page attachments/230/BMGRightHoJeeves Dec13
Right Ho, Jeeves By P.G. Wodehouse Dictation passages Week One: Opening 'Jeeves,' I said, 'may I speak frankly?' 'Certainly, sir.' 'What I have to say may wound you.' 'Not at all, sir.' 'Well, then--' No—wait. Hold the line a minute. I've gone off the rails. I don't know if you have had the same experience, but the snag I always come up against when I'm telling a story is this dashed difficult problem of where to begin it. It's a thing you don't want to go wrong over, because one false step and you're sunk. I mean, if you fool about too long at the start, trying to establish atmosphere, as they call it, and all that sort of rot, you fail to grip and the customers walk out on you. (Chapter 1) Why I chose this passage: Wodehouse, through the character of the bumbling Bertie Wooster, tells us exactly why we need to study opening lines of novels: it's a difficult prospect to capture the audience's attention in the first paragraph or two of a book. And in discussing this difficulty, he hooks us into the novel nicely. What to note: Notice first the difference in quotation marks in this book. Wodehouse was an Englishman of Englishmen, and thus he uses the so-very-British single quotation marks. We Yanks use double quotation marks in dialog. Although the British use single quotation marks, notice that commas and periods still belong inside the quotes, as do the question marks in this passage (which is not always the case; question marks and exclamation marks can belong either inside or outside the quotation marks, depending on context). Notice also the em-dashes in this passage. Em-dashes (the length of the letter “m”) are
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Julie Bogart • 7723 Tylers Place. Blvd., Suite 165 • West Cheste r, OH 45069 • (513) 307-1405
Jeeves - 2
often used to show interruption, as they do in both examples above. How to teach the passage: This passage is fairly straightforward. A short bit of dialog is interrupted by Bertie himself, who then discusses “going off the rails” in opening this novel and how “dashed difficult” it is to start a book in just the right way that will keep the audience hooked and wanting to read more. Unlike most first person narrators, Bertie Wooster often writes to his audience in second person (using forms of “you”) which makes the readers feel as if we're his close friends and he is whispering these little asides right in our ears—a very clever and direct method of creating relationship between protagonist and audience. Week Two: Slang Tuppy's fatheaded words were still rankling in my bosom as I went up to my room. They continued rankling as I shed the form-fitting, and had not ceased to rankle when, clad in the old dressing gown, I made my way along the corridor to the salle de bain. It is not too much to say that I was piqued to the tonsils. I mean to say, one does not court praise. The adulation of the multitude means very little to one. But, all the same, when one has taken the trouble to whack out a highly juicy scheme to benefit an in-the-soup friend in his hour of travail, it's pretty foul to find him giving the credit to one's personal attendant, particularly if that personal attendant is a man who goes about the place not packing mess jackets. (Chapter 9) Why I chose this passage: I love Bertie's refined British slang; it's so memorable and expressive. And I admit to hearing it in my mind in Hugh Laurie's inimitable voice after watching the BBC's Jeeves and Wooster in the past. What to note: Notice that commas are used to set off nonessential descriptive phrases and clauses from the rest of the sentence. We see this occur in the first paragraph, “clad in the old dressing gown” and in the third paragraph, “all the same.” Hyphens are also used in compound nouns and adjectives, such as “form-fitting” and “inthe-soup.” In the latter, all three hyphenated words work together to provide a unique description of a friend in trouble. How to teach the passage: Bertie uses such wonderfully colorful language—the slang of 1920s London, both formal and slangy at the same time. We see such unusual descriptions as “fatheaded” (stupid), “rankling in my bosom” (upsetting), “piqued to the tonsils” (angry), and, perhaps the best one: “whack out a highly juicy scheme to benefit an in-the-soup friend in his hour of travail” (think up a sneaky plan to help a friend in trouble in his hour of need). I also like the way Bertie refers to the bathroom in French: “salle de bain.” These words are in italics because they are not English; they may merely be underlined in copywork and dictation.
