his sagacious valet, Je ...
. An amiable English gentleman and one of the "idle rich", Bertie appears alongside his
valet A valet or varlet is a male servant who serves as personal attendant to his employer. In the Middle Ages and Ancien Régime, ''valet de chambre'' was a role for junior courtiers and specialists such as artists in a royal court, but the term "va ...
,
Jeeves Jeeves (born Reginald Jeeves, nicknamed Reggie) 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 W ...
, whose intelligence manages to save Bertie or one of his friends from numerous awkward situations. Bertie Wooster and Jeeves have been described as "one of the great comic double-acts of all time". Bertie is the narrator and central figure of most of the Jeeves short stories and novels. The two exceptions are the short story "
Bertie Changes His Mind "Bertie Changes His Mind" 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 August 1922, and in ''Cosmopolitan ( ...
" (1922), which is narrated by Jeeves, and the novel ''
Ring for Jeeves ''Ring for Jeeves'' is a novel by P. G. Wodehouse, first published in the United Kingdom on 22 April 1953 by Herbert Jenkins, London and in the United States on 15 April 1954 by Simon & Schuster, New York, under the title ''The Return of Jeeve ...
'' (1953), a third-person narration in which Bertie is mentioned but does not appear. First appearing in "
Extricating Young Gussie "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 edit ...
" in 1915, Bertie is the narrator of ten novels and over 30 short stories, his last appearance being in the novel ''
Aunts Aren't Gentlemen ''Aunts Aren't Gentlemen'' is a comic novel by P. G. Wodehouse, first published in the United Kingdom in October 1974 by Barrie & Jenkins, London, and in the United States under the title ''The Cat-nappers'' on 14 April 1975 by Simon & Schu ...
'', published in 1974.


Inspiration

The Wodehouse scholar Norman Murphy believes
George Grossmith Jr. George Grossmith Jr. (11 May 1874 – 6 June 1935) was an English actor, theatre producer and Actor-manager, manager, director, playwright and songwriter, best remembered for his work in and with Edwardian musical comedies. Grossmith was also a ...
to have been the inspiration for the character of Bertie Wooster. Others have asserted
John Wodehouse, 3rd Earl of Kimberley John Wodehouse, 3rd Earl of Kimberley, (11 November 1883 – 16 April 1941), styled Lord Wodehouse from 1902 to 1932, was a British hereditary peer and Liberal politician. He was a champion polo player. Background Wodehouse was the eldest son ...
, was the inspiration. P. G. Wodehouse was a distant cousin of John Wodehouse. He was also the godfather to the 3rd Earl's son,
John Wodehouse, 4th Earl of Kimberley John Wodehouse, 4th Earl of Kimberley (12 May 1924 – 26 May 2002), styled Lord Wodehouse between 1932 and 1941, was an active British peer, and also a bobsled racer and Cresta member. Background and education Wodehouse was the son of John W ...
. The Wodehouse character
Reggie Pepper Reginald "Reggie" Pepper is a fictional character who appears in seven short stories by English author P. G. Wodehouse. Reggie is a young man-about-town who gets drawn into trouble trying to help his pals. He is considered to be an early prototyp ...
was an early prototype of Bertie Wooster.


Fictional biography


Early life

Bertie Wooster and his friend
Bingo Little Richard P. "Bingo" Little is a recurring fictional character in the comedic Jeeves and Drones Club stories of English writer P. G. Wodehouse, being a friend of Jeeves's master Bertie Wooster and a member of the Drones Club. In his early appeara ...
were born in the same village only a few days apart. Bertie's middle name, "Wilberforce", is the doing of his father, who won money on a horse named Wilberforce in the
Grand National The Grand National is a National Hunt horse race held annually at Aintree Racecourse in Aintree, Merseyside, England. First run in 1839, it ...
the day before Bertie's christening and insisted on his son carrying that name. The only other piece of information given about Bertie's father, aside from the fact that he had numerous relatives, is that he was a great friend of Lord Wickhammersley of Twing Hall. Bertie refers to his father as the "guv'nor", and seems to have had a friendly relationship with him. When he was around seven years of age, Bertie was sometimes compelled to recite "
The Charge of the Light Brigade The Charge of the Light Brigade was a military action undertaken by British light cavalry against Russian forces during the Battle of Balaclava in the Crimean War, resulting in many casualties to the cavalry. On 25 October 1854, the Light Br ...
" for guests by his mother; she proclaimed that he recited nicely, but Bertie disagrees, and says that he and others found the experience unpleasant. Bertie also mentions reciting other poems as a child, including "Ben Battle" and works by
Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European literature, European and Scottish literature, notably the novels ''Ivanhoe'' (18 ...
. Like Jeeves, Bertie says that his mother thought him intelligent. Bertie makes no other mention of his mother, though he makes a remark about motherhood after being astounded by a friend telling a blatant lie: "And this, mark you, a man who had had a good upbringing and had, no doubt, spent years at his mother's knee being taught to tell the truth." When Bertie was eight years old, he took dancing lessons (alongside Corky Potter-Pirbright, sister of Bertie's friend
Catsmeat Potter-Pirbright Claude Cattermole "Catsmeat" Potter-Pirbright is a recurring fictional character in the Jeeves and Drones Club stories of English comic writer P. G. Wodehouse, being a longtime school friend of Jeeves's master Bertie Wooster and a member of the D ...
). It is established throughout the series that Bertie is an
orphan An orphan is a child whose parents have died, are unknown, or have permanently abandoned them. It can also refer to a child who has lost only one parent, as the Hebrew language, Hebrew translation, for example, is "fatherless". In some languages ...
who inherited a large fortune at some point, although the exact details and timing of his parents' deaths are never made clear.


