Historical Context
Edwardian England
In his essay “P. G. Wodehouse: The Lesson of the Young Master,” featured in the 1958 annual edition of New World Writing, John Aldridge remarks that Wodehouse “belongs exclusively to Edwardian times...” Aldridge is referring to the period during the reign of King Edward VII of England, spanning from 1901 until his death in 1910. This decade represented a notably calm shift from the 19th to the 20th Century. During this time, England stood as one of the world's most powerful and advanced nations. It was an industrial powerhouse, and the British Empire extended into Africa and Asia. While England faced challenges, such as severe poverty in the squalid slums of major cities, the first decade of the 20th Century was a serene era, especially for the affluent, when compared to the chaos of the subsequent decades. Wodehouse romanticized this period; his characters enjoyed evenings at “the club” and weekends at expansive country estates. Although his later works occasionally referenced modern culture, his fiction consistently adhered to the values of Edwardian England.
Women in Early 20th Century England
Wodehouse, whether intentionally or not, might have acknowledged the evolving role of women in British society when he crafted the assertive (though unlikable) character of Florence Craye. Throughout the 19th Century, women in England had been advocating for political empowerment and social change. The Kensington Society, consisting of eleven women pursuing careers in medicine or education, presented a petition for women’s suffrage to Members of Parliament John Stuart Mill and Henry Fawcett in 1865. John Stuart Mill supported universal suffrage and proposed an amendment to the Reform Act, which was before Parliament, to grant women the right to vote. This amendment was decisively defeated. The women then established the London Society for Women’s Suffrage. In the 1890s, over a dozen suffrage organizations from across England united to form the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies (NUWSS) to exert pressure on Parliament to secure voting rights for women. A radical offshoot of the NUWSS, the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU), was founded in 1903. The fight for suffrage intensified over the next decade, with many women being jailed, and hunger strikes becoming commonplace. By the time Wodehouse began writing his initial Jeeves and Wooster stories, Parliament faced immense pressure to implement reform. In June 1917, the House of Commons voted 385–55 to grant voting rights to women over the age of 30. The outdated 19th-century concept of a “women’s sphere” was starting to disintegrate.
World War I
P.G. Wodehouse began crafting his "Jeeves and Wooster" tales amidst the turmoil of World War I. It's quite remarkable that the war is never mentioned; his characters seem perpetually rooted in Edwardian England. Wodehouse wisely understood that his forte lay in creating light-hearted comedy. Many readers likely appreciated the brief escapism his whimsical stories offered during one of humanity’s most dreadful wars. "The Great War" erupted following the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary by Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip on June 28, 1914. Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, triggering a series of international alliances. Germany and Turkey allied with Austria-Hungary as the Central Powers. Meanwhile, France and Russia began mobilizing their forces, prompting Germany to declare war on both nations. Great Britain joined France and Russia against the Central Powers on August 4, 1914, following Germany's invasion of Belgium. As the conflict progressed, Italy, the United States, and Japan aligned with the Allies to oppose the Central Powers. World War I saw the introduction of numerous modern weapons, leading to catastrophic outcomes. Germany, France, Russia, and Great Britain suffered the loss...
(This entire section contains 630 words.)
Unlock this Study Guide Now
Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.
Already a member? Log in here.
of nearly an entire generation, with 8.5 million lives lost. The U.S. entry into the war on April 4, 1917, marked a pivotal moment. Eventually, the Central Powers were defeated and compelled to sign the Armistice on November 11, 1918.
Literary Style
Satire
P. G. Wodehouse is celebrated as one of England’s finest light satirists of the twentieth century. His "Jeeves and Wooster" tales subtly poke fun at the affluent lords and ladies of British society. The story of "Jeeves Takes Charge" centers around the memoirs of Sir Willoughby, Bertie Wooster’s wealthy uncle. The various anecdotes in the manuscript, titled "Recollections of a Long Life," reveal embarrassing incidents from the younger days of several notable English figures. Although Wodehouse generally portrays the wealthy in a positive light, he gently satirizes the notion that the upper class is without flaws. One doesn’t need to delve into Sir Willoughby’s autobiography to grasp this; the events and characters in "Jeeves Takes Charge" illustrate it well. For instance, Lord Worplesdon, though never appearing in person, is depicted as a peculiar windbag. His daughter, Florence Craye, is portrayed as an arrogant and domineering snob. Edwin Craye, supposedly a model youth, is actually a cunning and mischievous prankster. Meadowes, Bertie’s initial butler, is a kleptomaniac. Nonetheless, it is the dynamic between Bertie and Jeeves that provides Wodehouse’s primary ironic twist. Bertie, holding a position of power due to his wealth (despite no effort of his own), must acknowledge that Jeeves, his butler and thus of a lower social class, possesses a superior intellect.
