# Unhappy Mr. Meggs — Short Fiction character guide

> Unhappy Mr. Meggs in Short Fiction by P. G. Wodehouse.

**Role:** major

**Also known as:** Mr. Meggs, So Mr. Meggs

**First appearance:** 0000-when-papa-swore-in-hindustani

## Snapshot

A British butterfly enthusiast marooned in a town with no pleasures, Mr. Meggs has outlasted a parade of secretaries with only the formidable Miss Pillenger still standing.

## Who they are

Mr. Meggs has devoted his life to British Butterflies and his hometown offers nothing else, a place so devoid of amusement that every typist before Miss Pillenger has fled to London like a frightened pony. Miss Pillenger alone remains, six years and counting, her clenched dignity drawn back like a fist against any male who steps past professional civility. The pathos of her staying touches Mr. Meggs even as he drones on about Lepidoptera, and their odd, unequal partnership sets up the story's comedy of boredom, endurance, and the strange loyalty that outlasts every temptation to leave.

## Relationships

### [Miss Pillenger](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_42_se/characters/miss_pillenger)

_psychological_

Miss Pillenger and Unhappy Mr. Meggs have a tense, possibly manipulative dynamic, with Mr. Meggs as the victim.

### [Miss Pillenger](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_42_se/characters/miss_pillenger)

_psychological_

Miss Pillenger and Unhappy Mr. Meggs have a tense, possibly manipulative dynamic, with Mr. Meggs as the victim.

### [Miss Pillenger](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_42_se/characters/miss_pillenger)

_psychological_

Miss Pillenger and Unhappy Mr. Meggs have a tense, possibly manipulative dynamic, with Mr. Meggs as the victim.

## In the story

### [Crowned Heads](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_42_se/chapters/crowned-heads)

Mr. Bennett is Katie's paralyzed grandfather, who opposes her engagement to Ted Brady, causing her distress.

### [A Sea of Troubles](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_42_se/chapters/a-sea-of-troubles)

The protagonist, a 56-year-old retired clerk suffering from chronic indigestion, who plans suicide but is revitalized by an unexpected chase.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_42_se/characters/unhappy_mr_meggs
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_42_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_42_se/characters