Education

Bertie Wooster's early education took place at the semi-fictional
Malvern House Preparatory School The following is a list of recurring or notable fictional locations featured in the stories of P. G. Wodehouse, in alphabetical order by place name. Angler's Rest The Angler's (or Anglers') Rest is the fictional public house frequented by irrep ...
, headed by Rev. Aubrey Upjohn, whom he meets again in ''
Jeeves in the Offing ''Jeeves in the Offing'' is a comic novel by P. G. Wodehouse, first published in the United States on 4 April 1960 by Simon & Schuster, Inc., New York, under the title ''How Right You Are, Jeeves'', and in the United Kingdom on 12 August 1960 by ...
''. (Wodehouse himself attended a school by that name, in
Kearsney, Kent Kearsney is a village in Kent, England. At one time it would have been called a hamlet, there being no church there. The population of the village is included in the civil parish of Temple Ewell. Geography Nowadays the village falls withi ...
, but the Malvern House that appears in the stories is in the fictional town of Bramley-on-Sea.) At Malvern House, Bertie's friends called him "Daredevil Bertie", though Upjohn and others called him "Bungling Wooster". One detail of Bertie's Malvern House life that comes into several stories is his winning of the prize for scripture knowledge. Bertie speaks with pride of this achievement on several occasions, but in ''
Right Ho, Jeeves ''Right Ho, Jeeves'' is a novel by P. G. Wodehouse, the second full-length novel featuring the popular characters Jeeves and Bertie Wooster, after '' Thank You, Jeeves''. It was first published in the United Kingdom on 5 October 1934 by Herbe ...
'', his friend
Gussie Fink-Nottle Augustus "Gussie" Fink-Nottle is a recurring fictional character in the ''Jeeves'' novels of comic writer P. G. Wodehouse, being a lifelong friend of Jeeves's master Bertie Wooster and a country member of the Drones Club. He wears horn-rimmed s ...
, while intoxicated, publicly accuses Bertie of having won the award by cheating. Bertie stoutly denies this charge, however, and on the same occasion, Gussie makes other completely groundless accusations against other characters. Despite his pride over his accomplishment, Bertie does not remember precisely what the prize was, simply stating that it was "a handsomely bound copy of a devotional work whose name has escaped me". Bertie once won a prize at private school for the best collection of wildflowers made during the summer holidays. When Bertie was fourteen, he won the Choir Boys' Handicap bicycle race at a local school treat, having received half a lap start. After Malvern House, Bertie was further educated at the non-fictional
Eton Eton most commonly refers to Eton College, a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. Eton may also refer to: Places *Eton, Berkshire, a town in Berkshire, England *Eton, Georgia, a town in the United States *Éton, a commune in the Meuse depa ...
and at
Magdalen College, Oxford Magdalen College ( ) is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford. It was founded in 1458 by Bishop of Winchester William of Waynflete. It is one of the wealthiest Oxford colleges, as of 2022, and ...
. At Oxford he was a Rackets
Blue Blue is one of the three primary colours in the RYB color model, RYB colour model (traditional colour theory), as well as in the RGB color model, RGB (additive) colour model. It lies between Violet (color), violet and cyan on the optical spe ...
. Bertie is a member of the
Drones Club The Drones Club is a recurring fictional location in the stories of British humorist P. G. Wodehouse. It is a gentlemen's club in London. Many of Wodehouse's Jeeves and Blandings Castle stories feature the club or its members. Various member ...
, and most of his friends and fellow Drones members depicted in the stories attended one or both of these institutions with him. It was at Oxford that he first began celebrating the night of the annual
Boat Race The Boat Race is an annual set of rowing races between the Cambridge University Boat Club and the Oxford University Boat Club, traditionally rowed between open-weight eights on the River Thames in London, England. It is also known as the Uni ...
between Oxford and
Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...
. Though ordinarily he drinks in moderation, Bertie says he is "rather apt to let myself go a bit" on Boat Race night, typically drinking more than usual and making mischief with his old school friends. Specifically, Bertie and others tend to celebrate the occasion by stealing a policeman's helmet, though they often get arrested as a result. London magistrates are aware of this tradition and tend to be lenient towards Bertie when he appears in court the morning after the Boat Race, generally only imposing a fine of five pounds; while this would have constituted a significant amount of money for many people at the time, Bertie has no trouble paying it.