©
Julie Bogart • 7723 Tylers Place. Blvd., Suite 165 • West Cheste r, OH 45069 • (513) 307-1405
Jeeves - 3
Week Three: Description I eyed him narrowly. I didn't like his looks. Mark you, I don't say I ever had, much, because Nature, when planning this sterling fellow, shoved in a lot more lower jaw than was absolutely necessary and made the eyes a bit too keen and piercing for one who was neither an Empire builder nor a traffic policeman. But on the present occasion, in addition to offending the aesthetic sense, this Glossop seemed to me to be wearing a distinct air of menace, and I found myself wishing that Jeeves wasn't always so dashed tactful. (Chapter 18) Why I chose this passage: I really liked the way Bertie described Tuppy here. Bertie, for being a rather stupid fellow who thinks himself erudite and intelligent when really it is Jeeves who constantly rescues him from various scrapes, nails Tuppy's appearance and personality with rare insight in this passage. What to note: The diction (choice of words) that Wodehouse employs in Bertie's description of Tuppy is extraordinarily original. The third sentence tells us a great deal about Tuppy's appearance; although Bertie says that Tuppy is indeed a “sterling fellow,” we are informed that “Nature ... shoved in a lot more lower jaw than was absolutely necessary” and “made the eyes a bit too keen and piercing for one who was neither an Empire builder nor a traffic policeman.” The expression on Tuppy's face is also described as “wearing a distinct air of menace.” Note that this description makes use of personification (“Nature… shoved” and “made the eyes”). Notice in that rather lengthy third sentence the astonishing number of commas used. A comma follows the introductory phrase, “Mark you,” as is usual in direct addressing of the audience. The inessential word “much” is both preceded and followed by commas. And also the dependent clause that is inserted in the middle of an independent clause is also preceded and followed by commas: “, when planning this sterling fellow,” and in the next sentence, a comma follows each of the introductory phrases: “But on the present occasion,” and “in addition to offending the aesthetic sense,” and a comma is also noted before the coordinating conjunction in this compound sentence: “...menace, and I found....” Commas are challenging to teach though there are some rules that govern them. Still, an effective first place to start in understanding comma use is to think of commas as the place one breathes in the passage. As you read aloud, note how your own inflection, breathing and pacing is reflected in the comma usage. It helps to read passages aloud when trying to understand why commas are used. Try reading the same passage without obeying the commas. What happens then? How does the meaning change? All punctuation is organized to create meaning, to offer a visual notation of how the passage would be spoken aloud so as to make sense. How to teach the passage: “Glossop” happens to be Tuppy's last name and thus is capitalized. “Empire” is also capitalized as it refers to the British Empire. I wonder to whom the “Empire builder” with the strong lower jaw refers? What do you think? Help your kids with spelling a few of the more difficult words before attempting dictation, especially: necessary, piercing, aesthetic (note the British spelling here), and menace.
