Written in 1888, The Diary of a Nobody was published in episodic form in Punch Magazine satirising Victorian attitudes and behaviours. The authors, George and Weedon Grossmith, led careers in performing arts and this is reflected through their use of theatrical devices (Pooter is portrayed as ‘the clown’ who always finds themselves in a compromising situation). Through this dairy, the authors gently criticise and ridicule the ‘wrongs’ in society, including the Aesthetic Movement and Oscar Wilde (Pooter is seen to paint his house red, and then black, and it is thought that this is a reference to Wilde’s house which he painted in several shades of white).
J.B Priestley (writer of An Inspector Calls) describes the diary as ”true humour … with its mixture of absurdity, irony and affection..”
This diary follows the daily life of Charles Pooter, a clerk living in Holloway which at the time was a suburb of London. The diary stretches from April 3rd 1888 to July 3rd 1889, a total of 15 months of Pooter’s mundane routines of work, home and social events. There are many embarrassing events for Pooter throughout his diary, however they are due to ordinary circumstances and prove commonplace. This novel paints a portrait of the class system at the time – one that is very tight and stable. Pooter understands his place in this system (well below his boss, Mr Perkupp, and well above the tradesmen and his servants) however his desperation to be a part of the sophisticated upper class is very apparent. During the diary we are introduced to Pooter’s family and his friends as well as work colleagues and tradesmen who are nuisances to Pooter.
There are two, contradicting sides to the character of Charles Pooter. He is conceited, naive and full of self importance but also hard working, honest and loyal. Pooter is also clumsy and the victim for jokes played by his friends and some younger clerks. Despite being desperate for sophistication, Pooter’s ambitions are small, one of them being for his son to follow in his footsteps (although he faces disappointment as his son is the complete opposite of him). Pooter’s honesty and loyalty gains the respect of his family and his boss and although he is found in embarrassing predicaments, readers warm to him as they are taken through his life sympathising with him as well as laughing.
The Daily Telegraph (1996) described Charles Pooter as a ‘moral archetype’ and a ‘decent fellow’, while The Guardian described him as a ‘crashing bore’. This difference in views can be explained as the review is dependent of the newspaper audience.
Links to Society
Pooter’s character is used by the Grossmith brothers to satirise those who are self-important and also those of the upper class – ‘Somebodies’ – who kept and published tedious diaries. The audience at the time this novel was published were used to reading about the lives of those above them, these accounts were written as lengthy journals and were more often than not published because the author would pay the printers. This makes The Diary of a Nobody a fairly controversial piece of work. Charles’ opening line in the novel immediately questions the class system in Victorian society. ‘Why should I not publish my diary?’ and then goes on to say ‘I fail to see – because I do not happen to be a ‘Somebody’ – why my diary should not be interesting.’ It is obvious that George and Weedon Grossmith are ridiculing a mannerism which they and others found arrogant and pompous.
There is also reference to the roles of genders in this novel. ‘.. a tin-tack here, a Venetian blind to put straight, a fan to anil up, or part of a carpet to nail down – all of which I can do with my pipe in my mouth; while Carrie is not above putting a button on a shirt, or mending a pillow-case, or practicing the “Sylvia Gavotte” on our new cottage piano.’ This quote shows stereotypical jobs for men and women, the women’s being the less important. Is practicing the piano really a job?