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The Moreens are an American familywandering around Europe. With pretensions above their ability to fund,their lifestyle is supported by lying, cheating, and bill-jumping. Whensecuring a tutor for their young son, it is no different - they hire himunder false pretenses and avoid paying him. The tutor, Pemberton, findshimself drawn to the intelligent and world-weary boy, and wants to helphim rise above his family's dissolute life. But Pemberton, himselfpenniless, cannot afford to work without pay. Will he have to abandonhis pupil to save himself? Nuanced, poignant, and darkly humorous, ThePupil is an example of why Henry James is one of thenineteenth-century's most satisfying writers. Morgan's life is short,always ignored by his parents, lost the warmth of the family, wouldrather believe in a family teacher without blood relationship, ratherthan be with the family, stubbornly maintain the sense of honor in thefamily. As Philip Horn put it, his sense of shame is all about hisfamily honor, and only he himself cherishes this family tradition thatwas first damaged and then completely disappeared. Henry James tore offthe elegant tradition of the upper class.