Bartleby The Scrivener Capitalism Analysis

Bartleby the Scrivener, written by Herman Melville, takes place on Wall Street in New York City during the 1850's. This was a very crucial era in American History, as it was a period of major business development, in which Wall Street was the center for such growth. Wall Street at the time was the very representation of Capitalism and the successful wealth found in The United States. The setting is such a paramount aspect to the interpretation of the plot, because it leads us to believe that Bartleby may represent a stand against Capitalism and "Big Money" Wall Street's control over a majority of everyday life. He does so through his polite defiance to the narrator's requests to take a stance and make a point that his freedom of choice was above all else.

Bartleby, at first seems to be a very honest, quiet man trying to earn a living doing something he is experienced in, or at least seems to be. He earns a job as a Scrivener or legal copyist, similar to a scribe, and is extremely dedicated, constantly working as stated by the narrator "At first Bartleby did an
Regardless, Bartleby has a huge impact on those around him, by only utilizing his free will to control his own life, he is able to create a sense of urgency and desperation is those he meets. He frustrates the authority and refuses to be swayed by anything but his own mind and decisions. This aspect of Bartleby is respectable, however he is very stubborn in his reluctance to give the narrator an adequate response. The narrator does nothing but look out for him, even when Bartleby openly defies him. The narrator seems like a truly selfless person and Bartleby's responses seem uncalled for. Bartleby stood behind his own ability to control his fate so adamantly that he even went to jail and died for