Who Is The Narrator Of Bartleby The Scrivener

829 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Essay on symbolism

Bartleby the Scrivener sounds like a story about a copier and albeit in some cases the title of a story can be called a preview about its main character--in this case that way of reasoning would be wrong. Comparatively the story is formed by the lawyer who both narrates and employs Bartleby at his law office. While Bartleby is mentioned and discussed the main points of the story are about the narrator's view of Bartleby, his own thoughts and emotions, and his strange relationship with Bartleby. Even though some information is given about Bartleby such as his appearance and his strange replies, the most amount of detail is shared by the narrator and is most known about him as well. Although the short story is titled after the character of Bartleby the Scrivener, the real central figure is the unnamed lawyer who narrates. …show more content…

For the first few paragraphs of the short story Bartleby is not even really mentioned. All the narrator offers about him is that the he is pretty sure no one has ever written or read about him before. After introducing us to the rest of his clerks, and telling us a bit about his life as a lawyer, do we finally meet Bartleby. Yet even as we meet Bartleby on the superficial level, we never truly know him. In contrast, we learn great details and obvious signs of character from the narrator about himself. Why anyone who reads about Bartleby can tell you in great detail about the narrator and in truth the other clerks in his office, it is Bartleby we know the least

Show More
Related

  • Bartleby The Scrivener Rhetorical Analysis

    388 Words  | 1 Pages

    McCall focuses his argument within the way in which Melville has written Bartleby, The Scrivener, he goes into detail about the comical aspects within the story and uses Melville’s description of Bartleby’s saying “I prefer not to,’ he respectfully and slowly said, and mildly disappeared.” (272). McCall suggests that the adverbs Melville uses, “respectfully” , “slowly” and “mildly” , “create[s] a leisurely little excursion into the uncanny” (279). I agree that the lawyer must have had some wit and good intentions in making the claim about Bartleby up to a point, I cannot accept this fully because many people still believe that the lawyer is unreliable. Most critics within the majority, as McCall reinstates, “believe, “the lawyer is “self-satisfied”, “pompous”…”a smug fool” who is ‘terribly unkind to a very sick man’ “(2660. I disagree with the idea that the lawyer was unkind and Bartleby was sick. The lawyer was fascinated by Bartleby’s responses to the job, and Bartleby, I feel knew exactly what he was doing in stating his responses. McCall acknowledges that “these cure two central problems in the story: the nature of Bartleby’s illness and the lawyer’s capacity to understand it,”

    Read More

  • “Bartleby the Scrivener” and "A Sorrowful Woman": Character Analysis

    1704 Words  | 4 Pages

    In the beginning of each story, characters are both shown as “ideal” characters in that their characteristics give the characters their first perceived amiableness. In “Bartleby the Scrivener” Melville uses distinguishing characteristics to solely represent Bartleby from the others in the story. He enters the story first, as a response to an advertisement for a position as a scrivener in a law office. Melville states, “A motionless, young man one morning stood upon my office threshold, the door being open for it was summer. I can see that figure now – pallidly neat, pitiably respectable, incurably forlorn!” (Meyer 149). Here he makes it known that just by seeing Bartleby’s presence when he first enters the law office; he is exactly what the unnamed lawyer was inquiring about. He was by far unlike other characters in the story. He had no vices or hang ups, the first presence and his stature, he came their wiling and ready to ...

    Read More

  • Bartleby The Scrivener Mental Illness

    977 Words  | 2 Pages

    Bartleby demonstrates behaviours indicative of depression, the symptoms he has in accordance with the DSM-IV are a loss of interest in activities accompanied by a change in appetite, sleep, and feelings of guilt (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition, 320). Very shortly after Bartleby begins his work as a Scrivener he is described by the narrator as having done “nothing but stand at his window in his dead-wall revery”. (Melville, 126) In contrast, Bartleby had previously been described as a very hard worker and this process of doing increasingly less shows how his a diminishing sense of interest both in his work but also of the perception others have of him. It is also noted that included in this lack of interest is a social withdrawal (DSM—IV, 321) which corresponds well to Bartleby in that his workspace becomes known as his “hermitage”. During small talk which included Bartleby he says that he “would prefer to be left alone”. (Melville, 120) Bartleby only emerges from his hermitage when called upon and quickly returns when faced with confrontation.

