005 - Chapter 5

In Pupil, we follow Pemberton, a bright yet financially struggling American with an Oxford education, who takes on the role of tutor to Morgan Moreen, the 12-year-old son of an ambitious American couple living in Europe. The Moreens, fixated on climbing the social ladder of French and Italian society, seem more focused on appearances than on their childrens well-being, all while hoping to offload their two older daughters. Morgan, exceptionally intelligent and perceptive, begins to grasp the emptiness of his parents relentless pursuits. A crisis unfolds when the Moreens fail to pay Pemberton, forcing him to seek more stable employment. However, his bond with Morgan deepens, and he returns when he learns the boy has fallen ill. This decision plunges him into the family’s unraveling, where he confronts the chaos he feared all along. (Summary by Nicholas Clifford)