©
Julie Bogart • 7723 Tylers Place. Blvd., Suite 165 • West Cheste r, OH 45069 • (513) 307-1405
Jeeves - 4
Week Four: Closing One of those old pregnant silences filled the room. 'I am extremely sorry, sir.' For a moment, I confess, that generous wrath of mine came bounding back, hitching up its muscles and snorting a bit through the nose, but, as we say on the Riviera, a quoi sert-il? There can be nothing to be gained by g. w. now. We Woosters can bite the bullet. I nodded moodily and speared another slab of omelette. 'Right ho, Jeeves.' 'Very good, sir.' (Chapter 23) Why I chose this passage: Again we see the character of Bertie Wooster revealed further in this closing passage—the dichotomy between who Bertie thinks he is and who Jeeves and the audience know him to be. The final words of this novel also include the title of the book, Right Ho, Jeeves. What to note: As in the first passage this month, we are dealing with the British single quotation system which is exactly the reverse of the Standard American English quotation punctuation. Bertie also quotes French (which he says he gained on the French Riviera, the southern part of France with lovely beaches) which translates to “What is it?” (according to Google Translator). And foreign words are italicized although underlining will suffice in your students' copywork and dictation. Bertie's use of abbreviations is both common and comic; the “g. w.” of this passage may refer to “going wild.” It is almost as if Bertie makes up his own language, sprinkled with foreign phrases and strange abbreviations. How to teach this passage: I really appreciate the colorful expressions in this final passage, his anger about his far-toofashionably ugly jacket being destroyed by Jeeves “hitching up its muscles and snorting a bit through the nose” much like an angry horse. With such colorful expressions from such a colorful character as Bertie, Wodehouse is satirizing the young, careless wealthy men of 1920s London. Wodehouse makes Bertie both endearing yet pokes fun at his culture as Bertie Wooster is contrasted to his far more intelligent manservant, Jeeves. Think Piece Questions The following questions are designed to offer you ways to think about Right Ho, Jeeves. Each month on the Brave Writer website, Boomerang Complete students will also be able to post their answers and to discuss their interpretation of the book with other students. Whether or not you participate on the forums, use these questions as a jumping off place to help you delve more deeply into the story. Perhaps take one question per week during your Friday freewrite time to attempt to answer the questions. The finished product need not be perfectly refined. The objective of this writing is to stimulate reflection and to help you give language to your thoughts.
©
Julie Bogart • 7723 Tylers Place. Blvd., Suite 165 • West Cheste r, OH 45069 • (513) 307-1405
Jeeves - 5
If you find it daunting to write about these topics at first, use them for conversation starters with your parents or a sibling who has read the books. Go out for shakes and talk about the novel in these terms. As you get comfortable talking through a book, eventually try answering one of the questions in writing. Questions 1. Right Ho, Jeeves is told from the point of view of Bertie Wooster, a member of the upper class of English society during the first decade of the 20th century, which is often called the Edwardian Period. Tell something we learn about Bertie’s circumstances at the beginning of the story. How is his life different from yours? How does the opening of the novel set its tone? 2. Bertie Wooster uses an amazing amount of slang expressions and idioms, some of which are not used today, and therefore require some deciphering. What is an expression or word you were not familiar with, but that you figured out from the context? Cite the expression and chapter it’s in and try to explain it. 3. One of the surest ways to kill humor is to try to analyze it. We’re going to try to do it anyway because this novel is all about laughter! Its comedy is based as much on the entertaining turn of phrase as on the turn of event. Wodehouse’s humor often comes from the outrageous comparisons and absurd, lively images that Wooster uses in an understated, haphazard way. For instance, on the first page when trying to figure out how to begin the story he says, “Get off the mark, on the other hand, like a scalded cat, and your public is at loss.” The image of a scalded cat is incongruous and unexpected in that context and made me snort! Wodehouse also relies on wittily manipulated clichés for humor, such as when Wooster comments about his friend Gussie Fink-Nottle (whose name alone begs for punning): “I mused once more. Gussie and I, as I say, had rather lost touch, but all the same I was exercised about the poor fish, as I am about all my pals, close or distant, who find themselves treading upon Life’s banana skins.” Find an example of a humorous turn of phrase. What makes it funny? 4. The novel is full of endearing, eccentric characters. Pick a character you enjoyed (other than Jeeves or Wooster) and tell about him or her and why you enjoyed that particular character. What is an idiosyncracy of the character? 5. Describe Bertie Wooster. What motivates him? Describe his valet, Jeeves. What is unusual about their interaction? What is the irony in their relationship? 6. Right Ho, Jeeves is often called a farce. A farce uses humor that depends less on plot and character than on improbable, exaggerated situations and incongruities. What is an improbable or exaggerated or incongruous situation from the story? 7. The plot of Right Ho, Jeeves contains many twists and turns. What is a conflict in the plot? What is the climax of that conflict? How is the conflict resolved? 8. Was there anytime when you suspected something that was going to happen before Bertie Wooster was aware of it? When was it? Did that aid or hurt your enjoyment of the situation?
