The leaves IGCSE
NOTES
Introduction
Wodehouse was a prolific British writer of comic prose fiction. His stories are populated by aristocrats like the ninth Earl of Emsworth, and take place in upper class settings. This story was originally published in US and UK magazines in 1924.
The story begins with a loving description of the sunshine alighting on, among other things, the Castle, its ivied walls, its green lawns, wide terraces, noble trees and three characters: the Earl, his son Freddie and Beach, the butler. Readers will note how Lord Emsworth relies on his butler to put his hat on and to take the cap off his new telescope. Much of the story’s humour derives from the dialogue, with even the butler given choice lines. By contrast, the head-gardener is given a comic Scottish accent (‘She’s paying’ me twa poon’ a week’). Students should be encouraged to note dialogue and descriptions they find particularly funny, and explain why.
The comic figure of Lord Emsworth is central to the story. Students should consider the way in which he responds to his son’s courtship and eventual marriage to Aggie Donaldson, and what it reveals about snobbery and class. They might examine, too, how Wodehouse portrays Lord Emsworth’s comic concern for the well-being of his prize pumpkin and also consider why the latter makes its first appearance about a third of the way through the story.
Humour In The Story
He gives orders as an Earl but nobody really listens to him. We see this when Freddie acts confused about the girl he was seen kissing, “Girl? He quavered. Girl, guv’nor?” this brings in the humour as we are shown that the poor Emsworth is not taken seriously. He keeps asking about the girl but Freddie keeps going around in circles, taking his time to answer Emsworth. Though, even after Freddie has explained he still asks who the girl is.
The bathos was shown in, “…no Earl of Emsworth had ever won a first prize for pumpkins…”
The story was built up with a mysterious picture only
Introduction
Wodehouse was a prolific British writer of comic prose fiction. His stories are populated by aristocrats like the ninth Earl of Emsworth, and take place in upper class settings. This story was originally published in US and UK magazines in 1924.
The story begins with a loving description of the sunshine alighting on, among other things, the Castle, its ivied walls, its green lawns, wide terraces, noble trees and three characters: the Earl, his son Freddie and Beach, the butler. Readers will note how Lord Emsworth relies on his butler to put his hat on and to take the cap off his new telescope. Much of the story’s humour derives from the dialogue, with even the butler given choice lines. By contrast, the head-gardener is given a comic Scottish accent (‘She’s paying’ me twa poon’ a week’). Students should be encouraged to note dialogue and descriptions they find particularly funny, and explain why.
The comic figure of Lord Emsworth is central to the story. Students should consider the way in which he responds to his son’s courtship and eventual marriage to Aggie Donaldson, and what it reveals about snobbery and class. They might examine, too, how Wodehouse portrays Lord Emsworth’s comic concern for the well-being of his prize pumpkin and also consider why the latter makes its first appearance about a third of the way through the story.
Humour In The Story
He gives orders as an Earl but nobody really listens to him. We see this when Freddie acts confused about the girl he was seen kissing, “Girl? He quavered. Girl, guv’nor?” this brings in the humour as we are shown that the poor Emsworth is not taken seriously. He keeps asking about the girl but Freddie keeps going around in circles, taking his time to answer Emsworth. Though, even after Freddie has explained he still asks who the girl is.
The bathos was shown in, “…no Earl of Emsworth had ever won a first prize for pumpkins…”
The story was built up with a mysterious picture only