The Confidence Man

A confidence man and his equally shifty victims are characters in a satirical allegory that is meant to expose what Melville saw as the smug, mindless materialism of mid-century America. The events take place on a Mississippi steamboat on April Fool`s Day, reinforcing Melville`s remark (in a letter to his friend Henry Savage) that all that happens to a man in this life is only by way of a joke. Melville`s 1857 black comedy was inspired by the story of a New York City swindler he read about in a newspaper. His 10th book in 11 years, it was to be the last of his prose fictions published in his lifetime. Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005. For personal use only. All rights reserved.