©
Julie Bogart • 7723 Tylers Place. Blvd., Suite 165 • West Cheste r, OH 45069 • (513) 307-1405
Jeeves - 6
9. Do you think there’s any deep theme or meaning to Right Ho, Jeeves? If so, what is it? If not, do you think there’s value in the story? Why or why not? Golden Lines Each month, select one favorite passage from the book to keep in a notebook of golden lines. You might want to pick two this month (one from each story). You’ll pick a passage, copy it into a notebook and then write the date you picked it and the location in the book (which chapter and page number). Then jot down a sentence or two about why the passage is meaningful to you. If you are in the Boomerang Complete, we’ll share our Golden Lines at the end of each month online.
©
Julie Bogart • 7723 Tylers Place. Blvd., Suite 165 • West Cheste r, OH 45069 • (513) 307-1405
©
Julie Bogart • 7723 Tylers Place. Blvd., Suite 165 • West Cheste r, OH 45069 • (513) 307-1405
Jeeves - 2
often used to show interruption, as they do in both examples above. How to teach the passage: This passage is fairly straightforward. A short bit of dialog is interrupted by Bertie himself, who then discusses “going off the rails” in opening this novel and how “dashed difficult” it is to start a book in just the right way that will keep the audience hooked and wanting to read more. Unlike most first person narrators, Bertie Wooster often writes to his audience in second person (using forms of “you”) which makes the readers feel as if we're his close friends and he is whispering these little asides right in our ears—a very clever and direct method of creating relationship between protagonist and audience. Week Two: Slang Tuppy's fatheaded words were still rankling in my bosom as I went up to my room. They continued rankling as I shed the form-fitting, and had not ceased to rankle when, clad in the old dressing gown, I made my way along the corridor to the salle de bain. It is not too much to say that I was piqued to the tonsils. I mean to say, one does not court praise. The adulation of the multitude means very little to one. But, all the same, when one has taken the trouble to whack out a highly juicy scheme to benefit an in-the-soup friend in his hour of travail, it's pretty foul to find him giving the credit to one's personal attendant, particularly if that personal attendant is a man who goes about the place not packing mess jackets. (Chapter 9) Why I chose this passage: I love Bertie's refined British slang; it's so memorable and expressive. And I admit to hearing it in my mind in Hugh Laurie's inimitable voice after watching the BBC's Jeeves and Wooster in the past. What to note: Notice that commas are used to set off nonessential descriptive phrases and clauses from the rest of the sentence. We see this occur in the first paragraph, “clad in the old dressing gown” and in the third paragraph, “all the same.” Hyphens are also used in compound nouns and adjectives, such as “form-fitting” and “inthe-soup.” In the latter, all three hyphenated words work together to provide a unique description of a friend in trouble. How to teach the passage: Bertie uses such wonderfully colorful language—the slang of 1920s London, both formal and slangy at the same time. We see such unusual descriptions as “fatheaded” (stupid), “rankling in my bosom” (upsetting), “piqued to the tonsils” (angry), and, perhaps the best one: “whack out a highly juicy scheme to benefit an in-the-soup friend in his hour of travail” (think up a sneaky plan to help a friend in trouble in his hour of need). I also like the way Bertie refers to the bathroom in French: “salle de bain.” These words are in italics because they are not English; they may merely be underlined in copywork and dictation.
