Editing Jeeves (section)

== Personal characteristics ==
=== Age and appearance ===

While Bertie Wooster is approximately 24 years old in "[[Jeeves Takes Charge]]" (1916), Jeeves's age is not stated in the stories, and has been interpreted differently by various illustrators and adaptations. However, there are a few hints in the books regarding Jeeves's age. Jeeves has a long employment history, and he is older than Bertie Wooster.<ref>Wodehouse (1968) [1966], ''Plum Pie'', chapter 1, p. 46. Aunt Dahlia implies that Jeeves is "maturer" than Bertie.</ref> On the other hand, Jeeves is young enough to be engaged to a waitress courted by [[Bingo Little]], who is the same age as Bertie Wooster, in "[[Jeeves in the Springtime]]". His niece, Mabel, is close in age to Bertie since she marries his school friend in "[[The Rummy Affair of Old Biffy]]", though the age-gap between niece and uncle is never specified. In ''[[Ring for Jeeves]]'', Jeeves is described as resembling "a youngish High Priest of a refined and dignified religion".<ref>Wodeshouse (2008) [1953], ''Ring for Jeeves'', chapter 4, p. 40.</ref>

In the reference work ''Wodehouse in Woostershire'' by Wodehouse scholars Geoffrey Jaggard and Tony Ring, it is speculated using information provided in the Jeeves canon that Bertie's age ranges from approximately 24 to 29 over the stories, and that Jeeves is roughly ten years older than Bertie, giving an age range of 35 to 40.<ref>Ring & Jaggard (1999), pp. 124–126.</ref> This happens to agree with a personal letter Wodehouse wrote in 1961 to scholar [[Robert A. Hall Jr.]], in which Wodehouse, explaining that his characters did not age with real life time, gave an approximate age for Jeeves:

<blockquote>Keggs in ''[[A Damsel in Distress (novel)|A Damsel in Distress]]'' is supposed to be the same man who appears in ''[[Something Fishy|The Butler Did It]]'', but does it pan out all right? It doesn't if you go by when the books were written. The ''Damsel'' was published in 1919 and the ''Butler'' in 1957. But I always ignore real life time. After all, Jeeves—first heard of at the age presumably of about thirty-five in 1916—would now be around eighty-five, counting the real years.<ref>Hall (1974), pp. 16 and 19. Jeeves's first appearance was in "Extricating Young Gussie", which was published in 1915 the US. However, multiple Wodehouse reference books say that Jeeves first appeared in 1916, possibly because that is when he first appeared in both the US and the UK.</ref></blockquote>

Thompson suggests that the age gap between Bertie and Jeeves is roughly 20 years. According to the stage directions of ''[[Come On, Jeeves]],'' Jeeves is depicted as being in his mid-forties.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Thompson |first1=Kristin |title=Wooster Proposes, Jeeves Disposes or Le Mot Juste |date=1992 |location=New York |publisher=James H. Heineman, Inc. |isbn=0-87008-139-X |page=127}}</ref> Though, it is worth noting the play is set in the 1950s (later adapted into the novel ''[[Ring for Jeeves|Ring For Jeeves]]''), so this indicates the general age Jeeves may appear to be in the non-linear canon, rather than a chronological reference point.

In appearance, Jeeves is described as "tall and dark and impressive".<ref>Wodehouse (2008) [1953], ''Ring for Jeeves'', chapter 4, p. 40.</ref> When they first meet in "Jeeves Takes Charge", Bertie describes Jeeves as "a kind of darkish sort of respectful Johnnie" with "a grave, sympathetic face" and a nearly silent way of walking that Bertie equates to a "healing zephyr".<ref>Wodehouse (2008) [1925], ''Carry On, Jeeves'', chapter 1, p. 12.</ref> On multiple occasions, Bertie states that Jeeves has "finely chiselled features", and a large head, which seems to Bertie to indicate intelligence.  As Bertie says, Jeeves is "a godlike man in a bowler hat with grave, finely chiselled features and a head that stuck out at the back, indicating great brain power".<ref>Wodehouse (2008) [1949], ''The Mating Season'', chapter 23, p. 219.</ref> Bertie also describes Jeeves's eyes as gleaming with intelligence.<ref name=garrison96 />


