Essay #2
Ryan Seaton
Laura Cline
English 102
2/26/2012
The narrator I believe is best described through this passage in Melville's story "I am a man who, from his youth upwards, has been filled with a profound conviction that the easiest way of life is the best. Hence, though I belong to a profession proverbially energetic and nervous, even to turbulence, at times, yet nothing of that sort have I ever suffered to invade my peace. I am one of those unambitious lawyers who never addresses a jury, or in any way draws down public applause; but in the cool tranquillity of a snug retreat, do a snug business among rich men’s bonds and mortgages and title-deeds. All who know me consider me an eminently safe man." (Melville, Par. 3). This passage is prevalent in the characteristics of the lawyer as being a man who is rarely confrontational, and seems to dismiss a great deal of commonalities that are persistent in the work ethics and every day attitudes of his employees that are not commonplace to a healthy work enviroment. The lawyer seems to be disgruntled by the habits of his employees but as long as the work that is necessary to his business are being taken care of he seems to prefer not to "rock the boat" or be confrontational. This passage seems to give the reader a good idea of his business practices concerning his employees. " I seldom lose my temper; much more seldom indulge in dangerous indignation at wrongs and outrages; but I must be permitted to be rash here and declare, that I consider the sudden and violent abrogation of the office of Master of Chancery, by the new Constitution, as a —— premature act; inasmuch as I had counted upon a life-lease of the profits, whereas I only received those of a few short years."(Par. 4)
The office in which these characters work in are described briefly as the settings of the employees work stations. "At one end they looked upon the white wall of the interior of a spacious sky-light shaft, penetrating the building from top to bottom." (Par.4) This describing the atmosphere of the majority of the employees, and "In that direction my windows commanded an unobstructed view of a lofty brick wall, black by age and everlasting shade;".(Par.4) This being the section that Bartleby worked at near the lawyer, but a thin green paper barrier separated them.
Bartleby was a very private person who did not conversate with anyone and only responding to questions or demands. The only response that Bartleby would ever reply with was "I would prefer not to". "Nothing so aggravates an earnest person as a passive resistance. If the individual so resisted be of a not inhumane temper, and the resisting one perfectly harmless in his passivity; then, in the better moods of the former, he will endeavor charitably to construe to his imagination what proves impossible to be solved by his judgment. Even so, for the most part, I regarded Bartleby and his ways. Poor fellow! thought I, he means no mischief; it is plain he intends no insolence; his aspect sufficiently evinces that his eccentricities are involuntary. He is useful to me. I can get along with him. If I turn him away, the chances are he will fall in with some less indulgent employer, and then he will be rudely treated, and perhaps driven forth miserably to starve. Yes. Here I can cheaply purchase a delicious self-approval. To befriend Bartleby; to humor him in his strange wilfulness, will cost me little or nothing, while I lay lay up in my soul what will eventually prove a sweet morsel for my conscience. But this mood was not invariable with me. The passiveness of Bartleby sometimes irritated me. I felt strangely goaded on to encounter him in new opposition, to elicit some angry spark from him answerable to my own. But indeed I might as well have essayed to strike fire with my knuckles against a bit of Windsor soap." (Par.53). Passive resistance would best describe Bartlebys responses and the narrator was bewildered by Bartlebys continual defiance towards anything he was asked to do, always repeating " I would prefer not to". As time goes on the narrator expresses in some situsations frustration and contempt towards Bartlebys attitude, and usually dismisses it or sometimes asks why he would not prefer to do what is asked of him. Bartleby continues to reply with the same answer. It seems as if the lawyer lets Bartleby get away with his eccentricities as he does with the rest of his employees, he does nothing about them. It seems as if the lawyers own eccentricities or flaws in character make him feel as though he can feel superior in the fact that he thinks that he is not as flawed as the rest of them. His feelings of compassion or self rightousness I believe make him feel better about his own lack of self esteem or status in the world.
More and more Bartleby becomes more secluded and is showing signs of depression or mental illness. He refuses to do any work at all and spends a great deal of the day standing and staring into a brick wall. The lawyer suggests ways in which Bartleby might benefit from going outside or seeking some sort of help, but Bartleby answers with the same "I would prefer not to". I believe that the lawyers small attempts to encourage Bartleby to do something that may improve his condition are for his own sake. I think that the lawyers motives are to make himself feel as if he is compassionate or truly trying to help Bartleby to make himself feel better and not really for the sake of Bartleby. Just as the lawyer chooses not to be confrontational and dismisses the lack of respect that is clearly shown from his employees. the lawyer decides again to not confront the situation and decides to move his office instead of addressing the situation. Bartlebys condition continues to deteriorate int a life threatening situation. He will barely eat if at all, he never has gone outside and he does not do any work at all. This would seem to most as a serious display of mental illness, even though Bartleby is capable of responding to questions no matter how simple and repetetive his answers are. The lawyer finally decides to move his office and does give Bartleby the opportunity to travel somewhere at the lawyers expense, or even to come live with him. Bartleby declines.
