Psmith in the City · Chapters

Chapters explained

Chapter companions for Psmith in the City by P. G. Wodehouse.

Read with companions Book page

Each chapter has a companion in the reader — open a free preview to see notes beside the text.

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.

Free preview

27 more chapter companions sit beside the text in BetterReads — open a free preview to unlock the rest.

27 more companions → free preview

Dedication

Psmith in the City

Mr. Bickersdyke Walks Behind the Bowler's Arm

Mike Hears Bad News

The New Era Begins