Capitalism In 'Bartleby, The Scrivener'

Today’s society lives in a world of seemingly endless bounty in comparison to the world a thousand years ago. People living in developed countries can drive their car, likely created in another country, powered by gasoline, likely refined hundreds of miles away, and can walk into a building, likely powered by natural gas, hydroelectricity and wind power, that houses thousands of pounds of food, which again, likely much of it was grown in California’s central valley, a natural desert without the life giving water management projects that allow the growth of food. The point is that right now, if society set its mind on making poverty an impossibility, poverty would be unable to exist already. Unfortunately, however, the basis of capitalism

Through the actions of the narrator, when he uses his position as an educated and wealthy man to benefit those that work under him, even at some cost to himself, such as when the narrator puts a positive spin on the efficiency issues of his employees, going as far as to say that “It was fortunate for me that… I never had to do with their eccentricities at one time. Their fits relieved each other like guards. When Nippers' was on, Turkey's was off; and vice versa. This was a good natural arrangement under the circumstances” (Melville). The narrator’s inexplicable positive spin on the problems his workers cause him show that the money he would lose is not of significant value. Instead of forcing more efficiency down the throats of his workers, he instead chooses to spend some money to keep them happy while maintaining productivity in the office. This altruism by the Narrator encapsulates the ideals of a functional capitalist society, where the rich, educated and powerful do not exploit the labor of the poor, uneducated and weak to assert their dominance through superior material possessions. One may also argue that the narrator benefits from capitalism’s ability to let one live their life by their own rules, which is why he identifies that “I am a man who, from his youth upwards, has been filled with a profound conviction

The narrator, as the portrayer of the story must paint himself in a good light for the sake of his testimony of innocence. If he is in some form, giving a ‘defense’ to himself or the reader, he cannot deliver the whole truth, as the truth may prove his guilt. The fact that the narrator has a “natural expectancy of instant compliance” indicates the reality of capitalist systems whereby the powerful, disconnect from the struggles of the everyday workers, simply believing that their workers are not human, but instead industry machines, used to further their own gains through exploitation (Melville). Bartleby works diligently for a while, but unlike a machine, his mind is unable to keep up with the mind-numbing work of transcribing legal documents for hours every day. Despite the simplicity of the work, the shear load and tedium makes the job of Bartleby for inferior to the much higher paying job of the narrator, who even admits to the ease of his job. When Bartleby finally snaps, he repeats the phrase “I would prefer not to” every time the narrator asks him to do something Bartleby does not wish to do (Melville). Melville here criticizes the actions of Thoreau by trying to misguide people by playing the hero. Bartleby’s childish behavior mirrors Thoreau’s irresponsible behavior by refusing to pay taxes, despite knowing he