Psmith in the City · Chapters
Chapters explained
Chapter companions for Psmith in the City by P. G. Wodehouse.
Chapter 1
Dedication
The book is dedicated to Leslie Havergal Bradshaw.
Chapter 2
Psmith in the City
Mike Jackson, after scoring 98 in a cricket match, receives news that his father has lost money and he must leave school to work at the New Asiatic Bank. There, he encounters his old friend Psmith, who has also joined the bank. Psmith explains his presence and begins to haunt Mr. Bickersdyke, the bank manager, at the club. The chapter follows their early days at the bank, including Psmith's humorous interactions and Mike's transfer to the cash department. Psmith discovers Mr. Waller's socialism and attends a Clapham Common socialist meeting. Mike plays for his county at Lord's, confesses to Bickersdyke, and ultimately Psmith plans a new future, leading to their resignation from the bank.
Chapter 3
Mr. Bickersdyke Walks Behind the Bowler's Arm
Mike Jackson is playing in a cricket match during Ilsworth cricket week when Mr. Bickersdyke walks behind the bowler's arm, causing Mike to be bowled for 98. The chapter introduces Mike's friendship with Psmith and his family, and sets up Bickersdyke as a future figure in Mike's life. Psmith discusses his uncertain future and his father's shifting plans, including a potential career in commerce inspired by Bickersdyke.
Chapter 4
Mike Hears Bad News
Mike returns home to find his father troubled. After a cricket week full of success, he learns that his father has lost a large sum of money and can no longer afford to send him to Cambridge. Mike must now start earning his living, a bitter disappointment he accepts with a brave face.
Chapter 5
The New Era Begins
Mike Jackson learns he will start work at the New Asiatic Bank, receives a letter from Psmith about his ongoing campaign to reform Mr. Bickersdyke, and travels to London to find lodgings. He settles on a depressing bed-sitting room in Dulwich and visits the nearby college grounds, where he feels homesick and contemplates the end of his school cricket career.
Chapter 6
First Steps in a Business Career
Mike Jackson begins his first day at the New Asiatic Bank, navigating the unfamiliar environment. He is guided by the benevolent Mr. Waller, has an awkward reunion with Mr. Bickersdyke (the manager), and is assigned to the postage department under the fussy Mr. Rossiter, learning the ropes from the cheerful Bannister.
Chapter 7
The Other Man
Mike Jackson struggles with the monotony of his new job at the New Asiatic Bank, feeling homesick and disillusioned. He is befriended by Mr. Waller, the cashier, who takes him to lunch and offers some insight into the bank's manager, Mr. Bickersdyke. Later, Psmith unexpectedly arrives at the bank, announcing he has joined the staff and proceeds to charm and disorient Mr. Rossiter, the head of the postage department, with his characteristic wit and grandiloquence.
Chapter 8
Psmith Explains
Psmith and Mike take a break from their bank duties to visit the post office and then a tea shop, where Psmith explains why he is working at the bank: his father, inspired by commerce, arranged for him to work under Mr. Bickersdyke, who holds a grudge against Psmith. Psmith reveals he has been elected to the Senior Conservative Club, where Bickersdyke also belongs, and plans to haunt him there to get his own back.
Chapter 9
VII: Going Into Winter Quarters
Mike and Psmith finish their first day at the bank. Psmith invites Mike to share his flat at Clement's Inn, and Mike accepts, moving out of his Dulwich lodgings. The next day, Mr. Rossiter confronts them about their prolonged absence, but Psmith deflects with humor. Mr. Bickersdyke appears and questions Psmith's work ethic, but Rossiter surprisingly defends Psmith, earning Psmith's goodwill.
Chapter 10
VIII: The Friendly Native
Psmith explains his strategy of winning over a 'friendly native' in the bank, targeting Mr. Rossiter. He attempts to discover Rossiter's hobby through conversation, but fails with stamps and Hall Caine. Mike bonds with messenger William over roses, though it triggers homesickness. Bannister reveals Rossiter's interest in football, specifically Manchester United. Psmith uses this to engage Rossiter, successfully breaking the ice.
Chapter 11
The Haunting of Mr. Bickersdyke
Psmith patiently spends a fortnight building rapport with Mr. Rossiter through discussions of League football, securing peace in the Postage Department. He then turns his attention to haunting Mr. Bickersdyke at the Senior Conservative Club, using subtle, patronizing smiles and remarks to unsettle the bank manager. Psmith's presence causes Bickersdyke to revoke at bridge, leading to a public outburst. Psmith later recounts the evening to Mike, noting Bickersdyke's irritation, and proposes a supper at the Savoy.
