At Guildford, Surrey in England it was a normal English autumn day on October 15, 1881. Eleanor Wodehouse gave birth to her third son at 1, Vale Place. Husband Ernest was away at Hong Kong delivering justice in the colony. The boy with a plum-shaped head came to be known as ‘Plum’ for friends and family, Pelham Grenville Wodehouse for the lovers of literature and as PG to others.
Education
Soon the family united in Hong Kong: Philip Peveril, Ernest Armine and the newborn with parents Ernest and Eleanor. The parents were concerned about the affectionate English family upbringing while at Hong Kong. However, in 1884, they decided to place all the three children in the care of Mrs Roper’s boarding house. Mrs Roper was of unbending character for whom "cleanliness was everything". Thereafter came Spinster Cissie and later Florae. Both were scared of anything funny. It was an irony of fate that the boy who would one day become one of the greatest comedy writers in English Literature was brought up by ardent disciplinarians. His aunt Edith thought it fir for her nephew to join Royal Navy school as the school had proved to be good for her husband when he was a child. The very reluctant Pelham was sent to a school which had no organized sports activities. This ardent sports lover was deprived of the activity he loved the most.
In 1886, Ernest returned to England and for a brief spell, the family stayed together. But soon Ernest and Eleanor had to leave and the boys were tossed between homes of different aunts.
Alma Mater : Dulwich
During his early teens, Pelham visited his elder brother Armine at Dulwich College. Captivated by the environment, he pleaded with his father to make him a boarder. He preferred to be a boarder to a day scholar because he felt that being a boarder offered a feeling that one was part of the life at school. Father obliged and thus a unique relationship began in May 1894.
Dulwich was not Eton or Harrow. It was a school where upper middle-class children studied. By his school day signs Pelham would have become an outstanding sportsman, as he was a good athlete, good boxer, fine cricketer and good rugby player.
In 1899, Gilkes, Headmaster at Dulwich, wrote : "He is a most impractical boy…. Often forgetful; he finds difficulty in the most simple things and asks absurd questions, whereas he can understand the more difficult things… He has the most distorted ideas about wit and humor; he draws over his books in a most distressing way, and wrote, foolish rhymes in other people’s books. One is obliged to like him inspite of his vagaries." Townsend, his best friend has noted, "from the first time I met him, he had decided to write. He never swerved." Pelham was showing signs of his future.
First Book
In 1902, the first novel The Pothunters was published and Pelham entered the world of literature. This was followed by host of stories and novels about life in public schools – A Prefect’s Uncle and Tales of St. Austin in 1903 and The Golden Bat in 1904.
The school, the school days, the school atmosphere and the schoolboy sensibility was so implanted in his psyche that he could never disassociate himself from it. This immensely affected his work. He retained strong feelings about Dulwich and Dulwich College. He snatched every chance to visit Dulwich – be it to see an important match or play a game. The years between 1896 and 1900 were heavenly. He regarded Dulwich as the most blessed spot on earth, a location to be used time and again as setting in his works.
First Job
By now Ernest had retired from service into the colonies. The volatility of the Rupee made his pension much less than expected. This upset Ernest’s calculations of a handsome pension, worry-free living and decent higher education for Pelham. This meant no Oxbridge for Pelham. Though he had earned sufficiently from his writings even while at Dulwich, he had to forget Oxbridge and accept a clerk’s job. This was arranged by Ernest with Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank at Lombard street, using his Hong Kong connections.
The stint at the Bank did not last long. The Bank was supposed to be a training camp and stepping stone for transfer to more lucrative posts in the East. Most of those who joined the Bank aspired for this. Pelham did not. He never really understood the working of the bank. He became inefficiency personified. He knew that he was an author, a writer, a man of letters. This would be possible only if he remained in London. He dreaded most his possible transfer to the East but his luck took him to the West.
