boy. But that bit of hesitancy proves fatal. Once again, one of James's honorable and intelligent characters succumbs to inescapable reality. There has been much talk about the exact nature of the relationship between Pemberton and Morgan, with some commentators intimating a homosexual/paedophile attachment. Although there is no overt hint of a sexual relationship in the story, tutor and pupil do establish a bond of love and respect, which shines in contrast to the mundane, unimaginative world of the other Moreens: "Pemberton held him fast, hands on his shoulders — he had never loved him so." But the relationship between the two can be interpreted through the lens of sadomasochism. The sadomasochistic undertones can be best seen in the scene in which the pair speak of "beating" each other. Furthermore, Morgan's death can be interpreted as la petite mort as the child become euphoric at the prospect of leaving with his tutor. Critical evaluation Critic Robert Gale flatly called The Pupil "one of the finest short stories ever written," and few commentators have disagreed. Mortimer Adler included the story in his Gateway to the Great Books series. Besides the dispute about possible homosexual overtones in the relationship between Morgan and Pemberton, critics have also disagreed about how much responsibility the tutor bears for the boy's sudden collapse and death. There's no doubt that Morgan is disappointed when he sees Pemberton hesitate about taking him away from his worthless family. As mentioned before, that hesitation is understandable but Pemberton still falls short of heroic action in an admittedly difficult situation. And as Lionel Trilling observed about the story, sometimes a man is a hero or he is nothing at all. Adaptations The Pupil was adapted into a play, The Magpies, by Michael Dyne and performed as an episode in the ITV Television Playhouse drama (7 February 1957), starring Laurence Payne as Pemberton and Andrew Irvine as Morgan. The Pupil was also adapted into a French film, L'Élève, in 1996, starring Vincent Cassel as Pemberton and Caspar Salmon as Morgan. Notes References The Tales of Henry James by Edward Wagenknecht (New York: Frederick Ungar Publishing Co. 1984) A Henry James Encyclopedia by Robert L. Gale (New York: Greenwood Press 1989) The Cambridge Companion to Henry James edited by Jonathan Freedman (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press 1998) Tales of Henry James: The Texts of the Tales, the Author on His Craft, Criticism edited