The stories

The Jeeves canon is set in a
floating timeline A floating timeline (also known as a sliding timescale) is a device used in fiction, particularly in long-running comics and animation, to explain why characters age little or not at all while the setting around them remains contemporary to the rea ...
(with each story being set at the time when it was written though the characters do not age), in an idealized world where wars are downplayed or not mentioned. Certain
Edwardian era In the United Kingdom, the Edwardian era was a period in the early 20th century that spanned the reign of King Edward VII from 1901 to 1910. It is commonly extended to the start of the First World War in 1914, during the early reign of King Ge ...
elements, such as traditional gentlemen's clubs like the
Drones Club The Drones Club is a recurring fictional location in the stories of British humorist P. G. Wodehouse. It is a gentlemen's club in London. Many of Wodehouse's Jeeves and Blandings Castle stories feature the club or its members. Various member ...
, continue to be prevalent throughout the stories. With a few exceptions, the short stories were written first, followed by the novels. The saga begins chronologically in the short story "
Jeeves Takes Charge "Jeeves Takes Charge" 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 November 1916, and in ''The Strand ...
", in which Bertie Wooster first hires Jeeves. Bertie and Jeeves usually live at Berkeley Mansions, though they also go to New York and numerous English country houses. Throughout the short stories and novels, Bertie tries to help his friends and relatives, but ends up becoming entangled in trouble himself, and is ultimately rescued by Jeeves. Typically, Bertie has a new piece of clothing or item that Jeeves disapproves of, though Bertie agrees to relinquish it at the end of the story. Almost always narrating the story, Bertie becomes involved in many complex and absurd situations. He appears in the one short story he does not narrate, "
Bertie Changes His Mind "Bertie Changes His Mind" 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 August 1922, and in ''Cosmopolitan ( ...
", and does not make an appearance in ''
Ring for Jeeves ''Ring for Jeeves'' is a novel by P. G. Wodehouse, first published in the United Kingdom on 22 April 1953 by Herbert Jenkins, London and in the United States on 15 April 1954 by Simon & Schuster, New York, under the title ''The Return of Jeeve ...
'', though he is mentioned. An important story for Bertie is "
Clustering Round Young Bingo "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 ...
", in which Bertie writes an article titled "What the Well-Dressed Man is Wearing" for his Aunt Dahlia's weekly magazine, ''
Milady's Boudoir Dahlia Travers (née Wooster) is a recurring fictional character in the Jeeves stories of English comic writer P. G. Wodehouse, being best known as Bertie Wooster's bonhomous, red-faced Aunt Dahlia. She is much beloved by her nephew, in contras ...
''. For his article, Aunt Dahlia paid Bertie a packet of cigarettes.Garrison (1991), pp. 219–221. As with his prize for scripture knowledge, Bertie is proud of this article and mentions it many times. Two other events that are particularly significant for Bertie are his short-lived interest in living with his nieces in "
Bertie Changes His Mind "Bertie Changes His Mind" 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 August 1922, and in ''Cosmopolitan ( ...
" and his temporary separation from Jeeves when Bertie refused to stop playing his
banjolele The banjo ukulele, also known as the banjolele or banjo uke, is a four-stringed musical instrument with a small banjo-type body and a fretted ukulele neck. The earliest known banjoleles were built by John A. Bolander and by Alvin D. Keech, both ...
in '' Thank You, Jeeves''. On several occasions, Bertie assumes an alias. After being arrested on Boat Race night, he calls himself Eustace H. Plimsoll when appearing in court (in ''Thank You, Jeeves'' and ''
Right Ho, Jeeves ''Right Ho, Jeeves'' is a novel by P. G. Wodehouse, the second full-length novel featuring the popular characters Jeeves and Bertie Wooster, after '' Thank You, Jeeves''. It was first published in the United Kingdom on 5 October 1934 by Herbe ...
''). He is also brought to court after tripping a policeman in ''
Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit ''Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit'' is a comic novel by P. G. Wodehouse, first published in the United Kingdom on 15 October 1954 by Herbert Jenkins, London and in the United States on 23 February 1955 by Simon & Schuster, Inc., New York, under t ...
'', and calls himself Ephraim Gadsby. In one scene in ''
Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves ''Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves'' is a novel by P. G. Wodehouse, published in the United States on 22 March 1963 by Simon & Schuster, Inc., New York, and in the United Kingdom on 16 August 1963 by Herbert Jenkins, London.McIlvaine (1990), p. 97, A8 ...
'', he is said to be a thief named Alpine Joe, which is mentioned again in ''
Aunts Aren't Gentlemen ''Aunts Aren't Gentlemen'' is a comic novel by P. G. Wodehouse, first published in the United Kingdom in October 1974 by Barrie & Jenkins, London, and in the United States under the title ''The Cat-nappers'' on 14 April 1975 by Simon & Schu ...
''. He also impersonates three other people in different stories, namely Rosie M. Banks in " Jeeves in the Springtime" and " Bingo and the Little Woman", Oliver "Sippy" Sipperley in "
Without the Option Without may refer to: * Without, an English preposition * "Without" (''The X-Files''), an episode in the eighth season of ''The X-Files'' * ''Without'', a film that premiered at the 2011 Slamdance Film Festival * "Without", a song by Jack Savore ...
", and
Gussie Fink-Nottle Augustus "Gussie" Fink-Nottle is a recurring fictional character in the ''Jeeves'' novels of comic writer P. G. Wodehouse, being a lifelong friend of Jeeves's master Bertie Wooster and a country member of the Drones Club. He wears horn-rimmed s ...
in '' The Mating Season''. In ''
Ring for Jeeves ''Ring for Jeeves'' is a novel by P. G. Wodehouse, first published in the United Kingdom on 22 April 1953 by Herbert Jenkins, London and in the United States on 15 April 1954 by Simon & Schuster, New York, under the title ''The Return of Jeeve ...
'', set in post-WWII England, Bertie attends a school that teaches the aristocracy basic skills, including boot-cleaning, sock-darning, bed-making and primary-grade cooking. This school does not allow its students to employ valets, so Jeeves cannot follow Bertie there and instead works as a butler for Lord Rowcester. However, Bertie is eventually expelled for cheating after he pays a woman to do his sock darning, and Jeeves returns to his side.