During his two years with the bank, Pelham sold about 80 stories and articles written in spare time after a full day’s work at the bank. By accident he came across a book named When a Man’s Single, by J M Barrie. This book was for all those who made a living from writing. It urged writers to write about what editors liked. For Pelham, it worked in the reverse way. It strengthened his decision to make a living from writing what he liked. He noted in his diary on September 9, 1902. "This month starts my journalistic career."
And he embarked upon a long journey in the realms of literature.
Literature : His Way Of Life
Prior to publication of The Pothunters, Pelham had sold stories and articles to Public School Magazine, Titbits, To-day, Weekly, Telegraph Scraps, Evening News and such others. By December 1904, he earned much more than what he would have earned at the bank plus the allowance received from his father.
One of the magazines, which published Pelham’s works, was The Globe. He used to write for the regular feature By the Way published in The Globe even while working at the bank. This feature carried jokes, verses, short articles on current affairs written in humorous way. It was a one-man show. This gave full exposure to the versatile capacity of Pelham. He was hired as an editor for this feature in August 1903. The duties were time bound and demanding but Pelham enjoyed this. The work at The Globe gave him quite some time for himself and he was free to write his squibs, essays, stories, reviews and novels. He knew that only this work would liberate him from newspaper deadlines.
Visiting America
In April 1904, Pelham went to America for the first time. Since his boxing days at school, Pelham had an ardent desire to meet and shake hands with his boxing idols Kid McCoy, J J Jeffries, J J Corbett. This urge took him to America. He could meet only Kid McCoy and he created the character Kid Brady. In May 1909 Pelham went to America again to receive the promised money which had alluded him for last three years. The amount was windfall for him at that moment, promised by one A E Baerman who later turned out to be a veteran in embezzlement. The money never came, but the trip was not a failure. During a short period of six days he sold stories through another honest agent to American magazines. The amount received was, but a small fortune. He made quick calculations and decided to stay.
The Setback
He sent his resignation to The Globe by telegraph and settled in New York. But ironically, this initial success proved just a spark and darkness followed. Within a year he was back at his desk at The Globe. However, this was very short lived. The call of the West proved irresistible and once again Pelham went to New York with fresh resolve.
His name and fame had preceded him to America. He had published his Kid Brady stories in America and he was convinced of his success. He knew he would be able to draw readers from both sides of the Atlantic. After 1910, Pelham was shuttling between New York, London and Paris.
Marriage
In September 1914, he married an eight-week old acquaintance, Ethel Newton. Ethel was a widow and had a daughter Leonara. The marriage was successful and lasted 60 years. Ethel died in 1984 aged 99 years. Pelham loved Leonara and legally adopted her as his daughter.
Wodehouse At His Productive Best
The years rolled by and Pelham continued to churn out works. Short stories, lyrics, musical comedies, film scripts, librettos, plays, theatrical reviews, essays and above all novels followed successfully. The immortal characters, Bickers Dyke, Rupert Psmith, Mike Jackson, Bertie and Jeeves, Mr Mulliner and his family, Grifto, Ukbridge all those ferocious aunts and members of the Drones club became a part of daily life of the readers.
In all he wrote 90 books, 20 film scripts, collaborated on more than 30 plays and musical comedies and innumerable short stories. He had an enviable record of having five shows running simultaneously at Broadway. During the 20s and 30s crossing the Atlantic by Liner had become routine for him.
His earnings by now were good by any standard and his payments of taxes heavy. He was earning in more than one country and he had to pay taxes everywhere. The governments, then, were not obliging. To avoid such double and heavy tax payment, he bought a house at Le Touquet, France in 1935.
On June 21, 1939, Oxford University granted Wodehouse an Honorary Doctorate, D Litt.
