46 pages • 1 hour read
George Grossmith, Weedon GrossmithDiary of a Nobody
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1892A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Chapters 20-24Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 20 Summary
Pooter and Carrie are invited to dine at Mr. Franching’s to meet an American journalist, Mr. Hardfur Huttle. The journalist dominates the dinner conversation and rants about mediocrity, appealing to Pooter for support.
The implied insult emerges more openly as Huttle says mediocrity belongs to a man with a soft beard and a tie that hooks on, both of which describe Pooter. He also criticizes Mr. Franching’s modest domestic arrangement and champagne by pretending to praise his host for not taking airs. Carrie later compares the man to Lupin, which bothers Pooter. He is happy that Lupin has original ideas but hopes the ideas are not dangerous. He concludes by attributing his own happiness to his lack of ambition.
Chapter 21 Summary
Lupin is discharged from Mr. Perkupp’s office after referring their most valued client to another firm. Mr. Perkupp assures Pooter that he does not believe Pooter had anything to do with Lupin’s treachery. Hoping to regain the client’s business, he asks Pooter to write to the man, Mr. Crowbillon, to explain that the firm only hired Lupin out of respect for Pooter. Lupin, meanwhile, mended fences with Murray Posh and accepted the gift of one of his hats.
Pooter sends the letter and receives a brief reply from Mr. Crowbillon saying that Lupin in five minutes “displayed more intelligence than your firm has done during the last five years” (192). A second letter from the firm to which Lupin referred Crowbillon contains a check for £25 as a commission for the referral. The firm hires Lupin at an extravagant salary. Carries concludes once again that her son is a second Hardfur Huttle.
Chapter 22 Summary
The Pooters dine with Mr. and Mrs. James. Their son, Percy, kicks Pooter in the shins repeatedly, and Mrs. James reprimands Pooter when he tries to scold the child. Percy subsequently slaps Carrie in the face and abuses the other guests in various ways. When Pooter tells Carrie he doesn’t care for Mrs. James, she tells him she has had to put up with Gowing, who is vulgar, and Cummings, who is uninteresting, for years. At least, she retorts, Mrs. James is intelligent.
Mrs. James piques Carrie’s interest in spiritualism. She arrives for a visit and conducts a séance attended by the two women and Cummings.
Pooter writes a stern letter to the laundress to say that she has removed the color from the handkerchiefs and asks her to return either the color or the cost of the handkerchiefs. She overpays for the handkerchiefs, and Pooter insists on returning three pence to her. Mrs. James continues to hold séances with Carrie, who asks Pooter to join them to be sociable. He does so and a few revelations surprise him. His interest is now piqued, and he attends another séance that he finds “remarkable.” Gowing and Cummings join in, and the table rocks violently. Pooter thinks Gowing is playing tricks, but when Gowing sits out, the spirit continues to provide messages: a reference to an old friend of Mrs. James and a warning to Lupin about Murray Posh.
The next day Gowing arrives with a sealed envelope containing a question. He says he will believe in spiritualism if the spirit answers his question. The spirit’s answer to the question, asking Pooter’s age, is roses, lilies, and cows. At this, Pooter puts a stop to the séances, and when Mrs. James protests, he insists that he is the master of the house. Mrs. James mutters something disrespectful that he can’t quite make out.
Chapter 23 Summary
Lupin finds a new apartment near Murray and Daisy Posh and moves out of his parents’ home. Pooter is surprised to receive a visit from Lupin and Daisy. Lupin has come to invite them to dine with him along with the Poshes and Murray’s sister, Lillie Posh. Pooter is irritated by Lillie’s laugh and suspects that she uses makeup. On arriving home close to midnight, Pooter finds a waiting cab and a request from the writer Hardfur Huttle to meet him at the Victoria Hotel. The cabbie says it is not too late for the meeting to take place, and Pooter goes. Huttle wants him to know that he has a rich American friend who is looking for a firm like Mr. Perkupp’s, an idea that overjoys Pooter.
Chapter 24 Summary
Pooter writes a letter to Lupin regarding his inappropriate attention toward Daisy Posh. The rich American client Huttle referred has indeed taken his business to Mr. Perkupp, who in turn offers to buy Pooter’s house and present it to “the most honest and most worthy man it has ever been [his] lot to meet” (220). As Pooter celebrates with Carrie, Gowing, and Cummings, he receives a letter from Lupin saying he is engaged to Lillie Posh and hopes to see Gowing and Cummings at the wedding. Lupin signs it “The same old Lupin” (220).
Chapters 19-24 Analysis
In the novel’s final chapters, the Grossmiths conclude the novel’s various plot points and reveal that many of the novel’s major characters show little personal growth. In doing so, they highlight the novel’s continued thematic exploration of The Absurdity of Social Aspirations, The Discrepancy Between Self-Perception and the Perception of Others, and Taking Oneself Too Seriously. Pooter still insists he is the master of his home and writes angry letters instead of confronting his antagonists. Lupin still seeks to marry young ladies deemed inappropriate; his signature, “The same old Lupin” (220), stresses the fact that he hasn’t changed. Carrie, too, is still heavily influenced by her friend Mrs. James.
Instead of significant character evolution, the chapters provide plot developments that result in the characters’ happiness. Honest, hardworking Pooter receives the gift of home ownership; bold, flashy Lupin gets a lucrative job and a new, wealthy fiancée; devoted Carrie is happy because her loved ones are happy. In these conclusions, the Grossmiths often focus on the positive characteristics individuals possess, such as honesty or loyalty. Here, Pooter receives improved economic security as a new homeowner. However, it is due to his hard work. As a result, the authors demonstrate The Absurdity of Social Aspirations, showing that Pooter’s near-constant preoccupation with class and maintaining rigid boundaries between him and his peers detracted from his true happiness.
Hardfur Huttle, a minor character in the novel, is instrumental in its resolution. Considering Huttle’s prior behavior, his role in making Pooter considerably wealthier at the end of the novel is sudden. However, Pooter has consistently treated Huttle with respect despite the man’s overbearing remarks. Pooter can extend the respect he wishes to gather toward others who show an inflated sense of self-regard. Ultimately, Pooter is rewarded for his behavior.