=== Personality ===

Bertie frequently describes Jeeves as having a "feudal spirit". Jeeves enjoys helping Bertie and his friends,<ref name="auto1">Usborne (2003), p. 86.</ref> and solves Bertie's personal problems despite not being obliged to do so. Jeeves interrupts his vacation twice to come to Bertie's aid (in "[[The Love That Purifies]]" and ''[[Jeeves in the Offing]]''). He regularly rescues Bertie, usually from an unwanted marriage but also from other threats, such as when he saves Bertie from a hostile swan or when he pulls Bertie out of the way of a taxi.<ref>Wodehouse (2008) [1971], ''Much Obliged, Jeeves'', chapter 4, pp. 32–34.</ref> Jeeves is evidently offended when a revolutionary tells him that servants are outdated in "[[Comrade Bingo]]".<ref>Wodehouse (2008) [1923], ''The Inimitable Jeeves'', chapter 12, p. 126.</ref>

Jeeves generally manipulates situations for the better and is described as "a kindly man" in ''Ring for Jeeves''.<ref>Wodehouse (2008) [1953], ''Ring for Jeeves'', chapter 19, p. 211.</ref> However, he does influence Bertie's decisions to suit his own preferences, such as when he causes Bertie to change his mind about living with his nieces in "[[Bertie Changes His Mind]]". Jeeves is also stubborn when opposing a new item that Bertie has taken a liking to, such as an alpine hat or purple socks. While he often stays on in spite of these radical objects, he can only withstand so much: the worst case is when he resigned after Bertie, privately labeling him as a "domestic [[Benito Mussolini|Mussolini]]", resolved to study the banjolele in the countryside.<ref>Wodehouse (2008) [1934], ''Thank You, Jeeves'', chapter 1.</ref> Usually, Jeeves finds a way to help Bertie with a problem, and Bertie agrees to give away the item that Jeeves disapproves of. Even when Bertie and Jeeves are having a disagreement, Jeeves still shows sympathy, as much as he shows any emotion, when Bertie is in serious trouble.<ref>Wodehouse (2008) [1963], ''Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves'', chapter 4, p. 33. Bertie says regarding Jeeves, "He and the young master may have had differences about Alpine hats with pink feathers in them, but when he sees the y.m. on the receiving end of the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, he sinks his dudgeon and comes through with the feudal spirit at its best. So now, instead of being cold and distant and aloof, as a lesser man would have been, he showed the utmost agitation and concern. That is to say, he allowed one eyebrow to rise perhaps an eighth of an inch, which is as far as he ever goes in the way of expressing emotion."</ref>

Often wearing "an expression of quiet intelligence combined with a feudal desire to oblige",<ref>Wodehouse (2008) [1934], ''Thank You, Jeeves'', chapter 5, p. 50.</ref> Jeeves consistently maintains a calm and courteous demeanor. When he feels discomfort or is being discreet, he assumes an expressionless face which Bertie describes as resembling a "stuffed moose"<ref>Wodehouse (2008) [1934], ''Right Ho, Jeeves'', chapter 9, p. 94.</ref> or "stuffed frog".<ref>Wodehouse (2008) [1954], ''Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit'', chapter 12, p. 118 and chapter 21, p. 219.</ref> When very surprised, he will raise his eyebrow a small fraction of an inch, and when he is amused, the corner of his mouth twitches slightly.<ref>Wodehouse (2008) [1974], ''Aunts Aren't Gentlemen'', chapter 5, p. 46, and chapter 20, p. 182.</ref> His composure extends to his voice, which is soft and respectful.<ref>Wodehouse (2008) [1925], ''Carry On, Jeeves'', chapter 1, p. 31.</ref> When he wishes to start a conversation, he sometimes makes a low gentle cough "like a very old sheep clearing its throat on a misty mountain top".<ref>Wodehouse (2008) [1971], ''Much Obliged, Jeeves'', chapter 11, p. 122.</ref> He may also cough to signify disapproval.<ref>Wodehouse (2008) [1963], ''Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves'', chapter 23, p. 191.</ref> Bertie states that he saw the normally imperturbable Jeeves come "very near to being rattled" for the first time when the sight of [[Bingo Little]] in a false beard caused Jeeves to drop his jaw and steady himself with a table in "Comrade Bingo".<ref>Wodehouse (2008) [1923], ''The Inimitable Jeeves'', chapter 12, p. 123&ndash;124.</ref> In ''[[Joy in the Morning (Wodehouse novel)|Joy in the Morning]]'', Bertie claims that the only occasion on which he had ever seen Jeeves "really rattled" was when he first met Bertie's friend Boko Fittleworth, who wears turtleneck sweaters and flannel trousers with a patch on the knee; Jeeves "winced visibly and tottered off" to recover his composure in the kitchen, where Bertie supposes Jeeves pulled himself together with cooking sherry.<ref>Wodehouse (2008) [1947], ''Joy in the Morning'', chapter 6, p. 52.</ref>