©
Julie Bogart • 7723 Tylers Place. Blvd., Suite 165 • West Cheste r, OH 45069 • (513) 307-1405
Jeeves - 3
Week Three: Description I eyed him narrowly. I didn't like his looks. Mark you, I don't say I ever had, much, because Nature, when planning this sterling fellow, shoved in a lot more lower jaw than was absolutely necessary and made the eyes a bit too keen and piercing for one who was neither an Empire builder nor a traffic policeman. But on the present occasion, in addition to offending the aesthetic sense, this Glossop seemed to me to be wearing a distinct air of menace, and I found myself wishing that Jeeves wasn't always so dashed tactful. (Chapter 18) Why I chose this passage: I really liked the way Bertie described Tuppy here. Bertie, for being a rather stupid fellow who thinks himself erudite and intelligent when really it is Jeeves who constantly rescues him from various scrapes, nails Tuppy's appearance and personality with rare insight in this passage. What to note: The diction (choice of words) that Wodehouse employs in Bertie's description of Tuppy is extraordinarily original. The third sentence tells us a great deal about Tuppy's appearance; although Bertie says that Tuppy is indeed a “sterling fellow,” we are informed that “Nature ... shoved in a lot more lower jaw than was absolutely necessary” and “made the eyes a bit too keen and piercing for one who was neither an Empire builder nor a traffic policeman.” The expression on Tuppy's face is also described as “wearing a distinct air of menace.” Note that this description makes use of personification (“Nature… shoved” and “made the eyes”). Notice in that rather lengthy third sentence the astonishing number of commas used. A comma follows the introductory phrase, “Mark you,” as is usual in direct addressing of the audience. The inessential word “much” is both preceded and followed by commas. And also the dependent clause that is inserted in the middle of an independent clause is also preceded and followed by commas: “, when planning this sterling fellow,” and in the next sentence, a comma follows each of the introductory phrases: “But on the present occasion,” and “in addition to offending the aesthetic sense,” and a comma is also noted before the coordinating conjunction in this compound sentence: “...menace, and I found....” Commas are challenging to teach though there are some rules that govern them. Still, an effective first place to start in understanding comma use is to think of commas as the place one breathes in the passage. As you read aloud, note how your own inflection, breathing and pacing is reflected in the comma usage. It helps to read passages aloud when trying to understand why commas are used. Try reading the same passage without obeying the commas. What happens then? How does the meaning change? All punctuation is organized to create meaning, to offer a visual notation of how the passage would be spoken aloud so as to make sense. How to teach the passage: “Glossop” happens to be Tuppy's last name and thus is capitalized. “Empire” is also capitalized as it refers to the British Empire. I wonder to whom the “Empire builder” with the strong lower jaw refers? What do you think? Help your kids with spelling a few of the more difficult words before attempting dictation, especially: necessary, piercing, aesthetic (note the British spelling here), and menace.
©
Julie Bogart • 7723 Tylers Place. Blvd., Suite 165 • West Cheste r, OH 45069 • (513) 307-1405
Jeeves - 4
Week Four: Closing One of those old pregnant silences filled the room. 'I am extremely sorry, sir.' For a moment, I confess, that generous wrath of mine came bounding back, hitching up its muscles and snorting a bit through the nose, but, as we say on the Riviera, a quoi sert-il? There can be nothing to be gained by g. w. now. We Woosters can bite the bullet. I nodded moodily and speared another slab of omelette. 'Right ho, Jeeves.' 'Very good, sir.' (Chapter 23) Why I chose this passage: Again we see the character of Bertie Wooster revealed further in this closing passage—the dichotomy between who Bertie thinks he is and who Jeeves and the audience know him to be. The final words of this novel also include the title of the book, Right Ho, Jeeves. What to note: As in the first passage this month, we are dealing with the British single quotation system which is exactly the reverse of the Standard American English quotation punctuation. Bertie also quotes French (which he says he gained on the French Riviera, the southern part of France with lovely beaches) which translates to “What is it?” (according to Google Translator). And foreign words are italicized although underlining will suffice in your students' copywork and dictation. Bertie's use of abbreviations is both common and comic; the “g. w.” of this passage may refer to “going wild.” It is almost as if Bertie makes up his own language, sprinkled with foreign phrases and strange abbreviations. How to teach this passage: I really appreciate the colorful expressions in this final passage, his anger about his far-toofashionably ugly jacket being destroyed by Jeeves “hitching up its muscles and snorting a bit through the nose” much like an angry horse. With such colorful expressions from such a colorful character as Bertie, Wodehouse is satirizing the young, careless wealthy men of 1920s London. Wodehouse makes Bertie both endearing yet pokes fun at his culture as Bertie Wooster is contrasted to his far more intelligent manservant, Jeeves. Think Piece Questions The following questions are designed to offer you ways to think about Right Ho, Jeeves. Each month on the Brave Writer website, Boomerang Complete students will also be able to post their answers and to discuss their interpretation of the book with other students. Whether or not you participate on the forums, use these questions as a jumping off place to help you delve more deeply into the story. Perhaps take one question per week during your Friday freewrite time to attempt to answer the questions. The finished product need not be perfectly refined. The objective of this writing is to stimulate reflection and to help you give language to your thoughts.
