PRESERVATION PHOTOCOPY: ORIGINAL MATERIAL RESTRICTED

Herman Melville: Pierre or the Ambiguities. This is a remarkable, subtle, mystic, ironic novel. Melville set himself an almost impossible task, one which would task the mature powers of Henry James, and succeeded with it. Pierre, the happy son of his mother, and betrothed to Lucy Tartan, whom he dearly loves, suddenly learns, or thinks he learns, that he has an illegitimate sister living. He is immediately seized with the deepest love for this strange Isabel, whether brotherly or sexual, is never made entirely clear either to Pierre or the reader. He persuades himself, however, that his mother will never recognize this girl of whose very existence, she is unaware; nor does he wish to befoul the name of his dead father. He hits on the expedient of a white marriage. He bids Lucy farewell, without explanation and is turned out of his house and disowned by his mother, who dies in a few months leaving all her property to his cousin Glen Stanly, also in love with Lucy. Pierre goes to New York to live with Isabel and attempts to make a living as a novelist. In the meantime, Lucy, through some mystic means, has come to believe that Pierre has done a noble act, and insists on coming to live with the pair. Nun-like, she occupies an adjoining chamber. Glen and her brother try to drag her away, but fail. So does her mother. Now Pierre's publishers discover that his novel is Voltairean and theistic and start suit against him, and Glen and Fred (Lucy's brother) write him an insulting letter, calling him a liar. He kills Glen in the streets and is led to prison, and visited by Lucy and Isabel, takes poison, brought by Isabel, after Isabel, and before Lucy. He never really understands his feeling for Isabel, but there are several passages in which it is made clear that he has a sexual feeling for her.

This very ironic book bears some signs of being Melville's reaction to The Scarlet Letter, which appeared in 1850.

Pierre's priggish mother, P. 22.

Pierre first sees Isabel, P. 58, 60, 61.

Two portraits of Pierre's father, P. 95, 96

Mystic humour, P. 138

Isabel and the cat, P. 157

Language of the characters somewhat fantastic and gothic but this but adds to the subtlety, mystery, and mxx irony of the book. Cf. Battle cry in which the dialogue is colloquial.
P. 333; following two chapters; Melville on fame and authorship.
P. 352, Melville may refer to Typee.

Pierre begins to understand that he wants Isabel as a wife and not as sister, P. 371.

Isabel's reaction to Lucy's coming, P. 426

Pierre's feeling about the two, P. 437

Isabel and Pierre, P. 453; they kiss, P. 456

P. 460: "Nor does any canting showman here stand by to announce his phases as he revolves. Catch his phases as your insight may."

Pierre's dream, P. 466.