It is never explained what has happened to Bartleby to give up on life the way he has in this story, or why he does not reach out or respond to anything or anyone.
This is a tragic story of a man in the grips of what seems to be severe depression over the insignifigance of his life compared to a new age of industrialization of the country, and the opposite personalities of those who want to contribute to it. Bartleby seems as if he has no interest in where mankinds interests and morals have developed into and has lost all interest in life and does not want to do anything about it. The characters and setting of this story seem to give the reader a good sense of the opposite sides of this developement, and the willing and unwilling personalities that choose to go along with or reject what they picture the quality of life as being. I did feel empathy towards Bartleby and I also think that in some ways the narrator did too, but put into that situation it would be hard to know what to do for someone who does not want to help themselves.
"Ah, happiness courts the light, so we deem the world is gay; but misery hides aloof, so we deem that misery there is none."(Par. 89)
“Do you not see the reason for yourself,” (Par. 130)
| lay up in my soul what will eventually prove a sweet morsel for my conscience. But this mood was not invariable with me. The passiveness of Bartleby sometimes irritated me. I felt strangely goaded on to encounter him in new opposition, to elicit some angry spark from him answerable to my own. But indeed I might as well have essayed to strike fire with my knuckles against a bit of Windsor soap. But one afternoon the evil impulse in me mastered me, and the following little scene ensued: | 53 |
| “Bartleby,” said I, “when those papers are all copied, I will compare them with you.” | 54 |
| “I would prefer not to.” |
| lay up in my soul what will eventually prove a sweet morsel for my conscience. But this mood was not invariable with me. The passiveness of Bartleby sometimes irritated me. I felt strangely goaded on to encounter him in new opposition, to elicit some angry spark from him answerable to my own. But indeed I might as well have essayed to strike fire with my knuckles against a bit of Windsor soap. But one afternoon the evil impulse in me mastered me, and the following little scene ensued: | 53 |
| “Bartleby,” said I, “when those papers are all copied, I will compare them with you.” | 54 |
| “I would prefer not to.” |
| lay up in my soul what will eventually prove a sweet morsel for my conscience. But this mood was not invariable with me. The passiveness of Bartleby sometimes irritated me. I felt strangely goaded on to encounter him in new opposition, to elicit some angry spark from him answerable to my own. But indeed I might as well have essayed to strike fire with my knuckles against a bit of Windsor soap. But one afternoon the evil impulse in me mastered me, and the following little scene ensued: | 53 |
| “Bartleby,” said I, “when those papers are all copied, I will compare them with you.” | 54 |
| “I would prefer not to.” |
| lay up in my soul what will eventually prove a sweet morsel for my conscience. But this mood was not invariable with me. The passiveness of Bartleby sometimes irritated me. I felt strangely goaded on to encounter him in new opposition, to elicit some angry spark from him answerable to my own. But indeed I might as well have essayed to strike fire with my knuckles against a bit of Windsor soap. But one afternoon the evil impulse in me mastered me, and the following little scene ensued: | 53 |
| “Bartleby,” said I, “when those papers are all copied, I will compare them with you.” | 54 |
| “I would prefer not to.” |
| Nothing so aggravates an earnest person as a passive resistance. If the individual so resisted be of a not inhumane temper, and the resisting one perfectly harmless in his passivity; then, in the better moods of the former, he will endeavor charitably to construe to his imagination what proves impossible to be solved by his judgment. Even so, for the most part, I regarded Bartleby and his ways. Poor fellow! thought I, he means no mischief; it is plain he intends no insolence; his aspect sufficiently evinces that his eccentricities are involuntary. He is useful to me. I can get along with him. If I turn him away, the chances are he will fall in with some less indulgent employer, and then he will be rudely treated, and perhaps driven forth miserably to starve. Yes. Here I can cheaply purchase a delicious self-approval. To befriend Bartleby; to humor him in his strange wilfulness, will cost me little or nothing, while I lay up in my soul what will eventually prove a sweet morsel for my conscience. But this mood was not invariable with me. The passiveness of Bartleby sometimes irritated me. I felt strangely goaded on to encounter him in new opposition, to elicit some angry spark from him answerable to my own. But indeed I might as well have essayed to strike fire with my knuckles against a bit of Windsor soap. But one afternoon the evil impulse in me mastered me, and the following little scene ensued: | 53 |
| “Bartleby,” said I, “when those papers are all copied, I will compare them with you.” | 54 |
| “I would prefer not to.” |