Bertie says that Jeeves is persuasive and magnetic.<ref>Wodehouse (2008) [1934], ''Right Ho, Jeeves'', chapter 22, p. 269. Bertie describes Jeeves: "He is magnetic. There is about him something that seems to soothe and hypnotize. To the best of my knowledge, he has never encountered a charging rhinoceros, but should this contingency occur, I have no doubt that the animal, meeting his eye, would check itself in mid-stride, roll over and lie purring with its legs in the air."</ref> He believes that Jeeves could convince a candidate standing for Parliament to vote against herself.<ref>Wodehouse (2008) [1971], ''Much Obliged, Jeeves'', chapter 8, p. 84.</ref> There is a poetic side to Jeeves, who recites a great deal of poetry. He is much affected when a parted couple reconciles, and tells Bertie that his heart leaps up when he beholds a rainbow in the sky.<ref>Wodehouse (2008) [1947], ''Joy in the Morning'', chapter 16, p. 154 and chapter 17, p. 161. Jeeves is probably quoting William Wordsworth's poem "[[My Heart Leaps Up]]".</ref>

It is not unusual for Bertie's acquaintances to ask for Jeeves's help directly without discussing it with Bertie, and Jeeves is willing to assist them even if Bertie is not involved in any way.<ref>Usborne (2003), p. 93.</ref> Bertie once says that Jeeves "isn't so much a valet as a [[Mayfair]] consultant."<ref>Wodehouse (2008) [1949], ''The Mating Season'', chapter 25, p. 245.</ref> On one occasion, Bertie considers it probable that even the distinguished Sir [[Roderick Glossop]] has consulted Jeeves, and says, "Jeeves is like Sherlock Holmes. The highest in the land come to him with their problems. For all I know, they may give him jewelled snuff boxes."<ref>Wodehouse (1966), ''Plum Pie'', chapter 1, p. 15.</ref>

=== Skills ===
Jeeves presents the ideal image of the gentlemanly manservant, being highly competent, dignified, and respectful. He speaks intelligently and correctly, using proper titles for members of the nobility. One of his skills is moving silently and unobtrusively from room to room. According to Bertie, Jeeves noiselessly "floats" and "shimmers".<ref>Wodehouse (2008) [1938], ''The Code of the Woosters'', chapter 1, p. 1 and chapter 2, p. 28.</ref> Bertie once remarks, "Presently I was aware that Jeeves was with me. I hadn't heard him come in, but you often don't with Jeeves. He just streams silently from spot A to spot B, like some gas".<ref>Wodehouse (2008) [1938], ''The Code of the Woosters'', chapter 6, p. 136.</ref> In addition to being a proficient valet, Jeeves can serve capably as a butler, and does so on a few occasions. As Bertie says in ''Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves'', "If the call comes, he can buttle with the best of them."<ref name=cawthorne170>Cawthorne (2013), p. 170.</ref>

