Good-bye, Mr. Chips: Analysis of Major Characters
"Good-bye, Mr. Chips" is a poignant narrative centered around Mr. Chipping, affectionately known as Mr. Chips, a retired schoolmaster reflecting on his life and career at Brookfield school. He is characterized as a nurturing figure, remembered with fondness by his former students, and his legacy is intertwined with the memories of his late wife, Katherine Bridges Chipping, who holds a significant place in his heart. Their marriage, though brief, is marked by deep affection, and her tragic death during childbirth becomes a pivotal moment in Mr. Chips's life.
The story also highlights other key characters, such as Mrs. Wickett, Mr. Chips's landlady, and various students who shape his experiences, including Colley and Linford, the latter being the last to bid him farewell. Mr. Chips has a complicated relationship with headmasters like Wetherby and Ralston, illustrating the evolving nature of education and authority within the school. Additionally, the impact of war is felt through characters like Collingwood and Max Staefel, whose stories emphasize the broader historical context surrounding Mr. Chips's life. Through these characters, the narrative explores themes of nostalgia, loss, and the enduring influence of a dedicated educator in the lives of his students.
Good-bye, Mr. Chips: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: James Hilton
First published: 1934
Genre: Novel
Locale: An English boys' school
Plot: Sentimental
Time: 1870–1933
Mr. Chipping, referred to as Mr. Chips, a retired schoolmaster, white-haired, semi-bald, fairly active for his age. Unprofound, he prefers detective novels to the Greek and Latin works that he taught for so long. His mind is filled with memories of his dead wife, the many boys he taught at Brookfield, and the many experiences he had there. He is a legend at the school and is remembered with affection. He dies dreaming of the thousands of boys he had taught.
Mrs. Wickett, his landlady.
Wetherby, the head of Brookfield when Mr. Chips came there.
Colley, a Brookfield boy whom Mr. Chips disciplined on his first day at the school. Colley's son and grandson later become pupils of Mr. Chips.
Katherine (Kathie) Bridges Chipping, Mr. Chips's young wife, whom he marries at forty-eight. She is very popular with the boys. She dies in childbirth along with her infant son.
Dr. Merivale, Mr. Chips's physician.
Collingwood, a Brookfield boy who becomes a major and is killed in the war.
Ralston, a young headmaster at Brookfield whom Mr. Chips never likes.
Chatteris, Ralston's successor as headmaster; he and Mr. Chips get on well.
Max Staefel, a former German master at Brookfield, drafted while visiting in Germany and later killed on the Western Front.
Linford, a Brookfield boy, the last to say, “Goodbye, Mr. Chips,” the night before the old man dies.