Personal characteristics


Age and appearance

Bertie is approximately 24 years old when he first meets Jeeves in "
Jeeves Takes Charge "Jeeves Takes Charge" 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 November 1916, and in ''The Strand ...
", first published in 1916. His age is not stated in any other story. In the reference work ''Wodehouse in Woostershire'' by Wodehouse scholars Geoffrey Jaggard and Tony Ring, it is speculated that Bertie's age ranges from approximately 24 to 29 over the course of the stories.
Nigel Cawthorne Nigel Cawthorne (born 27 March 1951 in Wolverhampton) is a British freelance writer and editor of both fiction and non-fiction. He is also a journalist and specializes in writing about history. According to Cawthorne's website, he has written m ...
, author of ''A Brief Guide to Jeeves and Wooster'', also suggested that Bertie is approximately 29 at the end of the saga. Tall and slim, Bertie is elegantly dressed, largely because of Jeeves, who tends to talk Bertie out of the more flamboyant articles of clothing that Bertie sometimes favours. He has blue eyes. Normally clean-shaven, he grows a moustache in two different stories, and ultimately loses the moustache, as Jeeves does not think a moustache suits Bertie. It seems that he has an innocent-looking appearance; when Bertie wants to wear an alpine hat in ''
Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves ''Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves'' is a novel by P. G. Wodehouse, published in the United States on 22 March 1963 by Simon & Schuster, Inc., New York, and in the United Kingdom on 16 August 1963 by Herbert Jenkins, London.McIlvaine (1990), p. 97, A8 ...
'', he states, "I was prepared to concede that it would have been more suitable for rural wear, but against this had to be set the fact that it unquestionably lent a ''diablerie'' to my appearance, and mine is an appearance that needs all the ''diablerie'' it can get." Bertie has an expressive face that Jeeves can read easily. In illustrations, Bertie Wooster has frequently been depicted wearing a
monocle A monocle is a type of corrective lens used to correct or enhance the visual perception in only one eye. It consists of a circular lens placed in front of the eye and held in place by the eye socket itself. Often, to avoid losing the monoc ...
. However, this is probably merely a stereotypical depiction of an upper-class gentleman, as Bertie does not seem to wear a monocle in the original stories. The only evidence of Bertie wearing a monocle occurs in "
The Spot of Art ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...
", when Bertie sees a portrait of himself, wearing a monocle, in a poster advertising soup. Bertie is revolted by the image, which gives him a look of "bestial greed". The monocle seems to exaggerate this expression, and Bertie makes fun of how large the monocle looks, calling it "about six inches in circumference". Bertie is never described as wearing a monocle elsewhere. It is unlikely that Bertie would wear a monocle that would not be mentioned, since the glasses of other characters, particularly Bertie's friend
Gussie Fink-Nottle Augustus "Gussie" Fink-Nottle is a recurring fictional character in the ''Jeeves'' novels of comic writer P. G. Wodehouse, being a lifelong friend of Jeeves's master Bertie Wooster and a country member of the Drones Club. He wears horn-rimmed s ...
, are well-described, and another prominent Wodehouse character,
Psmith Rupert Psmith (or Ronald Eustace Psmith, as he is called in the last of the four books in which he appears) is a recurring fictional character in several novels by British author P. G. Wodehouse, being one of Wodehouse's best-loved characters. ...
, has a distinctive monocle that is mentioned many times.


Personality

Bertie is pleasant and amiable, according to Jeeves. A well-intentioned and honorable young gentleman, he has a strong moral code and prides himself on helping his friends. Unlike his Aunt Agatha, he is not snobbish to servants and is not bothered when one of his pals wants to marry someone from a different social class. He gladly spends time with a variety of people, including rich aristocrats and poor artists. Tending to be unworldly and naive, Bertie is tricked by con artists in "
Aunt Agatha Takes the Count "Aunt Agatha Takes the Count" (also published as "Aunt Agatha Makes a Bloomer") 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 Lond ...
" and "
Jeeves and the Greasy Bird "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 i ...
", though Jeeves could have warned him earlier on during the former occasion and he was driven by desperation in the latter circumstances; in ''
Aunts Aren't Gentlemen ''Aunts Aren't Gentlemen'' is a comic novel by P. G. Wodehouse, first published in the United Kingdom in October 1974 by Barrie & Jenkins, London, and in the United States under the title ''The Cat-nappers'' on 14 April 1975 by Simon & Schu ...
'', he realises he is being tricked by a man named Graham, but is unable to avoid paying Graham anyway. He is not interested in global affairs or politics, and advises Jeeves to miss as many political debates as possible in order to live a happy and prosperous life. Usually modest about his intelligence, Bertie states, "I know perfectly well that I've got, roughly speaking, half the amount of brain a normal bloke ought to possess", though he occasionally wants to prove his intelligence, for example in " Scoring off Jeeves". He comes up with well-intentioned if ill-advised or unfortunately botched schemes, such as when he decides to kiss Pauline Stoker to spur his friend Chuffy to propose to her in '' Thank You, Jeeves''. Sometimes, Bertie acts diffidently, giving in to the whims of his formidable aunts or fiancées, but there are also times when Bertie displays a strong will, for example when he attempts to defy Jeeves's wishes on clothing, and when he resolves to confront Aunt Agatha at the end of '' The Mating Season''. Nonetheless, Bertie lacks what Jeeves calls "Presence" and has difficulty presenting himself with authority in front of an audience. On two occasions, Bertie mentions reluctantly playing a part in an amateur theatrical production at a country house, once when roped into playing a butler, and another time when compelled to play King Edward III at his Aunt Agatha's house; for Bertie, both times were a trying ordeal. By no means an ambitious man, Bertie seeks neither a prestigious job nor a socially advantageous marriage; it is implied throughout the series that his inheritance means he need not pursue either course. In his own words, Bertie is the sort of person who is "content just to exist beautifully". He likes living a leisurely, quiet life and appreciates small things in his day, such as the
oolong tea Oolong or Wulong (, ; ; , "black dragon" tea) is a traditional semi-oxidized Chinese tea (''Camellia sinensis)'' produced through a process that includes withering the leaves under strong sun and allowing some oxidation to occur before curling ...
(which he sometimes calls Bohea) that Jeeves brings to him every morning.