Jeeves has an encyclopedic knowledge of literature and academic subjects. He frequently quotes from [[William Shakespeare|Shakespeare]] and the [[Romanticism|romantic poets]]. Well informed about members of the British aristocracy thanks to the club book of the [[Junior Ganymede Club]], he also seems to have a considerable number of useful connections among various servants. Jeeves uses his knowledge and connections to solve problems inconspicuously.<ref>Cawthorne (2013), p. 173.</ref> [[Richard Usborne]], a leading scholar of the life and works of Wodehouse, describes Jeeves as a "godlike prime mover" and "master brain who is found to have engineered the apparent coincidence or coincidences".<ref>''Wodehouse at Work to the End'', Richard Usborne 1976.</ref> To form his plans, Jeeves often studies "the psychology of the individual" or the personality of one or more people involved in the situation.<ref>Wodehouse (2008) [1930], ''Very Good, Jeeves'', chapter 4, p. 98. Jeeves says that studying "the psychology of the individual" is essential to solving problems, and that this means studying "the natures and dispositions of the principals in the matter".</ref> His mental prowess is attributed to eating fish, according to Bertie Wooster, who credits the phosphorus content in the fish with boosting Jeeves's brain power. Jeeves does not try to argue this claim, though at least once he says he does not eat a lot of fish.<ref>Wodehouse (2008) [1925], ''Carry On, Jeeves'', chapter 5, p. 137.</ref>

One of Jeeves's greatest skills is making a special drink of his own invention, a strong beverage which momentarily stuns one's senses but is very effective in curing hangovers. The drink is Jeeves's version of a [[prairie oyster]].<ref>Cawthorne (2013) p. 47.</ref> Bertie first hires Jeeves after his hangover is cured by one of Jeeves's special drinks.<ref name="auto" /> Not simply a hangover cure, the drink can also give energy to someone who needs it, yet calm down someone who is agitated.<ref>Wodehouse (2008) [1954], ''Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit'', chapter 7, p. 65. "It's a curious thing about those specials of Jeeves's, and one on which many revellers have commented, that while, as I mentioned earlier, they wake the sleeping tiger in you, they also work the other way round. I mean, if the tiger in you isn't sleeping but on the contrary up and doing with a heart for any fate, they lull you in. You come in like a lion, you take your snootful, and you got out like a lamb. Impossible to explain it, of course. One can merely state the facts."</ref> Dark in colour, Jeeves's special pick-me-up is composed of [[Worcester sauce]], a raw egg, and red pepper according to Jeeves, though Bertie suspects that the drink consists of more than that.<ref>Wodehouse (2008) [1934], ''Right Ho, Jeeves'', chapter 5, p. 48.</ref> Wodehouse mentions other ingredients in a personal letter he wrote late in his life, though these ingredients are not referred to in the stories.<ref>Wodehouse (2011), ''P. G. Wodehouse: A Life in Letters'', p. 541. Wodehouse wrote: "Jeeves's bracer does not contain dynamite as is generally supposed. It consists of lime juice, a lump of sugar, and one teaspoonful of [[Mulliner's Buck-U-Uppo|Mulliner's ''Buck-U-Uppo'']]. This, it will be remembered, is the amount of the Buck-U-Uppo given to elephants in India to enable them to face tigers on tiger hunts with the necessary nonchalance."</ref> Additionally, Jeeves is capable of typing and writing [[shorthand]].<ref>Wodehouse (2008) [1971], ''Much Obliged, Jeeves'', chapter 1, p. 10, and chapter 16, p. 183.</ref>