The Broadcast Controversy
Thanks to his poor eyesight, Pelham was rejected for war service during both the World Wars. In May 1940, the Wodehouses were living peacefully in France during the war. They did their bit by entertaining British Troops in France. Germany took over France. All males below 60 years were sent to internment center and Pelham and Ethel were separated. News of his arrest spread to America. So far, America was neutral in the War. Some of his American fans thought it fit to write to the Germans to release Pelham. Perhaps this gave an idea to Gobbles, the German Minister, to make use of Pelham to pacify and keep Americans away from War. He sent Werner Plack - an old Hollywood acquaintance to Pelham with a suggestion – to make some broadcasts to his American friends about his experiences in internment. Completely unaware of the possible consequences of such broadcasts and succumbing to the ruling passion of a humorist, to make people laugh, Pelham agreed. This was in May 1941. He did only five broadcasts. He narrated his experiences, behavior of his co-interns and behavior of Germans and interns towards each other. All in a lighter tone. Sometimes even ridiculing his captors. All this without any political or ideological sting. Somehow the Germans did not find them useful and the idea was not taken farther.
The Englishmen could scarcely believe that another Englishman could speak against them. This very idea was unpalatable to them. Nobody bothered to hear or read the text, the original broadcasts. A British Broadcasting Corporation campaign kicked off with a broadcast by Cassandra, a Daily Mirror columnist. His books were banned, withdrawn from circulation at the libraries overnight. Lyrics were not played on BBC.
It was the time when England was David and Germany was Goliath. England needed everything – man and material – from all those who were her own people. At such a moment other countrymen always thought twice before taking any step that could be misinterpreted.
Pelham was reunited with Ethel and lived at the Aldon Hotel, Berlin. In 1943, they moved to Paris. In 1944, he got another shock when he lost his daughter. He was very fond of her and said upon her death, "I always thought she was immortal".
An American
In 1947, they went to America and settled at an apartment at Park Avenue, New York. Later in 1952, they bought an estate at Remsenburg, Long Island. After 1955, they continued to stay there permanently all year round. Though Pelham stayed, worked and earned in America since 1910, he never thought of getting an American citizenship. In 1955, he became an American citizen.
A Man Of Charity
The Wodehouses had immense love for animals. They had many pets : dogs and cats of all breed. They even donated huge sum for building ‘P G Wodehouse Shelter for Stray Animals’ at Westhampton near Remsenburg.
The Knighthood
Now, he was in his 90s and going strong about his works. All the dust of World War broadcasts had settled long back. The Queen thought it fit to include him in the new year's Honors list of 1975 making him Knight Commander of the British Empire. And he became Sir Pelham Granville Wodehouse.
Exit
He did not enjoy his new title for long. On February 14, 1975, he was in hospital. He got out of bed, collapsed and never recovered. Even on the hospital bed there were papers of his incomplete novel.
Thus, came the end of a man "who made men laugh without shame in a period when laughter had been difficult".
Known around the world as the antidote to sorrow, Pelham Grenville Wodehouse and his Jeeves novels mark a genre of their own. With 92 comic novels, 18 plays and 35 musicals to his credit, Wodehouse holds the record of having five of his shows running simultaneously on Broadway. His characterization of Jeeves has made him immortal among humor lovers. A resident of America, Wodehouse has based his Jeeves novels and Blandings Castle novels in the backdrop of Post Edwardian aristocratic England.
P G Wodehouse generated hysterical praise as well as immense criticism. He was often blamed for living away from reality, into the world of imagination. But this prominent humorist of the 20th century reigns over hearts and has a great fan following.
October 15, 1881
Born at Guildford, Surrey, England.
May 18, 1894
Entered Dulwich College.
February 1900
First article published in The Public School Magazine.
September 1900
Joined Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank, Lombard Street, London.
August 1901
Debuted in By the Way feature of The Globe.
September 1902
Resigned from the bank. Published first public school novel The Pothunters.
August 1903
Appointed as editor of By the Way at The Globe.
April 1904
First trip to America.
March 1906
Met Jerome Kern. Song Mr. Chamberlain was performed in The Beauty of Bath at Aldwych Theatre.
June 1906
Novel Love Among The Chickens published introducing Stanley Ukbridge.
