Rebellion Versus Authority

Where it surfaces

• Revelry by Night

  Mike's resentment of being patronized by Bob and Firby-Smith leads him to break rules by exploring the house and playing the gramophone, a direct act of rebellion against Mr. Wain.

• In Which a Tight Corner Is Evaded

  Mike and Wyatt defy Mr. Wain's rules by sneaking out at night and then cleverly deceive him with a burglar story to avoid punishment.

• VII: In Which Mike Is Discussed

  Wyatt's nightly dormitory escapes and Mike's potential to follow him highlight the conflict between school rules and personal freedom.

• A Row with the Town

  The schoolboys defy the headmaster's strict rules against town rows, and Wyatt openly challenges Constable Butt's authority.

• Before the Storm

  Wyatt's defiance of the headmaster's punishment and his recruitment of other students represent a direct challenge to school authority, escalating from individual protest to collective action.

• The Great Picnic

  The entire school appears to have defied the headmaster's cancellation of the holiday, creating an unprecedented rebellion that the masters discuss with a mix of humor and concern.

• XI: The Conclusion of the Picnic

  The mass absence of the school (the Great Picnic) is a direct act of rebellion, yet the headmaster responds with calm authority, turning the situation into a managed lesson.

• Mike Gets His Chance

  The headmaster's sweeping punishment for the picnic row illustrates the ongoing conflict between student rebellion and institutional authority.

• A Slight Imbroglio

  Mike's insult to Firby-Smith is a direct challenge to prefect authority.

• Mike Goes to Sleep Again

  Mike rebels against Firby-Smith's authority by skipping fielding, but Wyatt's lecture highlights the distinction between breaking written rules and violating unwritten codes.

• The Team Is Filled Up

  Mike's skipping of fielding practice and Firby-Smith's report to Burgess illustrate the conflict between individual actions and institutional expectations.

• A Surprise for Mr. Appleby

  Wyatt's nighttime escape and Mr. Appleby's subsequent decision to report it highlight the tension between student rebellion and the duty of school authorities.

• Caught

  Wyatt's breakout and Mr. Wain's authoritarian response highlight the tension between student rebellion and housemaster authority.

• Marching Orders

  Wyatt's casual defiance and Mr. Wain's stern enforcement of rules highlight the clash between individual rebellion and institutional authority.

• Psmith

  Psmith's plan to join the Archaeological Society to avoid cricket and break bounds reflects a subtle rebellion against school rules.

• Staking Out a Claim

  Psmith and Mike defy the usual study allocation system, using cleverness to override Spiller's claim and manipulate Mr. Outwood.

• Guerilla Warfare

  Mike and Psmith defy Spiller's claim to the study and resist the senior day-room's attempts to expel them.

• Unpleasantness in the Small Hours

  Mike and Psmith defy the raiders and the school's implicit order, establishing their own rules and posting a defiant notice.

• Adair

  Mike and Psmith defy Adair's and Mr. Downing's expectations by choosing archaeology over cricket, asserting their independence.

• Mike Finds Occupation

  Mike rebels against the school's cricket hierarchy by refusing to play for Sedleigh and instead playing for a village team.

• The Fire Brigade Meeting

  The Fire Brigade meeting exemplifies student rebellion against Mr. Downing's authority through pranks and disorder, with Mike caught in the crossfire.

• Achilles Leaves His Tent

  Mike's refusal to play for the school and his decision to play for a village team, then agreeing to play against Downing's, represents a quiet rebellion against Adair and the school's expectations.

• The Match with Downing’s

  Outwood's house rebels against Mr. Downing by refusing to declare, prolonging the match to humiliate his house.

• XLII: Jellicoe Goes on the Sick-List

  Mr. Downing's angry lecture targets Mike for his role in the deliberate rag, highlighting the tension between student pranks and master authority.

• Mike Receives a Commission

  Mike plans to break out after lights-out, defying school rules to settle a debt.

• And Fulfils It

  Mike sneaks out at night, risking expulsion, in defiance of school rules.

• Pursuit

  Mike's flight from Sergeant Collard and Mr. Downing, and his decision to ring the fire alarm, represent a direct challenge to school authority.

• The Decoration of Sammy

  The boys' prank against Mr. Downing, including the bell-ringing and paint on Sammy, reflects a collective defiance of school authority.

• Mr. Downing on the Scent

  The unknown boy's prank—painting the dog and ringing the fire bell—is a direct act of rebellion against Mr. Downing's authority and the school's rules.

• The Sleuthhound

  Mr. Downing's investigation represents authority's attempt to uncover and punish the rebellious act of painting Sammy.

• A Check

  Mr. Downing's authoritarian investigation is met with Psmith's polite but subversive resistance, highlighting the tension between school authority and student defiance.

• L: The Destroyer of Evidence

  Psmith defies Mr. Downing's search and cleverly protects evidence, undermining the housemaster's authority.

• LII: On the Trail Again

  Mike's wearing of pumps, even unintentionally, represents a minor defiance of school rules, which Mr. Downing seizes upon as evidence of a larger transgression.

• The Kettle Method

  Stone and Robinson openly defy Adair's authority over early-morning practice, leading to a physical confrontation.

• Adair Has a Word with Mike

  Mike's refusal to play for Sedleigh and his defiance of Adair's demands represent a rebellion against the school's authority and expectations.

• Clearing the Air

  Mike's initial refusal to play for Sedleigh represents rebellion against school authority, which he abandons after the fight.

• Mr. Downing Moves

  Mike's defiance of Mr. Downing's accusations and Psmith's strategic manipulation of the housemaster highlight the tension between students and school authority.

• The Artist Claims His Work

  Psmith's false confession and subsequent explanation challenge the headmaster's authority.