    Read More

  • Herman Melville's Story, Bartleby, the Scrivener

    839 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Herman Melville's short story, Bartleby, the Scrivener, the narrator's attitude towards Bartleby is constantly changing, the narrator's attitude is conveyed through the author's use of literary elements such as; diction-descriptive and comical, point of view-first person, and tone-confusion and sadness.

    Read More

  • The True Intentions of the Lawyer in “Bartleby, the Scrivener”

    653 Words  | 2 Pages

    The lawyer, also the narrator, hires Bartleby to work as a scrivener at his business that involves bonds, mortgages and titles. The lawyer thinks he has all of his scriveners behaviors “on lock”. Although Bartleby started as a hard working employee, he eventually and in a calm manner refuses to do any requested work by the lawyer by simply saying, “I would prefer not to”. The lawyer doesn’t fire Bartleby after he declines to work, instead he gives Bartleby another chance. The lawyer preference to remain calm shows that he chooses to stray from confrontation. Bartleby continuous refusal to work leads to him being fired, but he refuses to leave. The lawyer’s philosophy and careful balancing of his employees is compromised by Bartleby actions. The lawyer moves his entire practice to another building to only find Bartleby there. Bartleby is arrested and continues in his bizarre daze. The lawyer visits Bartleby to convince him to eat and get through to him, but it doesn’t work and Bartleby dies. The lawyer sensitivity and empathy towards Bartleby raises questions to the lawyers sincerity. Ultimately, my goal is to demonstrate what was the lawyer’s intent to help Bartleby?

    Read More

  • Analysis of Narrator: Applying Literary Due Diligence to Sherwood Anderson’s “Hands”

    659 Words  | 2 Pages

    Now, one might argue that because the narrator thinks this story “is worth a book in itself. Sympathetically set forth it would tap many strange, beautiful qualities in obscure men”, then he is biased: ergo, he’s an unreliable narrator (1940). However, being biased in and of itself is not the sole criterion for a narrator be...

    Read More

  • Point of View in Bartleby, the Scrivener

    804 Words  | 2 Pages

    Herman Melville uses a first person point of view to show the narrator’s first hand fascination with his employee Bartleby, as well as Bartleby’s strange behavior and insubordination.

    Read More

  • “Bartleby, the Scrivener”

    662 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the short story “Bartleby, the Scrivener,” which was written by Herman Melville, the character named Bartleby is a very odd, yet interesting individual. In the story, Bartleby is introduced when he responds to a job opening at the narrator’s office. Although there is no background information given about him, it becomes very apparent that he will be the antagonist in this story. Unlike the usual image put on the antagonist, Bartleby causes conflict with a very quiet and calm temperament. This character’s attitude, along with the fact that he is a flat and static character, makes him a very unique antagonist, and this fact is shown through the way other characters approach and deal with his conflict.

    Read More

  • Comparison Of Young Goodman Brown And Bartleby The Scrivener

    1288 Words  | 3 Pages

    He starts to disconnect himself by refusing to do work given to him by his boss, this comes from his desire to be complacent, which we find out when he says “I like to be stationary,” when talking to the lawyer (127). Bartleby continues to change throughout the story, as he goes from being an employee who won’t do his work, to never leaving the office and essentially making it his home. According to Todd Giles, “Bartleby's silence establishes distance,” meaning that he becomes so out of place that people stop expecting of him (Giles, 2007). What this causes is the need for Bartleby to be removed from the Wall Street Office. The lawyer tries in many different ways to do so, and even offers him more money than he is owed if he will quit. Bartleby refuses and continues to stay in the building, doing nothing, detached from the world around him. Eventually the lawyer changes offices due to Bartleby and leaves him there for the next buyer. Bartleby is forced out by the new owner, and in time it is told the police he is a vagrant and he is thrown into jail. Bartleby’s story ends

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Ah Bartleby Ah Humanity

    681 Words  | 2 Pages

    The story of Bartleby was a very interesting story open for many different interpretations. Melville does and excellent job building suspension towards different thoughts as to what caused Bartleby to become an emotionless incapable worker. Here is evidence throughout the story to reflect the kindheartedness of the narrator. After reading this work the last quote “Ah Bartleby, Ah humanity” stood out as a cry of sadness for failing to understand and further assist Bartleby. After the numerous attempts He describes himself an elder lawyer that has his own office with a total of four employees including Bartleby. The narrator takes the time to learn the qualities of each individual not just on a performance basis however, personally as well.