Chapter 12
X: Mr. Bickersdyke Addresses His Constituents
Mr. Bickersdyke is in a foul mood at the bank, ignoring greetings and contemplating dismissing Psmith for his behavior at the bridge game, but realizes he has no valid grounds. He sends for Mr. Rossiter, who praises Psmith's work. That evening, Mr. Bickersdyke addresses a political meeting at the Kenningford Town Hall, where the audience is rowdy. Psmith interrupts him with a trivial question about burning boats to strengthen the Navy, breaking the manager's hold on the crowd. Later, when Mr. Bickersdyke tells an anecdote about a trout (plagiarized from 'Three Men in a Boat'), Psmith rises again to interrupt.
Chapter 13
Misunderstood
Psmith returns to the flat after attending a political meeting where Mr. Bickersdyke was speaking. He recounts how he interrupted Bickersdyke's speech to point out that a story Bickersdyke told as his own had actually been published by Jerome in 1889. This led to a chaotic scuffle with audience members, and Psmith was struck on the forehead. Mike regrets missing the event. Psmith laments that Bickersdyke consistently misunderstands his good intentions, but remains nonchalant about potential dismissal from the bank.
Chapter 14
In a Nutshell
Psmith is summoned to the manager's office after a political meeting incident. He cleverly defends his actions, arguing that his behavior outside office hours is not grounds for dismissal, and warns Bickersdyke that firing him would be an admission of defeat. The chapter ends with Psmith leaving the manager speechless.
Chapter 15
Mike Is Moved On
Mike begins to settle into bank life, finding camaraderie among fellow employees and enjoying London with Psmith. However, the hostility of Mr. Bickersdyke persists, and a new arrival at the bank leads to Mike being transferred to another department.
Chapter 16
Mr. Waller Appears in a New Light
Psmith, feeling the loss of Mike's company after his transfer to the Cash Department, frequently visits him there. Mr. Waller, the tolerant cashier, allows these visits. During one such visit, Psmith complains about Bristow's garish waistcoat and mentions his own Socialism. To his surprise, Mr. Waller reveals that he too is a Socialist and invites Psmith and Mike to hear him speak at Clapham Common on Sunday.
Chapter 17
Stirring Times on the Common
Psmith and Mike accompany Mr. Waller to a Socialist meeting on Clapham Common. Mr. Waller's energetic speech attracts a crowd, but his temperance remarks turn the audience hostile. When a man named Bill picks up a stone to throw at Mr. Waller, Mike tackles him, leading to a physical fight. Psmith watches nervously, ready to intervene if Bill's friends join in.
Chapter 18
Further Developments
After the Clapham Common meeting, Psmith and Mike are chased by a hostile crowd. They escape onto a tram, where a fight ensues. Psmith uses his wit and a bribe to placate a policeman, and the two friends ride away, with Psmith lamenting the indignity of traveling by tram.
Chapter 19
Sunday Supper
After the chaotic socialist meeting, Psmith insists they attend Mr. Waller's Sunday supper despite Mike's reluctance. The meal is awkward: Mike is grilled by the insufferable Edward Waller, accidentally spills water into the jam tart, and witnesses a lovers' quarrel between Ada and Mr. Richards over Women's Suffrage. Psmith remains unruffled throughout.
Chapter 20
Psmith Makes a Discovery
After a tedious evening at Mr. Waller's home, where Mike suffers through Comrade Prebble's endless socialist lecture, Psmith reveals a valuable discovery: a record of the Tulse Hill Parliament containing fiery socialist speeches made by Mr. Bickersdyke twenty years ago, which could be used to embarrass him politically.
Chapter 21
XIX: The Illness of Edward
Mike reflects on the pleasant routine of winter life at the New Asiatic Bank, noting the quirky characters among his colleagues. One morning in early February, he observes a change in Mr. Waller, who is usually cheerful and shares stories about his son Edward. Waller is silent and absent-minded, and Mike, feeling awkward, seeks Psmith's help. Psmith learns that Edward is seriously ill with pneumonia. Mike returns to work, sympathizing with Waller's distress, and the day passes slowly until closing time.