Jeeves has knowledge in more dubious subjects as well. He is well-informed about how to steal paintings and kidnap dogs.<ref>Wodehouse (1993) [1959], ''A Few Quick Ones'', chapter 4, p. 79. Jeeves tells Bertie how to steal a painting with treacle and brown paper, and says that this is "the recognized method in vogue in the burgling industry".</ref><ref>Wodehouse (2008) [1930], ''Very Good, Jeeves'', chapter 5, pp. 125–126. Jeeves tells Bertie how to lure a dog using aniseed, and says that it is extensively used in the dog-stealing industry.</ref> He uses a [[Mickey Finn (drugs)|Mickey Finn]] to incapacitate the unscrupulous [[List of Jeeves characters#Rupert Bingley|Bingley]].<ref>Wodehouse (2008) [1971], ''Much Obliged, Jeeves'', chapter 11, p. 123.</ref> Capable of action when the situation calls for it, Jeeves uses a golf club to knock out Sippy Sipperley in "[[The Inferiority Complex of Old Sippy]]", and takes down a swan with a raincoat and boathook in "[[Jeeves and the Impending Doom]]". He finds it necessary to get Aunt Dahlia to knock out Bertie with a gong stick in "[[Jeeves Makes an Omelette]]", though he agrees with Bertie not to use this sort of tactic again.<ref>Wodehouse (1993) [1959], ''A Few Quick Ones'', chapter 4, p. 89.</ref><ref>Thompson (1992), p. 131. "Certainly Jeeves never uses violence against Bertie, though he does—regretfully—get Aunt Dahlia to knock him out as part of the solution in 'Jeeves Makes an Omelet'."</ref> After Jeeves uses a cosh to knock out Constable Dobbs in ''[[The Mating Season (novel)|The Mating Season]]'', an astonished Bertie describes Jeeves as "something that would be gratefully accepted as a muscle guy by any gang on the lookout for new blood".<ref>Wodehouse (2008) [1949], ''The Mating Season'', chapter 24, p. 235.</ref>

=== Hobbies ===

Jeeves often reads intellectual, "improving" books, including the works of [[Baruch Spinoza|Spinoza]], [[Shakespeare]], and "[[Fyodor Dostoevsky|Dostoevsky]] and the great Russians".<ref>Wodehouse (2008) [1971], ''Much Obliged, Jeeves'', chapter 7, p. 72. Bertie says, "'You want me to recommend you a good book? Well, of course, it depends on what you like. Jeeves, for instance, is never happier than when curled up with his Spinoza or his Shakespeare.'"</ref><ref>Wodehouse (2008) [1954], ''Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit'', chapter 1, p. 11. "'My personal tastes lie more in the direction of Dostoevsky and the great Russians.'"</ref> He also enjoys the works of romance novelist [[Rosie M. Banks]],<ref>Wodehouse (2008) [1923], ''The Inimitable Jeeves'', chapter 1, p. 19.</ref> and regularly reads ''[[The Times]]'', which Bertie occasionally borrows to try the crossword puzzle.<ref>Wodehouse (2008) [1960], ''Jeeves in the Offing'', chapter 2, p. 25.</ref> In "[[Jeeves in the Springtime]]", he went dancing in Camberwell, where he was seen by Bertie's friend Bingo Little. Bingo says that he saw Jeeves "swinging a dashed efficient shoe".<ref>Wodehouse (2008) [1923], ''The Inimitable Jeeves'', chapter 1, p. 15.</ref> Once a week, Jeeves takes the afternoon off to play [[contract bridge|bridge]] at his club, the Junior Ganymede.<ref>Wodehouse (1968) [1966], ''Plum Pie'', chapter 1, p. 32.</ref>

One of Jeeves's hobbies is fishing, which he tends to do during his annual summer holiday, typically taken at [[Bognor Regis]]. Bertie sees him fishing in ''[[Joy in the Morning (Wodehouse novel)|Joy in the Morning]]''.<ref>Wodehouse (2008) [1947], ''Joy in the Morning'', chapter 20, p. 184.</ref> Appreciating travel in general, Jeeves wants to go on a cruise in two different stories, "[[The Spot of Art]]" and ''[[The Code of the Woosters]]''. Jeeves claims that travel is educational, though Bertie suspects that Jeeves has a Viking strain and "yearns for the tang of the salt breezes".<ref>Wodehouse (2008) [1938], ''The Code of the Woosters'', chapter 1, p. 9.</ref> Jeeves occasionally enjoys gambling, which is the reason he wishes to go to Monte Carlo in "[[Jeeves and the Yule-tide Spirit]]".