Similarities Between The Dead And Bartleby The Scrivener

James Joyce's, "The Dead" and Melville's, “Bartleby, the Scrivener", are both short stories that critique our relation with identity politics. In this paper, I will argue that both of these works aim to show that a symptom of modernization is that self-deception erodes our humanity. First I will explain what is the industrial revolution and modernization and its effect on a society. The process after of which I build my position will somewhat mirror the progression of the author's message in the readings. By this, I will compare and acknowledge the context of these stories and their authors. From there I will describe and contrast the protagonists and their relations with society. Following this, I will weigh in on the protagonist's epiphanies

and their resulting actions to break the norms. Finally, I will elaborate on the similarities and differences in the messages the authors conveyed.
The Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia describes the industrial revolution as a, “ shift, at different times in different countries, from a traditional agriculturally based economy to one based on the mechanized production of manufactured goods in large-scale enterprises.” Production moved from individual homes to factory manufacturing, shifting populations from rural areas to urban centres. This is called modernization, although this process can begin without entering the industrial revolution. In most cases the nation experiences a rise in income per carpia. However this push to an industrial society has some consequences. “It also leads to changes in the distribution of income, in living and working conditions, and in social conduct and convention.” (Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia, 2016, 1p.) By this it is common for the lower class to experience exploitation and little sympathy from the wealthy. Furthermore, Britain had a head start on world and by exploiting their many colonies they became a dominating entity in the market. Resulting in colonies like the United States and Ireland to not benefit from the industrial revolution till they gained independence and controlled their own market. But, even then they had to compete against the the massive British economy.
In order to differentiate how these authors felt identity and society were related, I will first summarize their contextual times and perspectives.

Both James Joyce and Melville were victims of laissez-faire economics in a modernized nation. Not surprisingly, they wrote about the greed and lack of compassion causing their country's hardships. Joyce wrote “Dubliners”, about his home country at the beginning of the twentieth century; when the nation was at an economic and societal stagnation, and hunger for independence from Britain was at its peak. A numb nation from battling famine and foreign oppression was unable to properly enter the industrial revolution, and so reaped no benefits. While the people themselves were divided by wealth and religion. James Joyce like Gabriel rejected Irish tradition and immersed himself with other cultures; this is contrasted by Herman Melville who was a strong patriot for his country. Melville himself lived in New York in the 19th century, a staple of modernization throughout the world. This beacon of the American dream fueled by materialistic values brought many immigrants, some fleeing the paralyzed Ireland Joyce later experienced. This modernization boom sadly created a vast amount of wealth for the elite and poor lifestyles for the working mass. To this Melville hints to that the British oppression has transformed to elite oppression, by placing the narrator's offices in the old Master in Chancery dwellings. Now that I have established a

basic understanding of the writer's motives, I will begin to uncover their works messages about identity politics.
In James Joyce’s story Gabriel is an Irish university teacher, he lives a middle-class life and has no sense of nationalism. When confronted with this lack of Irish pride he admits he does not speak Irish nor does he desire to see more of Ireland. To Gabriel, this separates himself from his company as they, “reminded him that their grade of culture differed from his." (184, Joyce) Gabriel adheres to foreign cultures which he finds to be more cultured and sophisticated. It is apparent Gabriel has an ego and a sense of self-entitlement, spawned from his intelligence and independence of Ireland.
The next notable thing about Gabriel is like his colleagues, he lives in a routine, every New Year they gather and carry out their traditions from prior years. Their lives are parallel to the story Gabriel tells of the horse Johnny; the horse who, after working so long at the mill walking in circles, naturally walked around a statue in town. Similarly, they have done the same for so long, it is all they know and are oblivious to its absurdity. Resulting in a predictable, uneventful tone. Gabriel with his sense of superiority and lack of interest is either removed or uncomfortable in each conversation. He deploys daydreams and charity to remove himself from these moments and preserve his image. An image which he greatly values as shown by his fixation on Miss Ivor's calling him a West Briton. Even after he publicly denounced the Irish language and country he feels, "...she had no right to call him a West Briton before people, even in joke." (187, Joyce) He refuses to lower himself to that title, but hypocritically adheres to its beliefs.
The final aspect of Gabriel is although his marriage has lost substance, his wife is his world. To illustrate this, Gabriel insists on leaving in a carriage as last year she got a cold fro walking, while he knows she would do walk home again. This shows that Gabriel cares more for his wife than she cares for herself. Before Gabriel's realization, his fantasy is to run away with her, from their lives and the past. She is all the meaning Gabriel has in life, but even that is decaying.
The narrator in Bartleby is a well-established lawyer working in New York; he is aware that he reached his position by continually choosing the easy way. He does not help the public, but does, “a snug business among rich men’s bonds and mortgages and title-deeds.” (297, Melville) Wall Street has always been a savage business frontier, fueled by greed. At this time exploitation of the lower class and accumulation of wealth in the upper class was very prominent. The narrator made a name and living providing his services to the elite upper class.
Contributing to the next notable thing of the narrator, his strong sense of charity.

The narrator acknowledges that his workers are useless in different parts of the day, but holds that, “...with all his failings, and the annoyances he caused me, Nippers, like his compatriot Turkey, was a very useful man to me.” (300, Melville) Instead of finding a worker that works through the whole day he generously has two that are productive counterintuitively. The narrator reveals his dependence on charity when he said, “...charity often operates as a vastly wise and prudent principle a great safeguard to its possessor.” (314, Melville) He believes the good he does will counterbalance the evil he is involved in. Similar to a cruel person who believes they are welcome in heaven for donating to the church. An example from the text is that the narrator is aware Turkey cannot afford a coat. He is awake that his workers live in poverty, but he gives Turkey a coat over a raise, effectively keeping his poor morals but gaining goodwill. By achieving the American the dream with little effort and having to continuing ease his conscious, it allures the reader to believe that the narrator has done less than honorable things financially. The narrator only will help those he finds any value in. Therefore, at the beginning of the text the reader and society perceive him as a charitable man, despite his hidden motives and lack of

humanity.