Rough-Hew Them How We Will
The story revolves around the life of Paul, an artist who is struggling to sell his paintings and make ends meet. He has lost his job as a waiter at Bredin's Parisian Café and Restaurant after being sacked by the proprietor, M. Bredin. Despite this setback, Paul remains optimistic and determined to succeed. One day, while walking in the park, Paul is nearly hit by an automobile driven by an American tourist. The driver, who introduces himself as George, stops his car just in time and helps Paul up from the ground. George is impressed by Paul's artistic talent and offers to buy one of his paintings for a substantial sum. However, before making any decisions, George wants Paul to make some changes to the painting. He suggests that Paul should depict the main character, Willie, wearing Galloway's Tried and Proven braces instead of a bathrobe. George explains that these braces are made by his company and are known for their strength and durability. Paul is hesitant at first but eventually agrees to make the changes. After some deliberation, he decides to sell the painting to George for three thousand dollars and also accepts a retaining fee of four thousand dollars per year to work exclusively for Galloway's Tried and Proven. The story takes an unexpected turn when Constable Thomas Parsons, a policeman on patrol, is summoned by M. Bredin to expel Paul from the café. However, upon seeing the large amount of money that Paul has laid out on the table, the constable decides to let him off with a warning. As Paul finishes his meal and prepares to leave, Jeanne, the waitress who had previously been involved with him, approaches him and congratulates him on selling his painting. She offers to join him in celebrating his success, but Paul responds coolly, asking her to bring him a cigarette instead. The story ends with Paul leaving the café, feeling proud of himself for having sold his painting and secured a lucrative deal with Galloway's Tried and Proven. Despite his newfound success, however, he seems to have lost some of his passion and creativity, as evidenced by his willingness to compromise on his art in order to make money. Overall, the story is a commentary on the commercialization of art and the pressures that artists face in making a living from their work. It also explores themes of identity, success, and the human need for connection and recognition.
By P. G. Wodehouse · First published 1922 · Genre: Comedy, Satire, Romance · 5,577 words
First lines
Paul Boielle was a waiter. The word "waiter" suggests a soft-voiced, deft-handed being, moving swiftly and without noise in an atmosphere of luxury and shaded lamps. At Bredin's Parisian Café and Restaurant in Soho, where Paul worked, there were none of these things; and Paul himself, though he certainly moved swiftly, was by no means noiseless. His progress through the room resembled in almost equal proportions the finish of a Marathon race, the star-act of a professional juggler, and a monologue by an Earl's Court side-showman. Constant acquaintance rendered regular habitués callous to the wonder, but to a stranger the sight of Paul tearing over the difficult between-tables course, his hands loaded with two vast pyramids of dishes, shouting as he went the mystic word, "Comingsarecominginamomentsaresteaksareyessarecomingsare! " was impressive to a degree. For doing far less exacting feats on the stage music-hall performers were being paid fifty pounds a week.
What this Textopian page supports
Rough-Hew Them How We Will is listed on Textopian as a short story by P. G. Wodehouse, dated 1922 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: P. G. Wodehouse
- Date: 1922 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Comedy, Satire, Romance, Coming of Age
- Length: 5,577 words
- Structure: 1 section, 147 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Rough-Hew Them How We Will by P. G. Wodehouse
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering Rough-Hew Them How We Will?
- How does this short story by P. G. Wodehouse fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Comedy first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
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Genres
- Comedy — The trademark Wodehousian wit is central to the narrative, leading to situations of humor and farce.
- Satire — Wodehouse frequently satirizes the upper classes and their idiosyncrasies, which is a strong feature of this book.
- Romance — Like most of Wodehouse's works, this novel features romantic plots and subplots.
- Coming of Age — The book includes elements of characters maturing and gaining self-understanding throughout the narrative.
Tags
humor · comedy · satire · British literature · early 20th century · social class · romance · friendship · misunderstandings · witty dialogue · lighthearted · character-driven