The Politeness of Princes
The story revolves around G. Montgomery Chapple's struggles to become punctual. He consistently oversleeps and arrives late for breakfast, which leads to disciplinary actions from his housemaster, Mr. Seymour. Chapple tries various methods to overcome his habit, including sleeping with fewer blankets, setting his watch ahead by half an hour, and placing it in a strategic location. However, these attempts ultimately fail, and he continues to be late. Chapple's situation worsens when he is forced to write lines as punishment for his tardiness. He becomes increasingly desperate to change his ways but struggles to do so. The story takes a turn when Chapple meets Brooke, who is working on photograph frames in the carpenter's shop. Chapple joins him and begins carving his name on a deal board, which he considers a beautiful piece of work. However, Brooke reprimands him for spoiling the board, and Chapple realizes that he has been late for breakfast again. The story concludes with Chapple being moved to a new dormitory and facing the possibility of disciplinary action from Milton, the head of the house.
By P. G. Wodehouse · First published 1925 · Genre: Humor, Short Story, Comedy of Manners · 3,249 words
First lines
The painful case of G. Montgomery Chapple, bachelor, of Seymour's house, Wrykyn. Let us examine and ponder over it.
What this Textopian page supports
The Politeness of Princes is listed on Textopian as a short story by P. G. Wodehouse, dated 1925 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: 1925 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Humor, Short Story, Comedy of Manners
- Length: 3,249 words
- Structure: 1 section, 78 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Politeness of Princes by P. G. Wodehouse
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Politeness of Princes?
- How does this short story by P. G. Wodehouse fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Humor first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
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- Pots Omoney by P. G. Wodehouse
- Deep Waters by P. G. Wodehouse
- Ukridge Sees Her Through by P. G. Wodehouse
Genres
- Humor — The work of P.G. Wodehouse is primarily known as humorous literature, and 'The Politeness of Princes' is no exception. The characters, dialogue, and situations all strive primarily to entertain the reader through humor.
- Short Story — 'The Politeness of Princes' is a short story, part of the larger collection of Wodehouse's stories. It is characterized by a compact and focused narrative.
- Comedy of Manners — Wodehouse's 'The Politeness of Princes' is a comedy of manners, as it satirizes the behavior and customs of a particular social class, namely the upper-class British society, through witty and humorous situations and dialogues.
Tags
humor · comedy · satire · British literature · social class · upper class · romance · friendship · misunderstandings · character-driven · lighthearted · witty