The Goalkeeper and the Plutocrat
The story revolves around Clarence Tresillian, the younger son of the Earl of Runnymede, who is a goalkeeper for Houndsditch Football Club. He falls in love with Isabel Rackstraw, the daughter of millionaire Mr. Daniel Rackstraw. However, their social differences make it difficult for them to be together. Mr. Rackstraw has put up his Bloomer boot against Mr. Dodson's Meredith ball as a side bet on the football match between Houndsditch and Manchester. He tells Clarence that if he wins the game, there will be four thousand pounds waiting for him above what he shares with the others. However, Clarence asks for something more - Mr. Rackstraw's consent to his engagement to Isabel. Mr. Rackstraw is taken aback by Clarence's request but eventually agrees to it after a series of negotiations. He even offers to take Clarence into partnership in his business and marry him off to Isabel. However, when Clarence reveals that he is the Honorable Tresillian, Mr. Rackstraw sees an opportunity to improve his social standing and decides to accept Clarence as his son-in-law. The story ends with a scene four years later where Isabel is now married to Clarence and has a child of her own. They are living in the Rackstraw home, and Isabel is showing their young son the Meredith ball that Mr. Meredith used to play with when he was a little boy.
By P. G. Wodehouse · First published 1923 · Genre: Comedy, Fiction, Satire · 5,352 words
First lines
The main difficulty in writing a story is to convey to the reader clearly yet tersely the natures and dispositions of one's leading characters. Brevity, brevity -- that is the cry. Perhaps, after all, the playbill style is the best. In this drama of love, football (Association code), and politics, then, the principals are as follows, in their order of entry:
Isabel Rackstraw (an angel). The Hon. Clarence Tresillian (a Greek god). Lady Runnymede (a proud old aristocrat). Mr. Rackstraw (a multi-millionaire City man and Radical politician).
What this Textopian page supports
The Goalkeeper and the Plutocrat is listed on Textopian as a short story by P. G. Wodehouse, dated 1923 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: 1923 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Comedy, Fiction, Satire, Sports
- Length: 5,352 words
- Structure: 1 section, 143 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Goalkeeper and the Plutocrat 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 The Goalkeeper and the Plutocrat?
- 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 — P. G. Wodehouse is well-known for his humorous narratives, and 'The Goalkeeper and the Plutocrat' presents an array of comic situations and dialogue.
- Fiction — As a constructed narrative, 'The Goalkeeper and the Plutocrat' falls squarely within the realm of fiction.
- Satire — Wodehouse's work is often laced with satirical elements, skewering upper-class British society. 'The Goalkeeper and the Plutocrat' continues this tradition.
- Sports — The title itself alludes to a sports-setting, providing it with the Sports genre.
Tags
humor · comedy · satire · British literature · romance · society · class struggle · wealth · friendship · adventure · sports · football