©
Julie Bogart • 7723 Tylers Place. Blvd., Suite 165 • West Cheste r, OH 45069 • (513) 307-1405
Jeeves - 5
If you find it daunting to write about these topics at first, use them for conversation starters with your parents or a sibling who has read the books. Go out for shakes and talk about the novel in these terms. As you get comfortable talking through a book, eventually try answering one of the questions in writing. Questions 1. Right Ho, Jeeves is told from the point of view of Bertie Wooster, a member of the upper class of English society during the first decade of the 20th century, which is often called the Edwardian Period. Tell something we learn about Bertie’s circumstances at the beginning of the story. How is his life different from yours? How does the opening of the novel set its tone? 2. Bertie Wooster uses an amazing amount of slang expressions and idioms, some of which are not used today, and therefore require some deciphering. What is an expression or word you were not familiar with, but that you figured out from the context? Cite the expression and chapter it’s in and try to explain it. 3. One of the surest ways to kill humor is to try to analyze it. We’re going to try to do it anyway because this novel is all about laughter! Its comedy is based as much on the entertaining turn of phrase as on the turn of event. Wodehouse’s humor often comes from the outrageous comparisons and absurd, lively images that Wooster uses in an understated, haphazard way. For instance, on the first page when trying to figure out how to begin the story he says, “Get off the mark, on the other hand, like a scalded cat, and your public is at loss.” The image of a scalded cat is incongruous and unexpected in that context and made me snort! Wodehouse also relies on wittily manipulated clichés for humor, such as when Wooster comments about his friend Gussie Fink-Nottle (whose name alone begs for punning): “I mused once more. Gussie and I, as I say, had rather lost touch, but all the same I was exercised about the poor fish, as I am about all my pals, close or distant, who find themselves treading upon Life’s banana skins.” Find an example of a humorous turn of phrase. What makes it funny? 4. The novel is full of endearing, eccentric characters. Pick a character you enjoyed (other than Jeeves or Wooster) and tell about him or her and why you enjoyed that particular character. What is an idiosyncracy of the character? 5. Describe Bertie Wooster. What motivates him? Describe his valet, Jeeves. What is unusual about their interaction? What is the irony in their relationship? 6. Right Ho, Jeeves is often called a farce. A farce uses humor that depends less on plot and character than on improbable, exaggerated situations and incongruities. What is an improbable or exaggerated or incongruous situation from the story? 7. The plot of Right Ho, Jeeves contains many twists and turns. What is a conflict in the plot? What is the climax of that conflict? How is the conflict resolved? 8. Was there anytime when you suspected something that was going to happen before Bertie Wooster was aware of it? When was it? Did that aid or hurt your enjoyment of the situation?
©
Julie Bogart • 7723 Tylers Place. Blvd., Suite 165 • West Cheste r, OH 45069 • (513) 307-1405
Jeeves - 6
9. Do you think there’s any deep theme or meaning to Right Ho, Jeeves? If so, what is it? If not, do you think there’s value in the story? Why or why not? Golden Lines Each month, select one favorite passage from the book to keep in a notebook of golden lines. You might want to pick two this month (one from each story). You’ll pick a passage, copy it into a notebook and then write the date you picked it and the location in the book (which chapter and page number). Then jot down a sentence or two about why the passage is meaningful to you. If you are in the Boomerang Complete, we’ll share our Golden Lines at the end of each month online.
©
Julie Bogart • 7723 Tylers Place. Blvd., Suite 165 • West Cheste r, OH 45069 • (513) 307-1405
