# I: A Pawn of Fate explained — The Coming of Bill

> Chapter companion for The Coming of Bill by P. G. Wodehouse.

## What happens

Mrs. Lora Delane Porter, a eugenics-obsessed writer, takes her daily drive and accidentally runs over George Pennicut. She meets Kirk Winfield, an artist, and after questioning him about his health and heredity, decides he should marry her niece, Ruth Bannister.

## Themes in this chapter

### Eugenics and Heredity

Mrs. Porter's obsession with heredity and the future of the race is central; she questions Kirk about his family health and decides he should marry Ruth for eugenic purposes.

### Class and Bohemianism

Kirk is an artist with a private income, living in a studio with a servant, representing a bohemian yet comfortable lifestyle.

### Individualism vs. Interference

Mrs. Porter's interference in Ruth's life and her plan to control Kirk's marriage contrasts with Kirk's independent, carefree attitude.

## Character check-ins

### Mrs. Lora Delane Porter

Introduced as a strong-minded eugenicist and author; she runs over George Pennicut and later decides Kirk Winfield should marry her niece Ruth.

### Kirk Winfield

An artist with a private income; he meets Mrs. Porter after she injures his servant, and she questions him about his health and heredity.

### George Pennicut

Kirk's servant with red hair; he is run over by Mrs. Porter's car and later describes her as 'a hawful woman.'

### Ruth Bannister

Mentioned as Mrs. Porter's niece and disciple; she was previously persuaded to refuse Basil Milbank.

### Bailey Bannister

Ruth's brother; he dislikes and suspects Mrs. Porter, who calls him a worm.

### Basil Milbank

Mentioned as a young man Ruth was persuaded to reject because his father believed he was a teapot.

## Key lines

> She subpoenaed grandfathers and even great-grandfathers to give evidence to show that the reason Twentieth-Century Willie squinted or had to spend his winters in Arizona was their own shocking health way back in the days beyond recall.

She blamed modern problems on ancestors, arguing that poor health in past generations caused defects in the present.

_Illustrates Mrs. Porter's extreme hereditarian views._

> I have decided that he shall marry my dear Ruth. They will make a magnificent pair.

She resolved that Kirk would marry Ruth, believing they would produce superior offspring.

_Shows Mrs. Porter's eugenic matchmaking plan._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_coming_of_bill_se/chapters/i-a-pawn-of-fate
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_coming_of_bill_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_coming_of_bill_se/chapters