What is wise counsel? Part II.
by Keith Whitaker, Defining Wisdom Grantee Wise Counsel Research— www.wisecounselresearch.org After our recent conversation about the Fool in King Lear , our reading group decided to pursue wisdom in a comic context, with the character of Jeeves—the seemingly
by Keith Whitaker, Defining Wisdom Grantee
Wise Counsel Research—www.wisecounselresearch.org
After our recent conversation about the Fool in King Lear, our reading group decided to pursue wisdom in a comic context, with the character of Jeeves—the seemingly omniscient “gentleman’s gentleman”—in the Bertie Wooster novels by P.G. Wodehouse. We began with two questions: What are Jeeves’ motivations? And how imaginable is Jeeves in any other setting?
We noted that Jeeves’ calls his own special knowledge “the psychology of the individual.” Jeeves observes characters and events, and with a light touch (or a toss of a cow creamer) he sets things in motion. His near-omniscience may make him seem “creepy,” distant, or hidden. It also appears that he has little or no eros, or deep longing for something beyond possibly a pleasant cruise or a successful side-bet here or there. What do you think are the motivations of the wise counselors to the great?
Could Jeeves exist elsewhere than the rarified world of the Wodehouse English aristocracy? Would he fit with Kim Jong Il’s courtiers in North Korea? Or as the executive assistant in an international corporation? Maybe he has no place in a world in which people lack confidence as masters, since they are used only to machines getting things done? Where, if anywhere, do you think the quiet but wise servant finds a home today?
We ended our call with a discussion of the question, Is comedy truer than other dramatic forms at presenting wisdom? Bertie, for example, comes across as a light and unserious character. But perhaps it is his capacity for comedy—his wisdom?—that allows him to rule and be ruled well? Would you say comedy offers a more complete picture of wisdom than other forms?
For more on Jeeves, I’d refer readers to our portrait of him at www.wisecounselresearch.org. For our next call, we’re sticking with the comic vein and discussing Jim, of Kingsley Amis’ wonderful Lucky Jim.
Image: Stephen Fry (left) as Jeeves and Hugh Laurie as Bertie Wooster in the TV series Jeeves and Wooster. Source: Wikipedia.
[]
[]