Full Moon: Analysis of Major Characters
"Full Moon: Analysis of Major Characters" delves into the intricate relationships and characteristics of key figures residing at Blandings Castle, a fictional estate in Shropshire. Central to the narrative is Clarence Threepwood, the ninth Earl of Emsworth, depicted as a somewhat oblivious and easily influenced individual, primarily devoted to his prized pig, the Empress of Blandings. His younger brother, Galahad, stands in stark contrast, embodying charm and sophistication, despite being disapproved of by their sisters.
The story also introduces William "Blister" Lister, a well-meaning but somewhat clumsy suitor entangled in a romantic pursuit hindered by societal expectations, while Prudence Garland and Veronica Wedge represent the complexities of love and social standing amid familial pressures. Lady Hermione Wedge, the mother of Veronica, is intent on orchestrating a favorable match for her daughter with the wealthy American, Tipton Plimsoll, who is depicted as a conflicted suitor amidst his own challenges.
The narrative intricately weaves these character dynamics, highlighting themes of love, social class, and familial duty, all set against the backdrop of the whimsical yet competitive world of the English gentry and agriculture. Each character contributes to a rich tapestry of comedic misadventures, reflecting both the absurdities and the charm of upper-class society.
Full Moon: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: P. G. Wodehouse
First published: 1947
Genre: Novel
Locale: Blandings Castle, an estate in Great Britain
Plot: Farce
Time: The mid-twentieth century, after World War I
Clarence Threepwood, the ninth Earl of Emsworth, the vague and woolly-headed master of Blandings Castle, somewhere in Shropshire. In the opinion of his younger brother Galahad—who has had ample opportunity to form a reasoned judgment—his IQ is about thirty points lower than that of a not-too-agile-minded jellyfish. He is ruled by whichever of his ten sisters happens to be in residence at Blandings, in this case Lady Hermione Wedge. The widowed father of Freddie Threepwood, he is devoted chiefly to his black Berkshire sow, the Empress of Blandings.
The Hon. Galahad Threepwood, the fifty-six-year-old younger brother of Clarence. He has headquarters in Duke Street, St. James, and subsists on a younger son's allowance from the Threepwood estate. He is one of the great London figures at whom the world of the stage, the race course, and the rowdier restaurants point with pride. Although strongly disapproved of by his sisters, he is the only genuinely distinguished member of his family. He masterminds a scheme to put the Empress of Blandings in Veronica's bedroom as a means of breaking down Tipton Plimsoll's shy reserve and concocts a variety of schemes to keep Bill Lister at Blandings until his union with Prue Garland is accepted by her family.
William Galahad “Blister” Lister, the godson of Galahad Threepwood, son of a sporting journalist and a Strong Woman on the music-hall stage. A painter of limited talent, he has just inherited from his uncle a pub on the outskirts of Oxford. His broad nose, prominent ears, prognathous chin, and heavily muscled body give him the general aspect of a kindly gorilla. He is in love with Prudence Garland, but his suit is determinedly opposed by her mother, Lady Dora, and by Lady Hermione Wedge. With the aid of Galahad, he appears at Blandings in various aliases, two of them artists commissioned to paint a portrait of the Empress of Blandings.
Tipton Plimsoll, a rich young American educated in England. He has just inherited from his uncle Chet Tipton (a longtime crony of Galahad Threepwood) a controlling interest in Tipton's Stores, with branches in every small town throughout the Middle West. Tall and thin, with a beaky nose and horn-rimmed spectacles, he is by virtue of his enormous wealth the welcome suitor of Veronica Wedge.
Prudence Garland, the only daughter of Lady Dora and Sir Everard Garland, K.C.B. Trim, slim, and blue-eyed, she is in love with Bill Lister and has been exiled to Blandings Castle to prevent further developments along that line.
Veronica (Vee) Wedge, the only daughter of Lady Hermione and Colonel Egbert Wedge. Twenty-three years old, she is the least intelligent but most beautiful girl registered among the collateral branches in the pages of Debrett's Peerage. Once engaged to her cousin Freddie Threepwood, she is courted successfully by the American millionaire Tipton Plimsoll.
Lady Hermione Wedge, the sister of Lord Emsworth and chatelaine of Blandings Castle. She is the wife of Colonel Egbert Wedge and mother of Veronica. Unlike her numerous tall and stately sisters, she is short and dumpy and looks like a cook. Her self-appointed mission is to encourage the courtship of her daughter by Tipton Plimsoll and to discourage the courtship of her niece Prudence Garland by Bill Lister.
Colonel Egbert Wedge, the husband of Lady Hermione for twenty-four years and father of Veronica. He is the retired colonel of a cavalry unit.
Lady Dora Garland, a relict of the late Sir Everard Garland, K.C.B., and one of Lord Emsworth's tall and beaky sisters. She lives on the fourth floor of Wiltshire House, Grosvenor Square, London. Acutely alive to the existence of class distinctions, she vigorously opposes the courtship of her daughter Prudence by Bill Lister, to prevent which she ships Prue off to Blandings Castle.
The Hon. Freddie Threepwood, the younger son of Lord Emsworth, who has inherited his father's intelligence but shows much of his uncle Galahad's energy and enterprise. Once engaged to his cousin Veronica, he is now a vice president of Donaldson's Dog-Joy in Long Island City and happily married to Niagara “Aggie” Donaldson. Back in England to build the English end of the dog biscuit business, he is headquartered at Blandings Castle while calling on Shrop-shire gentry to generate large orders for Donaldson's Dog-Joy.
The Empress of Blandings, a black Berkshire sow who is the apple of Lord Emsworth's eye. She was twice in successive years a popular winner in the Fat Pigs Class at the Shrop-shire Agricultural Show. Placed in Veronica Wedge's bedroom, she elicits a scream that brings Veronica and Tipton Plimsoll together.