
The Pupil
by Henry James
'The Pupil' Summary
Pemberton, a penniless graduate of Oxford, takes a job to tutor Morgan Moreen, aged eleven, a brilliant and somewhat cynical member of a wandering American family. His mother and father refuse to pay Pemberton as they jump their bills from one hotel to another in Europe. Pemberton grows to dislike all the Moreens except Morgan, including older brother Ulick and sisters Paula and Amy.
Morgan, who is afflicted with heart trouble, advises Pemberton to escape his family's baleful influence. But Pemberton stays on because he has come to love and admire his pupil and he hopes for at least some eventual payment. Pemberton finally has to take another tutoring job in London simply to make ends meet. He is summoned back to Paris, though, by a telegram from the Moreens that says Morgan has fallen ill.
It turns out that Morgan is healthy enough, though the fatal day arrives when his family is evicted from their hotel for nonpayment. Morgan's parents beg Pemberton to take their son away with him while they try to find some money. Morgan is ecstatic at the prospect of leaving with Pemberton, but the tutor hesitates. Morgan suddenly collapses with a heart attack and dies. In the story's ironic final note, James says that Morgan's father takes his son's death with the perfect manner of "a man of the world."
Book Details
Language
EnglishOriginal Language
EnglishPublished In
1891Genre/Category
Tags/Keywords
Authors

Henry James
America, Britain
Henry James was born in New York City on April 15, 1843, into a wealthy and intellectually stimulating family. His father, Henry James Sr., was a Swedenborgian philosopher and his mother, Mary Roberts...
Books by Henry JamesDownload eBooks
Listen/Download Audiobook
- Select Speed
Related books

The Roll-Call by Arnold Bennett
"The Roll-Call" is the sequel to the Clayhanger trilogy. This book concerns the young life of Clayhanger's stepson, George. George Edwin Cannon (he qu...

Crofton Boys by Harriet Martineau
Crofton Boys is a Victorian novel that offers a glimpse into the lives of young boys attending a boarding school in the 19th century. The story follo...

Typhoon by Joseph Conrad
Typhoon is a short novel by Joseph Conrad, begun in 1899 and serialized in Pall Mall Magazine in January–March 1902. Its first book publication was in...

Orra by Joanna Baillie
"Orra is a young woman who is cursed with the power of second sight. She can see into the future, but her visions are often dark and disturbing. Orra...

One Basket by Edna Ferber
This sparkling collection of 7 short stories by Ferber includes some that are considered her all time best like The Woman Who Tried To be Good and The...

Bishop's Apron by W. Somerset Maugham
In "Bishop's Apron", W. Somerset Maugham crafts a witty and biting social commentary on the aspirations, hypocrisies, and complexities of the Victoria...

Crime of Sylvestre Bonnard by Anatole France
The Crime of Sylvestre Bonnard follows the titular character, a respected historian, as he embarks on a quest to find a rare manuscript: a French vers...

The Romance of a Shop by Amy Levy
It centers around the Lorimer sisters who decide to open their own photography business after the death of their father leaves them in poverty. The no...

Daisy Chain, or Aspirations by Charlotte Mary Yonge
Daisy Chain, or Aspirations is a Victorian novel that follows the lives of the May family, a large and loving household in rural England. The story un...

Victory by Lester Del Rey
In the gripping science fiction novel "Victory" by Lester del Rey, humanity's survival hangs in the balance as a desperate battle unfolds on an alien...
Reviews for The Pupil
No reviews posted or approved, yet...