The impression I got from the books was that to Bertie the relationship has always been pretty much of a constant teetering on the fence between friendship and professional decorum. Right from the start.
Well, I must say I'd thought fairly highly of those shirtings, but I bowed to superior knowledge. Weak? I don't know. Most fellows, no doubt, are all for having their valets confine their activities to creasing trousers and what not without trying to run the home; but it's different with Jeeves. Right from the first day he came to me, I have looked on him as a sort of guide, philosopher, and friend. (TIJ)
Come to think about it, the only time when Bertie seems not to have trusted Jeeves was in the very first book.
"It shows how little I knew Jeeves in those days that I didn't go a bit deeper into the matter with him. Nowadays I would never dream of reading a rummy communication without asking him what he thought of it." (JTC)
From the end of that book, he's completely dependent upon him and keeps referring to him as a sort of a father (or occasionally mother) figure.
The moment I saw the man standing there, registering respectful attention, a weight seemed to roll off my mind. I felt like a child who spots his father in the offing." (TACoC) & “Jeeves,” I said, “I feel like a lost child that has found its mother.” “Indeed, sir?” “If you don’t mind calling you a mother?” “Not at all, sir.” “Thank you, Jeeves.” (TYJ)
But also as something a bit closer and dearer than that, in which the roles seem to be reversed with Bertie turning into Jeeves's caretaker (thinking about the pet gazelle bit) or even (the several mentions of them being friends.)
Bertie is quicker to stand up for Jeeves, and gets increasingly warmer in his direct praise of him. And is it just me or does he see Jeeves and himself as a package deal sometimes? I don't think it's all that much change, though. Jeeves seems to have acquired a spot as a constant support in Bertie's life since the second week of his stay with him. He changes in a couple of other way, though, I think. Comes from living with Jeeves for so long, of course, but he increasingly reproduces and copies the quotes Jeeves uses (whether or not in the right context), he begins to believe himself capable of plotting and planning as well (using Jeeves' tried and true method of the psychology of the individual) and he starts to speak more French.
I keep reading that Jeeves from start to finish stays a two-dimensional deus ex machina on a lot of sites, as if he doesn't change at all. He does, though. Bertie develops intellectually just as much as Jeeves does emotionally. Where he does seem rather aloof and distant in the first books, he goes to melting at the look of Bertie, to being quite distressed about Bertie getting married and being chucked out of his ear (still secretly worrying), to openly expressing his hopes of staying with Bertie indefinitely. I think it probably takes a lot of Jeeves to be able to make a statement like that; he doesn’t like to be open about his own feelings. He normally never is, it wouldn’t be proper, after all. That and I have a suspicion Jeeves takes an increasing delight in Bertie’s way of speaking. As well as the knowledge that he’s moulding him into something quite acceptable. I’ve been giving the idea some thought that Bertie seems to be just enough of a project for Jeeves not to bore him silly (imagine Jeeves in a normal upper class staff? He’d go mad) and he quite likes the way Bertie IS so close to him and strokes his ego every now and then.
Oh dear, what am I talking about? I got off the subject, didn’t I? It’s early, let’s blame that.
*shifty-eyed* I don’t think I made any sort of point now.
no subject
Well, I must say I'd thought fairly highly of those shirtings, but I bowed to superior knowledge. Weak? I don't know. Most fellows, no doubt, are all for having their valets confine their activities to creasing trousers and what not without trying to run the home; but it's different with Jeeves. Right from the first day he came to me, I have looked on him as a sort of guide, philosopher, and friend. (TIJ)
Come to think about it, the only time when Bertie seems not to have trusted Jeeves was in the very first book.
"It shows how little I knew Jeeves in those days that I didn't go a bit deeper into the matter with him. Nowadays I would never dream of reading a rummy communication without asking him what he thought of it." (JTC)
From the end of that book, he's completely dependent upon him and keeps referring to him as a sort of a father (or occasionally mother) figure.
The moment I saw the man standing there, registering respectful attention, a weight seemed to roll off my mind. I felt like a child who spots his father in the offing." (TACoC)
&
“Jeeves,” I said, “I feel like a lost child that has found its mother.”
“Indeed, sir?”
“If you don’t mind calling you a mother?”
“Not at all, sir.”
“Thank you, Jeeves.” (TYJ)
But also as something a bit closer and dearer than that, in which the roles seem to be reversed with Bertie turning into Jeeves's caretaker (thinking about the pet gazelle bit) or even (the several mentions of them being friends.)
Bertie is quicker to stand up for Jeeves, and gets increasingly warmer in his direct praise of him. And is it just me or does he see Jeeves and himself as a package deal sometimes? I don't think it's all that much change, though. Jeeves seems to have acquired a spot as a constant support in Bertie's life since the second week of his stay with him. He changes in a couple of other way, though, I think. Comes from living with Jeeves for so long, of course, but he increasingly reproduces and copies the quotes Jeeves uses (whether or not in the right context), he begins to believe himself capable of plotting and planning as well (using Jeeves' tried and true method of the psychology of the individual) and he starts to speak more French.
I keep reading that Jeeves from start to finish stays a two-dimensional deus ex machina on a lot of sites, as if he doesn't change at all. He does, though. Bertie develops intellectually just as much as Jeeves does emotionally. Where he does seem rather aloof and distant in the first books, he goes to melting at the look of Bertie, to being quite distressed about Bertie getting married and being chucked out of his ear (still secretly worrying), to openly expressing his hopes of staying with Bertie indefinitely. I think it probably takes a lot of Jeeves to be able to make a statement like that; he doesn’t like to be open about his own feelings. He normally never is, it wouldn’t be proper, after all.
That and I have a suspicion Jeeves takes an increasing delight in Bertie’s way of speaking. As well as the knowledge that he’s moulding him into something quite acceptable.
I’ve been giving the idea some thought that Bertie seems to be just enough of a project for Jeeves not to bore him silly (imagine Jeeves in a normal upper class staff? He’d go mad) and he quite likes the way Bertie IS so close to him and strokes his ego every now and then.
Oh dear, what am I talking about? I got off the subject, didn’t I? It’s early, let’s blame that.
*shifty-eyed* I don’t think I made any sort of point now.