January 1908
Introduced Rupert Psmith in the serial The Lost Lambs.
August 1914
Met Ethel Newton Rowley in New York.
September 1914
Married Ethel.
September 1915
Introduced Jeeves and Bertie Wooster in a short story Extricating Young Gussie. Also first Blandings novel Something New.
February 1916
First Broadway musical Pom Pom.
May 1917
After the first performance of Very Good, Eddie, formed famous trio Kern, Bolton, Wodehouse.
1926
Started his famous Mr Mulliner stories.
1927
Musical Show Boat performed with immortal lyric Bill.
May 1930
Signed a contract with MGM.
November 1934
Last musical Anything Goes.
1935
Bought property at Le Touquet, France
June 1939
An honorary doctorate D Litt conferred by Oxford University.
May 1940
Captured by Germans in France.
June 1941
Broadcasts from Berlin, Germany
September 1943
Returned to Paris with Ethel.
April 1947
Returned to New York.
1955
Became an American citizen.
January 1975
Received Knighthood and became Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse, Knight Commander of the British Empire.
February 14, 1975
Died in hospital at Long Island, New York.
"From my earliest years, I had always wanted to be a writer. I started turning out the stuff at the age of five. (What I was doing before that, I don’t remember. Just loafing, I suppose)." Sir P G Wodehouse wrote later.
This is how began the long, most fruitful journey of literary works lasting for about nine decades. It was like a step with which was initiated the creation of wide range of works having far reaching effect on English language and literature. The poem written at the age of five was published, as it was with all spelling mistakes, in Captain magazine in April 1907. However, he received his first payment for an article published in The Public School Magazine in February 1900.
At Dulwich College he studied classics and played the games. The study of classics provided the basis for his superb dialogues, allusions and deliberate misquotations. He did not use his pen seriously and thereby not successfully. However, his subconscious mind was very active in absorbing the environment, the happenings and the people with all the eagerness. This was the hatching period for him.
The years at the Bank, 1900-1902 were the years when Pelham, the literary giant, began to take shape. In his spare time, after the banking hours, he started rolling out stories. Thus started the first period of his literary career, ‘The Public School Stories’ period lasting for about a decade.
Before Pelham, public school stories were written, published and widely read. They depicted the battle between God and the Devil. They were means of religious propaganda. Talbot Reed was the most successful writer of this creed. He coated the sermon in the garb of sports stories and sold to schoolboys who gladly bought them for their sports content.
Here Pelham made a difference. He never supported sermonizing. He started jibes on the established pattern. His first novel The Pothunters was partly serialized in 1902 in the Public School Magazine. A Prefect’s Uncle and Tales of St. Austin’s followed in 1903. The Golden Boat appeared in 1904 followed by The Head of Kay’s in 1905. By this time the jibes had taken shape of open attack on the established pattern of sermonizing through public school stories. The last one had some autobiographical element. He described his life at public school. A realist, he showed that all who study at public school and show promise, could not go to university. Pelham has portrayed the vices and the virtues of the system. He told that the headmasters were usually good judges of character. The White Feather, (1907) brought the familiar Wrykyn atmosphere and created the character of Mike Jackson. Mike was his last of the public school characters. With characterization of Psmith - Rupert Psmith, Pelham became an adult.
Till then his stories were meant to entertain pupils. His writings were never meant for adult readership. This was his originality, his one-upmanship over others. Someone has rightly said, "We still enjoy his stories because we still have a schoolboy somewhere deep down in us and this reading becomes a perfect escape from our adult world’s problems and trials."
Wodehouse is normally compared with Charles Hamilton. Both presented life at boarding schools, a life completely sealed off from the expediencies of ordinary existence. When Hamilton started his career, Wodehouse was on his way into adulthood.
