Bibliography: History of Pendennis by Thackeray, William Makepeace

In an 1894 Journal article, Cather comments on Brother John by Martha Morton: "The youthful lovers of David Copperfield and Arthur Pendennis, Esq., are only funny because they were so desperately serious.... It is the laughter and reckless gaiety that makes the first act of Camille so horribly pathetic, the seriousness of the poor inventor that makes [Edward E. Kidder's comedy] The Poor Relation so funny."

In an 1899 Courier article, Cather writes: "You remember how in Thackeray's novel, old Mr. Robert Bows of the orchestra sat out on the bridge one night and talked to Pendennis about Miss Fotheringay and told how he had trained and taught and drilled her, made her Juliet and Ophelia with his own hands, created all her parts for her, and, since churlish nature had denied a soul to that beautiful body, he had given her his own? Look over the history of the stage and you will find that for almost every one of its great women, some man has made just that sacrifice."