The Pupil

In the passage from “the Pupil” by Henry James, the author depicts the 3 characters and their relationships toward each other in varying lights. Pemberton, Morgan Moreen and Mrs. Moreen are introduced here through dialogue and interaction with each other and the author uses a variation of tone and a unique point of view to show Pemberton’s uncertainties and also to show the characteristics of the relationships. The author starts off the passage describing Pemberton as a “poor young man”. Pemberton is a tutor who graduated from Oxford University. He is depicted as a financially concerned person who cares about how much he is getting paid for this tutoring of Morgan Moreen. But he is also modest, timid, and according to the passage nervous “among the dangers of an untried experiment”. Also the author depicts Pemberton as impatient by saying, “it is true Pemberton wouldn’t have enjoyed his being stupid”. But from the very start, Pemberton begins to analyze his pupil and tries to understand him and what ne needs to teach him. Right away Pemberton seems to connect to Morgan and Morgan to Pemberton and this is evident especially when Mrs. Morgan gets up to leave and Pemberton takes the job without a definite salary.
Morgan Moreen is “the Pupil” the story is written about. He is an eleven year old boy from a amiable American family, who is sent to Pemberton for tutoring. The author uses Pemberton’s observations to describe the little boy as weak, big eared and mouthed, sickly, and as having an intelligent appeal. Morgan is also depicted as a child who does not appreciate his mother or respect her, but she also thinks very low of her son. When the two adults talk about him, she mentions his weakness concerning a heart disease. We can infer from the passage that, Morgan did not have a proper education as seen by his casual response to his mother and that something may be wrong with his family situation/ home life.
Mrs. Moreen is the mother of Morgan Moreen who hired