| Nothing so aggravates an earnest person as a passive resistance. If the individual so resisted be of a not inhumane temper, and the resisting one perfectly harmless in his passivity; then, in the better moods of the former, he will endeavor charitably to construe to his imagination what proves impossible to be solved by his judgment. Even so, for the most part, I regarded Bartleby and his ways. Poor fellow! thought I, he means no mischief; it is plain he intends no insolence; his aspect sufficiently evinces that his eccentricities are involuntary. He is useful to me. I can get along with him. If I turn him away, the chances are he will fall in with some less indulgent employer, and then he will be rudely treated, and perhaps driven forth miserably to starve. Yes. Here I can cheaply purchase a delicious self-approval. To befriend Bartleby; to humor him in his strange wilfulness, will cost me little or nothing, while I lay up in my soul what will eventually prove a sweet morsel for my conscience. But this mood was not invariable with me. The passiveness of Bartleby sometimes irritated me. I felt strangely goaded on to encounter him in new opposition, to elicit some angry spark from him answerable to my own. But indeed I might as well have essayed to strike fire with my knuckles against a bit of Windsor soap. But one afternoon the evil impulse in me mastered me, and the following little scene ensued: | 53 |
| “Bartleby,” said I, “when those papers are all copied, I will compare them with you.” | 54 |
| “I would prefer not to.” |
| Nothing so aggravates an earnest person as a passive resistance. If the individual so resisted be of a not inhumane temper, and the resisting one perfectly harmless in his passivity; then, in the better moods of the former, he will endeavor charitably to construe to his imagination what proves impossible to be solved by his judgment. Even so, for the most part, I regarded Bartleby and his ways. Poor fellow! thought I, he means no mischief; it is plain he intends no insolence; his aspect sufficiently evinces that his eccentricities are involuntary. He is useful to me. I can get along with him. If I turn him away, the chances are he will fall in with some less indulgent employer, and then he will be rudely treated, and perhaps driven forth miserably to starve. Yes. Here I can cheaply purchase a delicious self-approval. To befriend Bartleby; to humor him in his strange wilfulness, will cost me little or nothing, while I lay up in my soul what will eventually prove a sweet morsel for my conscience. But this mood was not invariable with me. The passiveness of Bartleby sometimes irritated me. I felt strangely goaded on to encounter him in new opposition, to elicit some angry spark from him answerable to my own. But indeed I might as well have essayed to strike fire with my knuckles against a bit of Windsor soap. But one afternoon the evil impulse in me mastered me, and the following little scene ensued: | 53 |
| “Bartleby,” said I, “when those papers are all copied, I will compare them with you.” | 54 |
| “I would prefer not to.” |
Herman Melvilles Bartleby, the Scrivenger is the story of a lawyer that runs his practice on Wall Street in a small office that the lawyer (the narrator) employes four men. Turkey, a man in his 60s like the lawyer, a man named Nippers who is an alcoholic, a young boy who they named Ginger Nut, and a recently hired man named Bartleby. All besides Ginger Nut were scrivengers, which was also refered to as a copyist. This story takes place before the invention of copy machines, and can easily be considered a monotonous, repetetive, and kind of work that has much to be desired. Bartleby is a double for the narrator in Melville’s story, showing the dark ineffectiveness of the lawyers sense of Christian charity, and the absurdity of his work.
Herman Melvilles Bartleby the scrivener is a story about an office of legal copyists who all have some odd characteristics about them. One is an alchoholic, one is an awnry man with indigestion problems, one is a 12 year old who may have some odd characteristics working in a legal copyist office at 12 years old, and an elderly boss who seems very passive of the day to day obscurities of his employees. The strangest of the employees is a newly hired copyist named Bartleby who is somewhat of a recluse. He sits behind a thin covering that divides him from the rest of the employees, and has as little conversation as possible with anyone. whenever Bartleby is asked to do something that requires him to leave his desk he says "I would prefer not to". The owner of the business occasionally gets upset or asks why he will not do anything, but never gets an answer to his question. I believe that the owner is very passive in that he usually avoids confrontation with his employees and throughout the story seems to question himself as to what kind of person he is for not being able to get Bartleby to do as he asks, or that he is unable to help him. The owner notices stranger and stranger habits that Bartleby has that he spends a lot of time standing in the middle of the room staring out of a window that has no view. He notices that Bartleby hardly eats anything at all and is increasingly declining in health. Bartleby soon refuses to do any work at all, he never leaves the office, and when asked to leave he does not answer or he just says"I would rather not". More and more the owner feels as though he needs to help Bartleby, and even invites him to come and stay at his house or pay for him to travel somewhere he might receive some help. Bartleby replies with his same answer. It seems as though Bartleby is in a rapid progression of mental illness, depression, or complete loss of interest in life. The story never goes int detail about what exactly it is that is wrong with him. Even when Bartleby is sent to jail or prison, he continues to digress into starving himself and later dies. This was a very depressing story but while I was reading it I could not stop because I was expecting at some point an explanation or something drastic happening. But, nothing really ever happened and he died. I think this story is mainly focused on the owner and all the feelings of helplessness, passiveness, and tolorability some people get into the habit of being or doing and eventually becomes co-dependent in wanting to help that person.