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The Confidence-Man
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The Confidence-Man: His Masquerade
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The Confidence-Man

novel by Melville
Also known as: ā€œThe Confidence-Man: His Masqueradeā€
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History

The Confidence-Man, satirical allegory by Herman Melville, published in 1857. This novel was the last to be published during Melvilleā€™s lifetime, and it reveals the authorā€™s pessimistic view of an America grown tawdry through greed, self-delusion, and lack of charity.

Set on a steamboat traveling on the Mississippi River, the work is an episodic series of vignettes of various passengersā€”some dupes, some trickstersā€”who represent a gullible American public that can be deceived by charlatans and by the lure of easy money.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Kathleen Kuiper.