Hobbies

Bertie participates in a number of physical activities. He likes swimming under ordinary circumstances; he is less fond of it when he falls into water unexpectedly while dressed in regular attire, which occurs multiple times in the stories. He plays tennis with
Bingo Little Richard P. "Bingo" Little is a recurring fictional character in the comedic Jeeves and Drones Club stories of English writer P. G. Wodehouse, being a friend of Jeeves's master Bertie Wooster and a member of the Drones Club. In his early appeara ...
in " Jeeves and the Impending Doom". Bertie also plays golf in the same story. His golf handicap is 16, and he plays in the Drones Club golf tournament every year. At Oxford, he obtained a
blue Blue is one of the three primary colours in the RYB color model, RYB colour model (traditional colour theory), as well as in the RGB color model, RGB (additive) colour model. It lies between Violet (color), violet and cyan on the optical spe ...
for rackets playing with his friend Harold "Beefy" Anstruther, and briefly went in for rowing under the coaching of
Stilton Cheesewright The following is a list of recurring and notable fictional characters featured in the Jeeves novels and short stories by P. G. Wodehouse. Anatole Anatole is a recurring fictional character in the Jeeves stories, being the supremely skilled F ...
. Later, he rows a boat that Jeeves is steering in "Jeeves and the Impending Doom". Bertie plays
squash Squash most often refers to: * Squash (sport), the high-speed racquet sport also known as squash racquets * Squash (plant), the fruit of vines of the genus ''Cucurbita'' Squash may also refer to: Sports * Squash (professional wrestling), an extr ...
and was runner-up one year in the
Drones Club The Drones Club is a recurring fictional location in the stories of British humorist P. G. Wodehouse. It is a gentlemen's club in London. Many of Wodehouse's Jeeves and Blandings Castle stories feature the club or its members. Various member ...
Annual Squash Handicap. There is no doubt in his mind that he will win the Drones Club
darts Darts is a competitive sport in which two or more players bare-handedly throw small projectile point, sharp-pointed projectile, projectiles known as dart (missile), darts at a round shooting target, target known as a #Dartboard, dartboard. Point ...
competition in ''
Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit ''Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit'' is a comic novel by P. G. Wodehouse, first published in the United Kingdom on 15 October 1954 by Herbert Jenkins, London and in the United States on 23 February 1955 by Simon & Schuster, Inc., New York, under t ...
''. Claiming that he can "out-Fred the nimblest Astaire" Bertie enjoys dancing and likes fancy dress balls. Capable of reading sheet music, Bertie has a light baritone voice and sings often, most prominently in "
Jeeves and the Song of Songs "Jeeves and the Song of Songs" 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 September 1929, and in ''Cosmopo ...
". He keeps a piano in his flat, and once played "
Happy Days Are Here Again "Happy Days Are Here Again" is a 1929 song with music by Milton Ager and lyrics by Jack Yellen. It was originally published by Ager, Yellen, and Bornstein. The song is a standard that has been interpreted by various artists. It appeared in t ...
" with one finger on the piano at
Totleigh Towers The following is a list of recurring or notable fictional locations featured in the stories of P. G. Wodehouse, in alphabetical order by place name. Angler's Rest The Angler's (or Anglers') Rest is the fictional public house frequented by irre ...
when there was no other method of self-expression available. In '' Thank You, Jeeves'', he attempts to play the banjolele, apparently with little success despite his enthusiasm. In an early story, Bertie claims that "bar a weekly wrestle with the ' Pink 'Un' and an occasional dip into the form book I'm not much of a lad for reading", yet Bertie is frequently in the middle of reading a mystery or crime novel in later stories. He states that he is never happier than when curled up with the latest
Agatha Christie Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, (; 15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976) was an English people, English author known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving ...
, and regularly references literary characters in mystery and crime fiction, including Christie's
Hercule Poirot Hercule Poirot (, ) is a fictional Belgian detective created by the English writer Agatha Christie. Poirot is Christie's most famous and longest-running character, appearing in 33 novels, two plays (''Black Coffee (play), Black Coffee'' and '' ...
and others such as
Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a Detective fiction, fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "Private investigator, consulting detective" in his stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with obser ...
, A. J. Raffles, and
Nero Wolfe Nero Wolfe is a brilliant, obese and eccentric fictional armchair detective created in 1934 by American mystery (fiction), mystery writer Rex Stout. Wolfe was born in Principality of Montenegro, Montenegro and keeps his past murky. He lives in a ...
.


Relationships


Jeeves

When Bertie Wooster catches his valet Meadowes stealing his silk socks among other things, he sacks him and sends for another from the agency. Jeeves arrives and mixes Bertie a hangover cure. The cure is remarkably effective, and Bertie engages Jeeves immediately. Thereafter, Bertie happily cedes much of the control of his life to the competent Jeeves, despite the occasional clashes that sometimes occur "when two men of iron will live in close association", according to Bertie. These clashes generally occur because Bertie insists on wearing a new jacket, tie, or some other item that Jeeves disapproves of, though Bertie invariably agrees to give up the item after Jeeves saves him from trouble.