Chapter 22
Concerning a Cheque
Mike learns that Mr. Waller cashed a forged cheque for £100 from Sir John Morrison while distracted by his son Edward's illness. To protect the cashier, Mike falsely claims he cashed the cheque himself. The next day, Mr. Waller is cheerful again as Edward recovers, but Psmith shifts his attention from reforming Bristow to targeting Mr. Bickersdyke.
Chapter 23
XXI: Psmith Makes Inquiries
Psmith learns from Bristow that Mike is being berated by Mr. Bickersdyke. After the confrontation, Psmith meets Mike at a Mecca cafe to hear his account of the dismissal. Psmith advises Mike to stop taking on others' troubles, but promises to intervene with Bickersdyke on his behalf.
Chapter 24
And Takes Steps
Psmith decides to confront Mr. Bickersdyke about Mike's dismissal by following him into the Turkish Baths, while Mr. Waller, relieved but shaken, seeks reassurance from Psmith about Mike's fate.
Chapter 25
Mr. Bickersdyke Makes a Concession
In a Turkish bath, Psmith confronts Mr. Bickersdyke with old radical speeches from the Tulse Hill Parliament, threatening to send them to the Clarion unless he spares Mike Jackson. Bickersdyke, fearing political ruin, concedes and agrees not to dismiss Mike.
Chapter 26
The Spirit of Unrest
Mr. Bickersdyke is elected to Parliament with a narrow majority, and Psmith reveals that his earlier threat to publish Bickersdyke's speeches may have influenced the manager's decision to spare Mike's job. However, with Bickersdyke now safely elected, that leverage is gone. Meanwhile, Mike is transferred from Mr. Waller's department to the Fixed Deposits under the abusive Mr. Gregory, with whom he clashes immediately. The arrival of fine spring weather and the cricket season makes Mike increasingly restless and discontented with his bank work.
Chapter 27
At the Telephone
Mike receives a phone call from his brother Joe, who urgently asks him to play for his county against Middlesex at Lord's. Despite his job at the bank, Mike impulsively agrees, driven by his growing discontent with banking life. Psmith observes Mike's restlessness and tries to cheer him with plans for a weekend getaway, but Mike's frustration with his routine and desire for cricket prevail.
Chapter 28
Breaking the News
Mike receives a phone call from his brother Joe, who needs him to play for the county cricket team at Lord's. He rushes off, leaving Psmith to inform Mr. Gregory of his absence. Psmith breaks the news with characteristic wit, leading to a confrontation with Mr. Bickersdyke, who assigns Psmith to temporarily replace Mike in the Fixed Deposits Department.
Chapter 29
At Lord's
Mike arrives at Lord's to play for his county after being called up as a last-minute replacement. He learns that three Cambridge players were injured in a car crash, leaving the team short. Joe Jackson, his brother, puts him in fourth wicket. Mike reflects on his situation: he has effectively left the bank and must now rely on cricket to make a living. He telephones Psmith at the bank, who reports that he has taken Mike's place in Fixed Deposits and has already clashed with Mr. Gregory and Mr. Bickersdyke. As Mike prepares to bat, he resolves to prove himself.
Chapter 30
XXVIII: Psmith Arranges His Future
Psmith stealthily leaves the bank early, dodging Mr. Gregory, and meets his father at the Mansion House. They go to Lord's to watch Mike Jackson play cricket. Psmith explains that Mike has been fired for playing instead of working, and then announces his own desire to leave the bank to study for the Bar. His father agrees, and Psmith plans to resign the next day. At Lord's, they see that Mike has scored 98 runs.
Chapter 31
And Mike's
Mike plays a brilliant innings of 148 for his county at Lord's, finding his form after lunch and sharing a massive partnership with his brother Joe. After the match, Psmith reveals that he has arranged for Mike to join him at Cambridge as his confidential secretary and adviser, with expenses covered by Psmith's father, and announces his own resignation from the bank.
Chapter 32
XXX: The Last Sad Farewells
Psmith and Mike resign from the bank in a dramatic confrontation with Mr. Bickersdyke at the Senior Conservative Club. Psmith delivers a theatrical speech about their departure, while Mr. Bickersdyke, who had already planned to dismiss Psmith for leaving work early, is left unable to get a word in. The chapter ends with Mike feeling optimistic about the future, including Cambridge and an open-air life.
