Summary of the novel Good-bye, Mr. Chips.short summary

James Hilton's novel, Good-bye Mr.
Chips, is a sentimental tale about a popular schoolteacher at Brookfield, an
English boys school. Nearly the entire story takes place in the form of a reminiscence
as old Mr. Chips sits happily in his rocking chair before a roaring fire one November
night. A popular teacher, Mr. Chips became the most beloved figure at the school,
eventually ascending to headmaster. He was known for his excellent memory for faces and
for his way of turning a joke. His students, many who became leading politicians, loved
him for his good humor and his kindness. As he sat by the fire, he thought about his
wife, who had died many years before, and about the bombs the Germans rained upon the
town during World War I. Mr. Chips, now 85 years old and retired, had been at Brookfield
for nearly half a century before his retirement; now, as he remembered so fondly the
good times he had enjoyed, there was a knock on his door. It was a young student who, he
claimed, had been told that Mr. Chips had sent for him. Mr. Chips recognized it as a
longtime prank the Brookfield boys had often played, but rather than embarrass the boy,
he told him to sit and have tea. Afterward, the boy waved goodbye. He would
later proudly tell his friends that he was the last person to say goodbye to Mr. Chips,
for the old headmaster and teacher died peacefully in his sleep shortly after the boy
left.