Henry James 'The Pupil'

Most interactions people encounter, if not all, are with other people. There are brief moments throughout life in which we are alone. Society then is connected through are series of relationships some more pleasant then others. The opening of "The Pupil" by Henry James is a perfect example of unpleasant relationships. The beginning of the passage the author has a third-person omniscient point of view, which gives the reader clear insight on how "the poor man" was timid to ask his boss, Mrs. Moreen, what he would get paid. The author feels bad for Mr. Pemberton, which can be seen when he introduces him as "poor" to illustrate he is financially disadvantaged, but at the same time James feels bad for him. It is safe to say Mrs. Moreen
is rich, which is not just shown through her "jeweled hand" but her dominating personality. Despite this aura of dominance her son is very disrespectful to her. The task Mr. Pemberton must take is difficult and the author shows sympathy. Continuing in the second paragraph Mr. Pemberton is till unable to ask about his salary, which further reinforces the dominating Mrs. Moreen. Even though her son is a brat, like all mothers, she just wants the best for him. The author's attitude towards the love Mrs. Moreen has for her son, Morgan, is seen when he he states "she lowered her voice to sigh" to show she is sad, which demonstrates the writer's knowledge on how people feel relative to each other. Even though the mother of Morgan loves him to death Mr. Pemberton has other thoughts due to his first impressions of the boy. He sees him as a spoiled hid that in his life of a wealthy family will be "unpleasant" to teach. The more the thoughts of Mr. Pemberton are shown the more the relationship of him and the boy is seen. It will be a burden due to Mr. Pemberton's timidness and the disrespectful attitude the boy has. The relationships society has seen and will continue to see is all dependent on the situations that arise. The unpleasant relationships everyone through must be surpassed the individual must rise above in order to survive among society.