Along with writing, Wodehouse was active on other fronts also. He wanted exposure on multisides. He was now writing for By The Way feature of The Globe. The spare time was used for lyrics, short stories, novels with subjects other than public school life, articles on and stories with sports backdrop. During this period he contributed to more than 40 journals and magazines catering to various fields. In 1904, Pelham wrote his first lyric. This was added to the stage-show Sergeant Brue. Pelham was enraptured by its success. In 1906, while working with Seymore Hicks, he met Jerome Kern. At the very first meeting Wodehouse was impressed and a relationship, rather a partnership started which would leave its marks deep on the American musical comedies.
Love among Chickens in 1906, was based on true tales about his schoolmate – Bill Townerd in the guise of Stanley Ukbridge.
In Psmith, of Not George Washington we see autobiographical elements. William Tell Told Again was a commissioned book retelling the familiar story to support prints and verses supplied by the publisher. The Swoop is a fantasy in which a scout, Clearance Chugwater saves England from the invasion by nine foreign armies. All these were written and published along with other novels depicting life at public schools.
The American phase started with his second trip to America. His Love Among Chickens was a success in America. He was getting acquainted with the society practically opposite in law and order, social virtues, politics etc. compared to his familiar environment. In A Gentleman at Leisure and Psmith, Journalist he has tackled the issue of gang-war, bribery in police force, widespread corruption etc.
Pelham had to satisfy the tastes of two people – British and American and the literary genius could do this very successfully. He infused British aristocracy with American commoner. His plots during this period were located at Piccadilly and Park Avenue and his characters traveled between the two places in The Little Nuggets (1913) and Piccadilly Jim (1918).
Further he found that there was no cricket, rugby or football in America. Instead there was golf and baseball. Being a zealous sports lover, he adopted golf, but could not reach the same heights in golf as he had achieved in cricket. Neither could he write his stories with backdrop of golf, with the same authority. If the stories lacked authority, they gained heroines. His early cricket and other sport stories had no heroines. He never lost interest in cricket particularly when Dulwich was concerned. He tried to popularize cricket in America too.
After a short, yet fruitful partnership, Wodehouse and the composer Jimmy Kern had separated. They met again in 1915 in New York in their changed roles. Wodehouse was a novelist, short story writer, lyricist, feature writer, playwright and also a part-time editor and theatrical critic of Vanity Fair, a prestigious American monthly. Kern helped him get a few pieces. At the opening of Very Good Eddie, dissatisfied with lyrics of the show, Kern suggested Pelham’s name to his librettist friend Guy Bolton. Immediately the deal was struck. The triumvirate worked and conquered new heights in American musicals. There were Kitty Darlin, The Riviera Girl, Have a Heart, Oh, Boy !, Leave It to Jane, OH, Lady ! Lady ! Miss Springtime, to name a few. So successful they were that just with their names on the billboard, the house packed for months. The lucky house was the Princess Theatre. At the height of his glory, Wodehouse had five shows running at a time on Broadway – a record for a long time. He wrote more than 200 lyrics and provided all the songs for 11 shows and wrote many songs for more than 20 shows.
These were all side glories to him. The greatest achievement of this period is creation of the character Jeeves and his master Bertie Wooster. The second best was publication of first Blandings novel.
The first was Psmith – Rupert Psmith a ‘classic Wodehousean man’. Psmith is characterized by his ardent desire to belong to higher strata of the society and behave in such a manner as if he really belonged there; the contrast between the solemn sincerity of expression and worthlessness of its content; his fastidiousness, preference for clothes and mannerisms and his views about Socialism; mark the traits of the character. He features in Psmith in the City, Psmith, Journalist and others.
Something New – American title, Something Fresh – British title was published as a serial in Saturday Evening Post, the most prestigious weekly of America, in 1915. With this serial Pelham’s connections with the weekly started, to last for years to come. This novel introduced the characters of Lord Emsworth, Freddie Threepwood and the location Blandings Castle where many later novels were also located. So much so that on his deathbed were found papers of his unfinished novel Sunset at Blandings.
