Psmith in the City · Chapter
XXI: Psmith Makes Inquiries explained
Psmith learns from Bristow that Mike is being berated by Mr.
What happens
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.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Rising action.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
This is the story's dramatic climax because it marks the emotional and psychological peak where Psmith, having…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Friendship and Loyalty
Psmith immediately steps in to support Mike after his dismissal, showing deep loyalty and a willingness to use his influence.
- Work vs. Idleness
Psmith's leisurely posture and musing contrast with the serious consequences of Mike's job loss, highlighting the tension between duty and leisure.
- Authority and Rebellion
Mike's confession and dismissal represent a direct clash with Bickersdyke's authority, while Psmith plans to challenge that authority at the club.
Characters to notice
- Psmith
Leans gracefully against his desk, muses on commercial duties, and decides to investigate Mike's trouble with Bickersdyke.
- Mike Jackson
Dazed after being dismissed by Bickersdyke; worries about what his family will say and his future employment.
- Mr. Bickersdyke
Furiously berates Mike in his office, using his public-speaking fluency to denounce him.
- Bristow
Reports the 'hurricane' in Bickersdyke's room to Psmith, wearing a flamboyant waistcoat.
Key passages
“Your secretarial duties must be paramount. Nothing must be allowed to interfere with them. Yes. The thing must stop before it goes too far.”
Psmith insists that Mike's role as his confidential secretary must come first, and that he must stop intervening in others' problems.
Psmith humorously elevates Mike's secretarial duties to a paramount position, using mock-seriousness to advise against self-sacrifice.
“I have some little influence with Comrade Bickersdyke. Wrongly, perhaps, he thinks somewhat highly of my judgement.”
Psmith claims he has influence over Bickersdyke, who supposedly values his opinion, though he says this with ironic modesty.
Psmith's characteristic self-deprecating irony underscores his confidence in manipulating the manager.