Family

Due to the volume of stories and time span over which Wodehouse wrote them, there are a number of inconsistencies and contradictions in the information given about his relatives. Bertie and several of his relations appear in the early semi-canonical short story "
Extricating Young Gussie "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 edit ...
". In that story the family name is Mannering-Phipps, not Wooster, and the story has been excluded from most collections of Jeeves and Wooster material, even though the incidents in that story are referenced in later stories. The family members who make an appearance in the most Jeeves stories are Bertie's
Aunt Dahlia Dahlia Travers (née Wooster) is a recurring fictional character in the Jeeves stories of English comic writer P. G. Wodehouse, being best known as Bertie Wooster's bonhomous, red-faced Aunt Dahlia. She is much beloved by her nephew, in contra ...
(7 short stories, 7 novels) and Aunt Agatha (8 short stories). Aunt Dahlia is friendly and good-natured while Aunt Agatha is cold and haughty, though both make demands of Bertie. Bertie feels obliged to follow their whims, often getting in trouble doing so. Aunt Dahlia's husband
Tom Travers The following is a list of recurring and notable fictional characters featured in the Jeeves novels and short stories by P. G. Wodehouse. Anatole Anatole is a recurring fictional character in the Jeeves stories, being the supremely skilled F ...
and children Angela and Bonzo Travers play important roles. Spenser Gregson, Aunt Agatha's first husband, does not play a major role, but their son Thomas "Thos" Gregson and later her second husband Percy Craye, Earl of Worplesdon appear in the stories. Aside from Aunts Dahlia and Agatha, Bertie Wooster's father had other siblings. In "Extricating Young Gussie", Bertie's Uncle Cuthbert is described as the "late head of the family", but it is said his son Gussie has no title; Cuthbert's widow is Bertie's Aunt Julia. Another uncle is Uncle Willoughby, upon whom Bertie is initially financially dependent. One of Bertie's uncles, the late
Henry Wooster The following is a list of recurring and notable fictional characters featured in the Jeeves novels and short stories by P. G. Wodehouse. Anatole Anatole is a recurring fictional character in the Jeeves stories, being the supremely skilled F ...
, was the husband of Bertie's Aunt Emily; Claude and Eustace are their twin sons and Bertie's cousins. In "The Rummy Affair of Old Biffy", Bertie takes a present for another of Aunt Emily's sons, Harold, who has just turned six, but, embarrassed at the relatively inexpensive gift he had bought, Bertie wrenches his Uncle James's card off a toy aeroplane, replacing it with his own. Bertie's Uncle George is
Lord Yaxley The following is a list of recurring and notable fictional characters featured in the Jeeves novels and short stories by P. G. Wodehouse. Anatole Anatole is a recurring fictional character in the Jeeves stories, being the supremely skilled F ...
, so if he inherited that title he is likely to be Bertie's eldest living uncle, and Bertie's paternal grandfather may have held the title as well. However, the relative ages of Bertie's father and remaining uncles are not delineated, so it is unclear whether Bertie or one of his male cousins is in line to inherit the peerage. It is theoretically possible that the title was a life peerage under the
Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876 The Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876 (39 & 40 Vict. c. 59) was an Act of Parliament, Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that altered the judicial functions of the House of Lords by allowing senior judges to sit in the House of Lords as ...
, but unlikely as Uncle George is described as having devoted his life to food and drink. In the story "
Bertie Changes His Mind "Bertie Changes His Mind" 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 August 1922, and in ''Cosmopolitan ( ...
", Bertie mentions a sister who has three daughters, referred to by Jeeves as Mrs Scholfield, though his sister and nieces are not mentioned again.


List of relatives

Bertie Wooster has many relatives who appear or are mentioned in the stories. Three other possible relatives (Cuthbert and Julia Mannering-Phipps and their son Gussie) appear or are mentioned in "
Extricating Young Gussie "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 edit ...
", though in this story Bertie's surname appears to be Mannering-Phipps. It is not shown in later stories if the three relatives are renamed Wooster. In his book ''Who's Who in Wodehouse'', Daniel Garrison suggests that the protagonist of "Extricating Young Gussie", Bertie Mannering-Phipps, is a prototype of the later Bertie Wooster. Richard Usborne writes that Bertie Wooster does appear in "Extricating Young Gussie" though his last name is Mannering-Phipps in the story. In the book ''Wodehouse in Woostershire'', it is suggested that Bertie's grandmother was married twice, first to a Mannering-Phipps and then to a Wooster with the title Lord Yaxley. Due to the uncertainty surrounding the Mannering-Phipps family, they are listed with asterisks below. Some marriages occur during the course of the stories. Bertie's uncle Lord Yaxley marries Maud Wilberforce as a result of the events of "
Indian Summer of an Uncle Indian or Indians may refer to: Associated with India * of or related to India ** Indian people ** Indian diaspora ** Languages of India ** Indian English, a dialect of the English language ** Indian cuisine Associated with indigenous peoples ...
", and Bertie's aunt Agatha Gregson marries Lord Worplesdon sometime before the events of '' Joy in the Morning''. Bertie Wooster's relatives include:


Fiancées

Bertie never marries, but frequently finds himself engaged. In an early story, he attempts to become engaged to Gwladys Pendlebury, an artist who paints his portrait. In the early years, he is rather given to impulsive and short-lived infatuations, under the influence of which he proposes to Florence Craye (in "
Jeeves Takes Charge "Jeeves Takes Charge" 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 November 1916, and in ''The Strand ...
", the fourth story in terms of publication and the first in the internal timeline of the books), to Pauline Stoker, and to Bobbie Wickham. In all of these cases, he rethinks the charms of the holy state and a "lovely profile" upon closer understanding of the personalities of the women in question. Having already received a proposal from him, each woman assumes that she has an open invitation to marry Bertie whenever she has a spat with her current fiancé. Madeline Bassett and Honoria Glossop suffer from a similar delusion, though in each of their cases Bertie was attempting to plead the case of a friend (Gussie Fink-Nottle and Bingo Little respectively) but was misinterpreted as confessing his own love. In all of these cases, Bertie, who aims to be an honorable ''preux chevalier'' (valiant knight), feels he has to agree to the marriage, and relies on Jeeves to somehow end the engagement. In the later stories and novels, Bertie regards engagement solely as a dire situation from which Jeeves must extricate him. In the last novel, Bertie acknowledges that his infatuations have all been short-lived. In '' Thank You, Jeeves'', Bertie states that he is glad he did not marry Pauline Stoker because she is "one of those girls who want you to come and swim a mile before breakfast and rout you out when you are trying to snatch a wink of sleep after lunch for a merry five sets of tennis", and adds that his ideal wife should be, in contrast to the dynamic Pauline, "something rather more on the lines of
Janet Gaynor Janet Gaynor (born Laura Augusta Gainor; October 6, 1906 – September 14, 1984) was an American actress. She began her career as an extra in shorts and silent films. After signing with Fox Film Corporation (later 20th Century-Fox) in 1926, she ...
". However, later in the same novel, Jeeves tells Pauline that he doubts a union between her and Bertie would have been successful as Bertie is "essentially one of Nature's bachelors". Though Jeeves frequently rescues Bertie from unwanted engagements, only rarely do they openly discuss the matter, as they both feel it would be unseemly to "bandy a woman's name" in such a way. Of the women Bertie Wooster becomes engaged to, those who appear in the most Jeeves stories are Madeline Bassett (5 novels), Lady Florence Craye (1 short story, 3 novels), Bobbie Wickham (3 short stories, 1 novel), and
Honoria Glossop Honoria Glossop is a recurring fictional character in the Jeeves stories by English comic writer P. G. Wodehouse. Athletic as well as scholarly, she is a formidable young lady and one of the women whom Bertie Wooster reluctantly becomes engaged t ...
(4 short stories).


Friends

Bertie is loyal to his friends, willing to do whatever he can to solve their problems, saying "when there is a chance of helping a pal we Woosters have no thought of self". This has led to problems for him, since he is regularly drawn into troublesome tasks. Though he continues to provide help, Bertie is aware that people do not hesitate to give him unpleasant jobs; as he says, "Whenever something sticky was afoot and action had to be taken the cry was sure to go up, 'Let Wooster do it.'" Bertie's friends are eager to ask for advice from Jeeves, who enjoys helping Bertie's pals. Jeeves essentially runs a "big Mayfair consulting practice" from their home, and Bertie is accustomed to his acquaintances consulting Jeeves directly without talking to him first. Sometimes Bertie tries to assert that he can also solve problems, but truly he thinks of Jeeves as a genius as much as everyone else does. Among Bertie's friends, those who appear in the most Jeeves stories are
Bingo Little Richard P. "Bingo" Little is a recurring fictional character in the comedic Jeeves and Drones Club stories of English writer P. G. Wodehouse, being a friend of Jeeves's master Bertie Wooster and a member of the Drones Club. In his early appeara ...
(10 short stories),
Gussie Fink-Nottle Augustus "Gussie" Fink-Nottle is a recurring fictional character in the ''Jeeves'' novels of comic writer P. G. Wodehouse, being a lifelong friend of Jeeves's master Bertie Wooster and a country member of the Drones Club. He wears horn-rimmed s ...
(4 novels), and
Tuppy Glossop Hildebrand "Tuppy" Glossop is a recurring fictional character in the Jeeves stories by humorist P. G. Wodehouse. Tuppy is a member of the Drones Club, a friend of Bertie Wooster, and the fiancé of Angela Travers, Bertie's cousin. Life and char ...
(3 short stories, 1 novel). Others include Rev. Harold P. "Stinker" Pinker, Claude "Catsmeat" Potter-Pirbright, Oliver "Sippy" Sipperley, and Rockmetteller "Rocky" Todd. Sometimes a friend or acquaintance will become a jealous antagonist, for example G. D'Arcy "Stilton" Cheesewright. Some pals of Bertie's are occasionally mentioned who do not play major roles in the Jeeves stories, including Freddie Widgeon, Cyril "Barmy" Fotheringay-Phipps, and
Oofy Prosser The following is an incomplete list of fictional characters featured in the books and stories of P. G. Wodehouse, by series, in alphabetical order by series name. Due to overlap between the various classifications of Wodehouse's work, some char ...
. Many
Drones Club The Drones Club is a recurring fictional location in the stories of British humorist P. G. Wodehouse. It is a gentlemen's club in London. Many of Wodehouse's Jeeves and Blandings Castle stories feature the club or its members. Various member ...
members appear in the separate Wodehouse Drones Club stories. Bertie is acquainted with
Lord Emsworth Clarence Threepwood, 9th Earl Emsworth, commonly known as Lord Emsworth, is a recurring fictional character in the Blandings Castle series of stories by British comic writer P. G. Wodehouse. He is the amiable and somewhat absent-minded head of t ...
, another of Wodehouse's best-known characters, who appears in the
Blandings Castle Blandings Castle is a recurring fictional location in the stories of British comic writer P. G. Wodehouse, being the seat of Lord Emsworth and the setting for numerous tales and adventures. The stories were written between 1915 and 1975. The ...
stories. Bertie also knows Lord Emsworth's son
Freddie Threepwood The Honourable Frederick Threepwood is a fictional character in the Blandings stories by P. G. Wodehouse. A member of the Drones Club affectionately known as "Freddie", he is the second son of Lord Emsworth, and a somewhat simple-minded youth who ...
.


