Keeping it Away From Harold

By- P. G. Wodehouse
 LIST OF TOPICS
About the Author
About the Story
Setting
Detailed Summary
Question Answer
Character-Sketch of
Mr. Bill Bramble
About the Author
 About the Author
Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse,
KBE(15 October 1881 - 14
February 1975) was a comic
writer who enjoyed enormous
popular success during a career
of an acknowledged master of
English prose. Wodehouse has
been admired both by
contemporaries such as Hilaire
 About the Author
Belloc, Evelyn Waugh and
Rudyard Kipling and by modern
writers such as Douglas Adams,
Salman Rushdie, Zadie Smith
and Terry Pratchett.Best known
today for the Jeeves and
Blandings Castle novels and
short stories, Wodehouse was
also a playwright and lyricist
About the Author
who was part author and writer of
15 plays and of 250 lyrics for some
30 musical comedies.
About the Story
 About The Story
Mr. Bramble, a famous boxer has
a large fan following. But despite
his successful career he is keen to
give up because of his son Harold.
Harold, ten-year-old boy is a
genius. He is an exceptionally
brilliant child in the family. His
mother, Mrs. Bramble is also
convinced that he is a child
prodigy.
 About the Story
They fear that such a superior
human being might not approve of
his father’s profession. So,
Brambles and other family
members, the priest do their best
to hide the truth from him. He is
told that his father is a commercial
traveler. However, in a dramatic
turn of events the truth is revealed
to Harold.
 About the Story
Much to the surprise of his parents,
he is extremely excited to know
that his father is the famous boxing
champion ”Porky” and surprises
with his in-depth knowledge of the
boxing world. He encourages his
father to continue his career and
the matter ends peacefully.
 Setting
The story is set in a semi-detached
red brick home in london where
Brambles were living.
There is a reference to a local
Private school which was quite
expensive and had high standard
in comparison to Brambles’ simple
life style.
There is a reference to National
Sporting club where Bill Bramble
would have had his fight with
American Murphy. There is a
mention of White Hart , a training
centre, where Mr. Bramble was
being trained by Jerry Fisher.
Detailed Summary
 SUMMARY
Mr. and Mrs. Brambles were
fortunate to have Harold as their
son. Harold, a ten-year-old boy, was
a prodigy and had deep interest in
academics. He was very courteous.
He had won the spelling and
dictation prize at Sunday school. He
would consider himself grown –up
and would feel angry for treating as
a child by his mother.
• His parents were in awe of him
and wondered how such a child
had been born to them. Mr. Bill
Bramble was a professional boxer
and had been proud of his fame
but ever since Harold was born,
he had kept this as a secret.
Harold was told that his father
was a commercial traveler.
Mr. Bramble who had thrived on his
feats in the boxing ring, trembled
to see his name in prints now.
Both the parents were afraid of
their son and didn’t wish to fall in
his esteem if he knew about his
father’s profession.
Instigated by his brother-in-law,
Major Percy Stokes, 31 year old
Bramble decided to have his last
20 round boxing match with
American Murphy at the National
Sporting Club and then retire. He
was training for the same at the
White Hart down the road. One
day,
after Harold went for a walk Mrs.
Bramble was surprised to see Bill and
her brother in the doorway. She was
shocked to know that Bill had decided
not to fight and there was lot of
discussion with Percy Stokes. Now , this
was not approved by Mrs. Bramble as
she felt the money, 500 pounds which
he would have won would have helped
in their son’s education.
The trainer, Jerry Fisher entered
at this juncture and he was also
shocked to discover that Bill had
decided to back out at the
eleventh hour. Jerry pleaded,
cried, tempted but Bill didn’t
change his mind because the
fight would be covered by all the
newspapers and would reveal
the truth to Harold. In this chaos
Harold entered and wanted to
know about the reason of their
fight in the house. Jerry felt
cheated and to take a revenge from
Bill, spilt over the entire story to
Harold, despite all opposition. Bill
felt let down before his son and
explained that he was a
professional boxer but was not a
man of wrath and was soon going
to give it up.
• Much to the surprise of his
parents, he was extremely
excited to know that his father
was the famous boxing
champion “Porky”. He surprised
everyone with his knowledge of
the boxing world and the fact
that he had bet some money
on “ Porkey’s win. He said his
friends would have been awfully
proud of him, had they known
that he was the son of famous
“Young Porky” and would not
tease him by saying “Goggles”.
The talk encouraged Bill and
Fisher to complete their training.
Harold reverted back to playing
games with his mother and to
help him with his studies.
Question- Answer
 Question Answers
Q1 What did the Brambles keep from
Harold and why?
Ans- The Brambles found Harold a
class superior to them. He was
genius and amazed his parents with
his courteous behaviour. They were
afraid Harold would look down
upon his father’s profession. So, to
save him from social disgrace they
decided to not to tell him that Mr.
Bramble was a boxer.
 Question Answer
Q2 Why was Mrs. Bramble upset
when she heard that Bill had
decided not to fight?
Ans- Mrs. Bramble was very upset to
know about her husband’s decision
to leave boxing just before the big
fight as it would have helped to
provide for the expenses of their
son’s education.
Q3 How did Major Parcy instigate Mr.
Bramble to give up boxing?
Ans- Major Parcy was a shrewd man
who was not involved in any
constructive work. He wrote
Bramble many letters to scare him
that his secret would be out if he
had that big fight as it was going to
be covered extensively by the
reporters. Thus Harold would know
the reality of his profession and
would feel social disgrace.
Q4 How did Harold come to know
that his father was a boxer?
Ans- Harold, finding the door of his
house open, walked into a room full
of adults discussing about him.
Seizing the opportunity, Mr. Fisher
told him that his father was the
famous boxing champion.
Q5 How did Harold react to the
revelation of the well-guarded
truth?
Ans- Harold was shocked and
displeased at this revelation. He
was upset on their part to hide the
fact from him, thus snatching from
him the deserved respect and fame
of being the son of a famous
boxer.He was also worried about
losing the bet if Bill would not fight.
Q6 Why did Mr. Fisher tell Harold the
truth about Bill’s profession?
Ans- Fisher was so angry with Bill at
backing out from the professional
fight at the eleventh hour. He felt
he had been treated badly and
was desperate to take revenge. So,
he told Harold the truth, knowing
that the Brambles had not wanted
this.
Q7 Describe Harold in brief.
Ans Harold was too perfect, a model of
ideal behaviour and gave an inferior
complex to his parents. He was an
intelligent boy with a deep interest
in academics. Though he was ten-
year old yet he would feel irritated
and wished that his mother should
treat him as a grown-up boy who
had won prizes in spellings and
dictation.
Character- Sketch
 Character – Sketch of Mr. Bill Bramble
Mr. Bramble,31 year-old with
athletic built, was a successful
professional boxer nicknamed
“young Porky” by his fans. He had a
very effective left hook which had
won him many boxing matches. He
looked like a very tough boxer with
his square jaw and irregular shaped
nose. But he appeared to be the
mildest and most obliging of men.
Character-sketch of Mr. Bill Bramble
He could easily be beguiled at
the name of Harold. He was a
doting and devoted father who
was ready to sacrifice all his fame,
name and money for his son
whom he was very proud of so
that he may not feel social
disgrace.