Narration
Bertie Wooster narrates "Jeeves Takes Charge." Although Bertie often appears clueless, much of the story’s charm, as with all the "Jeeves and Wooster" tales, stems from his narration. Wodehouse employs various techniques to make Bertie an entertaining narrator: slang, exaggeration and understatement, mixed metaphors, and literary references. Bertie might be foolish, but through his storytelling, Wodehouse shows that he is a lovable and charming fool due to his natural modesty and eagerness to please.
Plot
Wodehouse is renowned for the intricate plots of his stories. In "Jeeves Takes Charge," the action revolves around Sir Willoughby’s memoirs. The characters vie for control of the manuscript, resulting in chaos. Florence wishes to destroy it out of embarrassment. Bertie is coerced into stealing it to prevent Florence from ending their engagement. Edwin wants Sir Willoughby to discover it so Bertie will be labeled a thief. Meanwhile, Sir Willoughby simply wants it published. Ultimately, it is the astute Jeeves who secures the book, saving Bertie from both disinheritance and an ill-fated marriage.
Setting
The narrative unfolds in England, shortly after the Edwardian era. It is set at Easeby, the grand estate belonging to Sir Willoughby. Many of Wodehouse's tales and novels are situated in expansive estates or castles. These settings are ideal for the kind of farce he crafts, with numerous rooms for characters to hide in and plenty of windows for them to spy or eavesdrop on one another. For instance, Bertie, while standing outside the library window, overhears Edwin informing Sir Willoughby about the stolen manuscript. Part of the appeal of Wodehouse's stories lies in his exceptional ability to depict the opulent settings where the antics of his privileged characters unfold.
Compare and Contrast
1910: King Edward VII passes away at Buckingham Palace on May 6 after ruling for nine years.
1999: Queen Elizabeth, who ascended the throne in 1952, leads England into the 21st century. Her son, 51-year-old Prince Charles, is the heir apparent. Prince Charles has two sons, Prince William and Prince Henry, ensuring that the next monarch is likely to be the first male ruler in half a century.
1917: The House of Commons extends voting rights to most women aged 30 and above.
1990: Following 11 successful years, Margaret Thatcher, the first female Prime Minister in British history, is succeeded by John Major. Thatcher is notable not only as the first woman in the role but also as the first Prime Minister to win three consecutive general elections.
1914: World War I begins following the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand, a member of the Austrian royal family, by a Serbian nationalist in the Balkans.
1999: Civil unrest in the Balkans threatens to plunge Europe into war. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) intervenes in the conflict between Yugoslavia and its citizens for the first time since its founding. NATO's airstrikes, which commenced on March 24, result in a tentative peace agreement between the Serbs and ethnic Albanians on June 9.
Media Adaptations
Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie portrayed the characters in Jeeves and Wooster for Granada's adaptation of several Wodehouse stories on British TV between 1990 and 1993. Numerous episodes were shown in the United States on PBS as part of the Mobil Masterpiece Theatre series. All episodes are available on videotape.
More than 50 audio versions of P. G. Wodehouse’s stories have been recorded. Among these is a tape featuring eight tales from Carry On, Jeeves, narrated by Martin Jarvis.
Bibliography and Further Reading
Sources
Aldridge, John W., "P. G. Wodehouse: The Lesson of the Young Master" in New World Writing, 1958 annual, p.186.
Quinton, Anthony, "P. G. Wodehouse and the Comic Tradition," introduction to P. G. Wodehouse: A Comprehensive Bibliography and Checklist, edited by Eileen McIlvaine, Detroit: Omnigraphics, 1990, p. xiv.
———, Review of Carry On, Jeeves, in New York Times, October 23, 1927, p. 28.
———, Review, Carry On, Jeeves, in Saturday Review of Literature, December 3, 1927.
Further Reading
Hall, Robert A., The Comic Style of P. G. Wodehouse, Hamden, CT: Archon Books, 1974. This work explores the comedic elements, storylines, and characters in Wodehouse's fiction.
Olson, Kirby, "Bertie and Jeeves at the End of History: P. G. Wodehouse as Political Scientist," in Humor: The International Journal of Humor Research, Vol. 9, No. 1, 1996, pp. 73–88. This article offers an ironic perspective on the political themes in Wodehouse's "Jeeves and Wooster" tales.
Voorhees, Richard J., P. G. Wodehouse, New York: Twayne, 1966. A literary biography by a distinguished Wodehouse scholar.
———, "Wodehouse at the Top of His Form," in University of Windsor Review, Vol. 16, No. 1, 1981, pp. 13–25. An examination of Wodehouse's finest works.
Wodehouse, P. G., America, I Like You, New York: Simon & Schuster, 1956. Wodehouse’s autobiographical reflection on his experiences in the United States.