Kipps

On the eve of his seven-year apprenticeship, Arthur Kipps asks Ann Pornick to be his girl. They split a silver sixpence, each keeping half, sealing a young promise between them. This small moment foreshadows the social and emotional crossroads that will shape his life.

Kipps starts work for Mr. Shalford in a Folkestone drapery store, beginning seven years of routine and quiet insignificance. He lives within the shop's strict rules and drab schedule, gradually becoming an unremarkable figure. The years slip by with little to disturb his ordinary life.

Kipps attends a free lecture on self‑improvement delivered by Chester Coote and decides to enroll in a course. The impulse to better himself nudges him onto a new social path. This moment marks the first explicit push toward upward mobility.

Coote steers Kipps away from his preferred literature class toward a woodworking class taught by Helen Walshingham, a member of the local gentry. Kipps is instantly smitten, but Helen keeps her distance due to his social inferiority. The dynamic highlights the friction between love and class ambition.

One night, actor and playwright Chitterlow rides his bicycle into Kipps and tears his trousers. Chitterlow takes Kipps to his lodgings to repair the clothes, and they get drunk as he describes his latest play. Kipps learns that a character in Chitterlow's play shares his own name.

Kipps arrives late for work and is dismissed by Mr. Shalford for breaking a strict rule for live-in employees. Losing steady employment pushes him toward new possibilities and the chance for greater wealth. The sacking removes a safety net and accelerates his social ascent.

Chitterlow visits Kipps during his notice period and explains that the famous advertisement Kipps heard referred to him, not Kipps himself. This twist makes Kipps realize his life may be connected to larger public stories and opportunities. The moment foreshadows the way fame will touch his future.

Kipps discovers he has inherited a large house and a fortune (£26,000) from a grandfather he had never met. The windfall dramatically changes his social status and opens the door to new ventures and riskier bets. The inheritance becomes the catalyst for the rest of the plot.

Chitterlow convinces Kipps to invest £300 in his new play for a half share. The bank scene later confirms the hit-and-miss nature of show business. The investment ties Kipps emotionally and financially to the theatre world and his fortune.

At the bank, Coote suggests that Kipps hire Ronnie Walshingham to manage his fortune. Kipps discovers that Ronnie is Helen Walshingham's brother, which heightens his interest in the engagement and the possibility of marrying into Helen's circle. The coincidence deepens the web of money, family, and romance around Kipps.

Coote and the Walshinghams maneuver Kipps into an engagement with Helen. He feels uneasy about the arrangements but the promise of status and wealth is compelling. The engagement marks a turning point toward marriage within the new social order.

Kipps meets Ann at the seaside and feels the old spark again, not realizing she is now a parlour maid. At a formal tea party she serves in the house, she places half of her sixpence in his hand; Kipps declares his love. In a rush of passion and social pressure, they rush off to marry.

The newlyweds quarrel over Kipps's insistence on maintaining his social position. The conflict underlines the friction between wealth, status, and personal happiness. Their marriage is tested by class requirements as they attempt to balance love with ambition.

Kipps goes to Ronnie Walshingham's office, fearing a breach-of-promise suit, only to find Helen there. She confesses that Ronnie has embezzled all their money and fled. Kipps is left to pick up the shattered pieces of his financial and familial hopes.

Chitterlow arrives from the theatre at night with news that his play is a great success and will have a long run, earning Kipps his half-share. The windfall enables him to open a bookshop and live comfortably with Ann and their baby. The future looks stable, if not glamorous, for the couple.