Character Analysis Of Bartleby

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Using complex characters in his story, Herman Melville succeeds in progressing a character from that of simplistic virtue to one of intense contemplation. Melville’s lawyer undergoes a journey in which all that he knows is challenged, and despite his best efforts he has no control. From a distance one may argue that the lawyer has only strengthened his empathy, and while this is true, looking deeper you find a troubled man looking for reason. Melville gives great incite to the changing values, and we experience the narrative in 1st person. To understand the change we must first look at the lawyer before the introduction of Bartleby. The lawyer introduces himself to the reader with a short and sweet phrase, “I am an elderly man.” This simple …show more content…

The lawyer has met many people, both prominent and not, but must reflect on an unknown man that will change him. An argument can be made here that because this is written by the lawyer after the events of the story he is writing this in order to understand who he is. Bartleby will make a first act of defiance that seems to resonate with the lawyer. The lawyer is not used to this type of bold act, especially as he is the boss. “I would prefer not to,” (137) is a first example of Bartleby questioning the value of the lawyer’s job. By saying this Bartleby has undermined the importance of his work. The lawyer takes Bartleby’s defiance as yet another task, and this task will bring “self-approval” (137) to the lawyer. Even the mention of “self-approval” (137) shows the doubt in the lawyer’s mind, for the job is all he has ever …show more content…

He has never had the opportunity to question his own way of life, and now must compare the values of a severely depressed man to his own. The lawyer has never been around someone that seemed to hold no value to their own existence, and this makes the lawyer question his own. He is now an older man with a job for a family. The lawyer attempts to ease Bartleby back into reality because it assures him that he has not wasted his own life. From this moment on the lawyers conflict with Bartleby will only grow the rising tension between the lawyer and his own past. If the lawyer makes Bartleby find value in his own life he will in turn ensure the validity of his own. But unfortunately for the poor lawyer, Bartleby will make no change despite his best efforts. The lawyer views Bartleby now as a friend, and wants nothing more than the man to return back to society. He wants Bartleby to return to society, and wants to show him the good things of the world. Bartleby sees no such value, however, and will die a sad death

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