The Confidence Man: Analysis of Major Characters
"The Confidence Man" is a novel that delves into themes of deception and trust through its exploration of various characters aboard the steamboat Fidele. The central character, the Confidence Man, adopts multiple identities, including a deaf-mute beggar and a soliciting member of the Seminole Widow and Orphan Society, showcasing his manipulative prowess and the ease with which he exploits the trust of others. Key characters include Mr. Roberts, a well-meaning merchant who becomes a victim of the Confidence Man's schemes, and an Episcopal clergyman who naively contributes to the impostor’s various causes. Additionally, Pitch, a cynical frontiersman, briefly allows himself to be swayed by the Confidence Man's charm, while Charles Noble successfully evades being swindled. The narrative also introduces Mark Winsome, a philosopher who challenges the integrity of those around him, and Egbert, his follower, who discusses the complexities of lending among friends, eliciting disdain from the Confidence Man. This intricate web of interactions raises questions about morality, gullibility, and the nature of human relationships, prompting readers to reflect on the dynamics of trust and deception in society.
The Confidence Man: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Herman Melville
First published: 1857
Genre: Novel
Locale: The Mississippi River
Plot: Social satire
Time: Nineteenth century
The Confidence Man, masquerading, in turn, as a deaf-mute beggar; as a crippled beggar named Black Guinea; as John Ringman; as a solicitor of funds for the Seminole Widow and Orphan Society; as Mr. Truman, president of the Black Rapids Coal Company; as an herb doctor; as a representative of the Philosophical Intelligence Office; and as Francis Goodman, world traveler. By means of his glib tongue and show of sympathetic camaraderie, he succeeds in duping the passengers on board the Fidele even as a placard offering a reward for the impostor is posted on the steamship's deck.
Mr. Roberts, a kindly, gullible merchant swindled by the confidence man.
An Episcopal Clergyman, an officious demander of references who is blandly gulled out of alms for “Black Guinea” as well as a contribution to the Seminole Widow and Orphan Society.
Pitch, a misanthropic frontiersman inspired by the confidence man's glib tongue to hire a boy through the impostor's “employment agency.”
Charles Noble, a garrulous passenger who succeeds in evading the confidence man's appeals for a loan.
Mark Winsome, a mystic philosopher who accuses Charles Noble of being the confidence man.
Egbert, a disciple of Mark Winsome. He disgusts the confidence man by relating a long story concerning the folly of making loans between friends.