Adversaries

Bertie encounters a number of adversaries who are suspicious of him or threaten him in some way. These individuals are often quick to misinterpret Bertie's actions, which may seem strange due to the bizarre situations he becomes involved in, and come to the conclusion that Bertie is somehow mentally unsound or that he is a thief. Among Bertie's various adversaries, those who appear in the most Jeeves stories are the "nerve specialist" or "loony doctor" Sir Roderick Glossop (4 short stories, 2 novels), and the intimidating "amateur dictator"
Roderick Spode Roderick Spode, 7th Earl of Sidcup, often known as Spode or Lord Sidcup, is a recurring fictional character in the Jeeves novels of English comic writer P. G. Wodehouse. In the first novel in which he appears, he is an "amateur dictator" and the ...
(4 novels), though Sir Roderick Glossop later becomes Bertie's friend. Other antagonists include Sir Watkyn Bassett and
Major Plank Major Brabazon-Plank (possibly later Major Plank) is a fictional character created by British comic writer P. G. Wodehouse, being a famed explorer who led an expedition up the Amazon but is afraid of babies. Major Brabazon-Plank (who appears in th ...
.


Language

With two exceptions, the stories are told in the first person by Bertie Wooster. Although Jeeves occasionally describes Bertie as "mentally negligible", Bertie's narrative style reflects notable facility with the English language. He displays what would be considered by today's standards a broad, if not very deep, knowledge of English literature, making allusions from sources including the Bible, Shakespeare, and romantic literature of the 19th century (all of these references typical of the schooling he and his 20th-century audience received), even if he relies on Jeeves to complete quotations for him. Bertie frequently applies these serious references in an over-simplified, farcical manner to the situation he is in, or uses the reference in a way totally contrary to its original context and meaning. In one story, Bertie complains about the constant attentions of a woman in whom he has no interest by referring to her as "young Sticketh-Closer-Than-a-Brother" in an annoyed fashion. The verse (Proverbs 18:24) that Bertie partially quotes actually praises the value of close friendship when it refers to a "friend that sticketh closer than a brother". Bertie is fond of pre-World War I slang, peppering his speech with words and phrases such as "what ho!", "pipped", "bally" and so on, and he informally abbreviates words and phrases, such as "eggs and b" (eggs and bacon). He uses exaggerated imagery, and throughout the stories, he almost never says the word "walk", instead using terms and phrases like "toddle", "stagger", "ankle", "leg it", "make tracks", "whoosh" and "whizz". His informal language is juxtaposed with advanced vocabulary; Bertie claims that over the years, he has picked up a vocabulary of sorts from Jeeves. As the years pass, he makes references to popular film and literature that would have been well-known to readers when the books were written. One literary device Bertie employs is the transferred epithet, using an adjective to modify a noun instead of using the corresponding adverb to modify the verb of the sentence. Examples of this include "I balanced a thoughtful lump of sugar on the teaspoon" and "He waved a concerned cigar". He also favours the mixed metaphor, an absurd combination of two incompatible metaphors. For example, after one of Bertie's plans goes awry, he decides not to dwell on his mistake, saying "spilt milk blows nobody any good"; this combines the proverbs "It's no use crying over spilt milk" and "It's an ill wind that blows no good".Wodehouse (2008) 934 ''Right Ho, Jeeves'', chapter 11, pp. 130–131. Bertie also uses
running gags A running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling. Though they are similar, catchphrases are not ...
, making humorous statements and recalling them later within the same story and in other stories.


Adaptations


See also

*
List of Jeeves characters The following is a list of recurring and notable fictional characters featured in the Jeeves novels and short stories by P. G. Wodehouse. Anatole Anatole is a recurring fictional character in the #Jeeves, Jeeves stories, being the supremely ...
, an alphabetical list of Jeeves characters * List of P. G. Wodehouse characters in the Jeeves stories, a categorized outline of Jeeves characters


References

;Notes ;Bibliography * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


External links


The Wodehouse Society's pageThe P G Wodehouse Society (UK)BBC's ''World of Wooster''
(March 2007
Archive.org The Internet Archive is an American non-profit organization founded in 1996 by Brewster Kahle that runs a digital library website, archive.org. It provides free access to collections of digitized media including websites, software applic ...
cache) at the BBC Comedy Guide (down )
ITV's ''Jeeves and Wooster''
(March 2007
Archive.org The Internet Archive is an American non-profit organization founded in 1996 by Brewster Kahle that runs a digital library website, archive.org. It provides free access to collections of digitized media including websites, software applic ...
cache) at the BBC Comedy Guide (down ) {{DEFAULTSORT:Wooster, Bertie Fictional gamblers Fictional gentry Fictional golfers Fictional musicians Fictional socialites Literary characters introduced in 1915 Male characters in literature Orphan characters in literature P. G. Wodehouse characters