Another milestone was Extricating Young Gussie. In this appeared Jeeves and Bertie. This was included in a collection, Man With Two Left Feet. My Man Jeeves followed in 1919 wholly devoted to Jeeves and Bertie. They did not come into prominence till the late 20s and 30s. To Bertie, Jeeves was "The man’s a genius…I gave up trying to run my own affairs within a week of his coming to me." Further Bertie says, "If I had even half his brains, I would take a shot at being Prime Minister or something." However Wodehouse knew the right place for Jeeves was between the covers of a book and hence never agreed to give his (Jeeves) services to motion picture, advertising commodities or even to comic strip in spite of lucrative offers.
From 1909 to 1919, he established himself more in America, wrote for, worked for and was influenced by America.
By now he had established himself solidly with income reaching beyond his wildest expectations. Now he could afford luxuries. Hence this third period starting from 1920 is known as ‘The Country House’ period. The social status of his characters moved upwards accordingly. "The typical setting is now a country mansion, a luxurious bachelor flat or an expensive golf club," wrote Benny Green.
There are four milestones of this period. First a new field of work was added to his already overcrowded bag i.e. writing film scripts; receiving an Honorary Doctorate, D Litt from Oxford University; internment by Germans and his fateful broadcasts; the Knighthood, not to mention the popular applause he received for Jeeves and Bertie, Lord Emsworth and Blandings novels, and the success of plays A Damsel in Distress, Leave It Psmith, Baa Baa Black Sheep.
The partnership of Bolton, Kern and Wodehouse had reached its peak. The signs showed that the trio might wither away. Sitting Pretty’s failure in 1923 started the downtrend. Rosalie and The Three Musketeers also failed to click. The only bright spot was the success song Bill.
There is always an interesting debate among the lovers of Wodehouse as which one was his greatest achievement – Jeeves stories or the Blandings stories. "In all those stories Pelham has parodied the post Edwardian English Society featuring idiotic youths, feckless debutantes, redoubtable aunts and where worry-of-the-day in the life was an impending visit from a ferocious aunt."
Stanley Ukbridge was based on true tales about Pelham’s school friend Bill Townsend. He used exclamations like ‘Upon my Sam’ and is eternally in search of funds. When occasion demanded he was also capable of a splendid speech. Though Ukridge first appeared in 1906, Pelham’s love for him was so great that he wrote about him without any change or development till 1966.
Lastly comes Mr Mulliner who regaled his audience from a comfortable seat at the Anglers’ Rest and spoke about points arising from the general conversation at the pub. Then there were members of the Drones Club. Pelham personalized anonymous acolytes by referring them as ‘Eggs’, ‘Beans’, and ‘Crumpets’. The members belonged to not-so-well-off upper class society.
• It was a confusion of ideas between him and one of the lions he was hunting in Kenya that had caused A B Spottsworth to make the obituary column. He thought the lion was dead, and the lion thought it wasn’t.
(From his works)
• I just sit at typewriter and curse a bit.
(From his works)
• I know I was writing stories when I was five. I don’t know what I did before that. Just loafed I suppose.
• Success comes to a writer, as a rule, so gradually that it is always something of a shock to him to look back and realize the heights to which he has climbed.
• Only two things connected with the banking industry did I really get into my head. One was that from now on all I would be able to afford in the way of lunch would be a roll and butter and a cup of coffee, … The other was that if I got to the office late three mornings in a month I would lose my Christmas bonus.
• Do you know’, said a thoughtful Bean, "I’ll bet that if all the girls Freddie has loved and lost were placed end to end – not that I suppose one could do it – they would reach half-way down Piccadilly.
(From his works)
• So always look for the silver lining
And try to find the sunny side of life.
(From his works)
• He felt like a man who, chasing rainbows, has had one of them suddenly turn and bite him in the leg.
(From his works)
The three essentials for an autobiography are that its compiler shall have had an eccentric father, a miserable misunderstood childhood and a hell of a time at his public school, and I enjoyed none of these advantages.
