Madeline Bassett
Madeline Bassett is a recurring fictional character in the comic novels of the British-American writer PG Wodehouse . She plays a role in five novels that PG Wodehouse published between 1933 and 1971, alongside the protagonist Bertie Wooster and his valet Jeeves .
characterization
Madeline Bassett is the daughter of Sir Watkyn Bassett , a former police magistrate who inherited titles and wealth. The relationship between Bertie and Sir Watkyn is not the best: Sir Watkyn sentenced Bertie to an exceedingly hefty five pounds fine for a police helmet theft on the evening of a major rowing regatta, and Bertie firmly believes that the story of the inheritance was made up and Sir Watkyn collected all the fines himself during his judging years.
Sir Watkyn, Madeline, and Sir Watkyn's lively ward Stiffy Byng resides in Totleigh Towers, a manor house a short drive from Brinkley Court, the manor house of Bertie's Aunt Dahlia and her husband Tom Travers.
Madeline Bassett is described as an extremely good-looking young woman by PG Wodehouse:
“The eyes are big and radiant, the features finely cut, and the hair, nose, teeth and ears are more than just average. Based on [a] photograph, one believes that one is dealing with a being who would meet with the broadest acceptance as a glamor girl. "
At the same time, Madeline is extremely naive and sentimental, declaring the stars to be God's daisy chain and saying that a baby is born when a fairy sneezes
Then not, Jeeves is the novel in which Madeline Bassett appears for the first time: Bertie's old school friend Gussie Fink-Nottle has fallen in love with Madeline, but his shyness has so far prevented him from admitting his love to Madeline. Bertie offers to go for a walk with Madeline in the park and carefully prepare her for the fact that there is someone on Brinkley Court who has deeper feelings for her. Then Gussie, carefully prepared for his performance, is supposed to join and confess his love to Madeline. The plan fails: Madeline believes that Bertie is in love with her. She tells him that she unfortunately has to reject him because she loves Gussie - but she will marry him if her relationship with Gussie fails. As a gentleman, Bertie is unable to explain the misunderstanding to Madeline. The danger that Bertie has to lead Madeline to the altar as a substitute for Gussie, because the fiancée has somehow become disgruntled, is the motive for action in the subsequent novels Alter Adel ist nicht rostet , Jeeves works miracles and SOS; Jeeves! .
“I once stayed in the house of a newly wed friend whose wife had the inscription“ Two loves built this nest ”affixed in lively letters above the fireplace in the salon, where it was impossible to overlook such a thing, and I still remember today the silent pain in the eyes of the Gatterich whenever he stepped into the room and looked at it. It was difficult to say whether Madeline Bassett would take similarly drastic measures when entering the port of marriage, but it seems very likely, which is why I decided to vigorously pursue my efforts to reconcile her and Gussie and leave no stone unturned. "
In Alter Adel does not rust , the rift between Madeline and Gussie is the reason that Bertie dares to venture into the lion's den and travel to Totleigh Towers, Sir Watkyn's country residence. In Jeeves works miracles , Madeline and Aunt Agatha must be prevented from showing up at a family reunion and thus revealing a game of confusion in which Gussie Fink-Nottle and Bertie pretend to be the other. In SOS, Jeeves! forces Madeline Gussie to adopt a vegetarian lifestyle and thus endangers the relationship. The intervention of the valet Jeeves is required to prevent Madeline from carrying out her announcement to marry Bertie if her relationship with Gussie fails.
Novels in which Madeline Bassett is one of the protagonists
- Right Ho, Jeeves (1934); German title: Well then, Jeeves . The novel appeared between December 23, 1933 and January 27, 1934, initially as a sequel in the US Saturday Evening Post .
- The Code of the Woosters (1938); German title: Old nobility does not rust
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The Mating Season (1949); German title of the first translation The highest of feelings ;
- reissued: Jeeves works wonders , newly translated by Thomas Schlachter, Edition Epoca, Zurich
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Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves (1963); German title of the first translation: What to do, Jeeves? ;
- reissued: SOS, Jeeves! , newly translated by Thomas Schlachter, Edition Epoca, Zurich
- Much Obliged, Jeeves (1971); United States title: Jeeves and the Tie That Binds ; German title: It doesn't work without a butler
literature
- Frances Donaldson: PG Wodehouse: A Biography . London 1982, ISBN 0-297-78105-7 .
- Richard Usborne: Plum Sauce. A PG Wodehouse Companion. Overlook, Woodstock / NY 2003, ISBN 1-58567-441-9 .
Web links
- Felicitas von Lovenberg: Jeeves had a wooden expression on his face . Review of Woodhouse's work on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his first novel, Frankfurter Allgemeine, September 17, 2002.
- Thomas Herrmann: Virtuoso transmissions of English language jokes: A workshop talk with Thomas Schlachter . NZZ, October 14, 2008.
- Stephen Fry: What ho, My hero PG Wodehouse , The Independent, January 18, 2000.