    Read More

  • What Does Bartleby The Scrivener Mean

    1255 Words  | 3 Pages

    This leads to the lawyer to grow increasingly curious about Bartleby. The idea of capitalist values in “Bartleby the Scrivener” are supported through the way the narrator, the lawyer, presents his employees to the reader, describes meeting Bartleby and Bartleby’s

    Read More

  • A Capitalist World in Bartleby, the Scrivener by Herman Melville

    697 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Herman Melville’s “Bartleby, the Scrivener” we are introduced to a capitalist world, a capitalist world in which an economic system controlled by private owners with the goal of making profit in the market economy exist. The story is narrated by a man mostly known as “The Lawyer”, the “elderly man” who seeks God’s acceptance by his so called “kindness” shown to his employees (Melville1483). He only sees them as property clearly shown by the following words he uses “myself, my employees, my business, my chambers and general surroundings” (Melville 1484). He tries so hard to be good but one can see through his cloak and find the real person he is, one who seeks good for oneself only. He is a fake in search of what he wants and doing it at no cost. Is his story really about helping Bartleby because he is a good person?

    Read More

  • Bartleby Gender Analysis

    972 Words  | 2 Pages

    Throughout his tale, Bartleby spends time in the office of his workplace for an unrelenting amount of time grinding away as a scribe. However, whenever asked to help with an additional task, his only response is, “I would prefer not.” His boss and coworkers consider this response strange, because his fellow employees would never think to express their true feelings to their superiors. They believe that they must do what they are told with no questions asked. In addition to this, Bartleby’s work place is predominantly male. The only female mentioned within the story is the housekeeper, who “weekly scrubbed and daily swept and dusted [the office].” This shows how traits that are considered feminine by societal gender roles are not favored in Bartleby’s occupation, and when Bartleby expresses his

    Read More

  • Elements Of Romanticism In Bartleby The Scrivener

    1145 Words  | 3 Pages

    His efforts though are fruitless because he was not able to get to Bartleby and never truly understood him, even in prison as the man eventually dies of starvation. Although after his death the lawyer does learn of Bartleby’s previous and listless job at a ‘Dead Letter Office’ which made the lawyer sympathize for him and wonder if that job is what made Bartleby so distant. Bartleby was a loner who distanced himself from everyone, even in death, he was aloof and never interacted with anyone which is not considered normal human behavior because humans are supposed to be social. This story went a little deeper and gave the idea of humanity as a whole being apathetic towards each other, because only the lawyer showed any sort of humane concern for Bartleby while the others cared less. Bartleby himself displayed apathetic behavior as he showed little to no care for how his behavior affected others or even himself. Outside in the world, many people who are stressed out and constantly working tend to only focus on themselves and have little to no care for other people most of the time. It’s another negative view on humanity, but at the same time it’s not that wrong, as society made by humans also makes others so busy and stuck in tedious schedules that they gradually become more jaded and some even become distant and

    Read More

  • Health And Nutrition In 'Bartleby, The Scrivener'

    1134 Words  | 3 Pages

    What a wonderful time to discuss food eating habits and nutrition while the American people, or at least a fairly decent percentage of them, fight against Monsanto and GMO labeling on their food. This story, “Bartleby, The Scrivener”, to me, describes an elderly man looking over his life and coming to the realization of something that many people fail to comprehend until the damage of their choices have already taken their toll, he came to the realization of his health. I believe that the narrator of the story, like many of Americans once they reach a certain age, take health and nutrition into account after years of carelessness concerning the longevity of a fully functioning, self healing, and properly fueled body.

    Read More

More about Who Is The Narrator Of Bartleby The Scrivener

Open Document