Jeeves Stories · Chapter
Aunt Agatha Makes a Bloomer explained
Bertie Wooster is enjoying a period of contentment, having won some bets and with his Aunt Agatha away in France.
What happens
Bertie Wooster is enjoying a period of contentment, having won some bets and with his Aunt Agatha away in France. However, a letter from her summons him to Roville-sur-mer, where she intends to introduce him to a respectable young woman, Miss Hemmingway. Bertie is dismayed but obeys. At Roville, he meets Miss Hemmingway and her brother Sidney, who seem overly pious and dull. Later, Aunt Agatha's pearls are stolen, and she accuses a chambermaid. Bertie, having previously encountered the Hemmingways in London and learned from Jeeves that they are con artists (Sidney is 'Soapy Sid'), produces the pearls, claiming he recovered them from Miss Hemmingway. He scolds Aunt Agatha for her carelessness, scoring a rare victory over her. The chapter also features Bertie's insistence on wearing a loud red cummerbund despite Jeeves's disapproval.
Themes in this chapter
Deception and Identity
The Hemmingways pose as respectable, pious individuals but are actually thieves; Bertie uses this deception to outmaneuver Aunt Agatha.
Family and Obligation
Bertie feels compelled to obey Aunt Agatha's summons despite his dread, illustrating the power of family obligation.
Comedy of Manners
The chapter satirizes social pretensions, from Aunt Agatha's domineering behavior to Bertie's clash with Jeeves over the cummerbund.
Characters to notice
- Bertie Wooster
Narrator and protagonist; enjoys a streak of good luck but is summoned by Aunt Agatha to Roville; cleverly recovers her stolen pearls and scores a victory over her.
- Jeeves
Bertie's valet; provides the crucial information about the Hemmingways being con artists; disapproves of Bertie's red cummerbund.
- Aunt Agatha
Bertie's formidable aunt; summons him to Roville to meet Miss Hemmingway; loses her pearls and is humiliated when Bertie reveals the Hemmingways are thieves.
- Bingo Little
Mentioned as a resilient friend who quickly recovers from romantic disappointments.
- Sidney
Miss Hemmingway's brother; a con artist known as 'Soapy Sid'; poses as a respectable curate.
- Miss Hemmingway
A young woman introduced by Aunt Agatha as a suitable match for Bertie; actually a thief who steals Aunt Agatha's pearls.
Key passages
“I suppose in the case of a chappie of really fine fibre and all that sort of thing, a certain amount of gloom and anguish would have followed this dishing of young Bingo’s matrimonial plans.”
A truly noble person would have been deeply upset by the failure of Bingo's romantic schemes.
Bertie reflects on his own lack of concern over Bingo's romantic troubles, highlighting his self-aware but unapologetic nature.
“It suddenly struck me so forcibly, one morning while I was having my bath, that I hadn’t a worry on earth that I began to sing like a bally nightingale as I sploshed the sponge about.”
While bathing, I realized I had no cares at all and started singing joyfully.
Bertie's contentment is shattered by Aunt Agatha's letter, setting up the chapter's conflict.
“I don’t know when I’ve had a more juicy moment. It was one of those occasions about which I shall prattle to my grandchildren—if I ever have any, which at the moment of going to press seems more or less of a hundred-to-one shot.”
That was one of the most satisfying moments of my life, though I doubt I'll ever have grandchildren to tell about it.
Bertie savors his triumph over Aunt Agatha, with characteristic self-deprecating humor.
