I found this story to be incredibly critical of the world around it. The most critical place I could think of is Hell. This ghost chapter takes place many years later when the narrator has died. I wanted to create Bartleby again, even after death, his mental state did not change. The afterlife will not have been kind to him. His passive nature will not only linger in his personality but will be consumed by it. In the original story, occasionally, Bartleby will state something slightly more prominent than his catch phrase even if the elongated phrase is the same exact answer. In Hell, he cannot even manage this. The original story suggests something about Bartleby being in the office of dead letters and what that could have done to his psyche …show more content…
However, this seemed too good to be true. Bartleby had not changed. He was the same in the afterlife as his last days on earth, dead. After what seemed like an eternity, then again it could have been an eternity in earthly terms, Bartleby turned slightly towards to bulbous guard and comfortably stated, "I prefer not to." While the guard was anything but human, his face mashed down into a grimace towards Bartleby's response, and I realized that this was hardly the first time this had happened. As that guard walked away, I quickly whispered to Bartleby, "Just do it for all sake! Why won't you just do what you are told, Bartleby? Please, we are already in despair, no reason to make it worse. Just …show more content…
"We are still preferring not to, I see," the Devil said. It was only in the glimmer of the Devil's smile did I see Bartleby's disfigurement; a tortured soul with lashings, a missing limb, and a missing eye. "Clearly the general practice for creatures like you will not do. Please Bartleby, do tell, how much longer will it take before I can get back to doing other deeds instead of pestering you?" Then, without human fear in the Devil binding him and in the same manner as before, turning slightly towards the Devil, Bartleby said, "I prefer not to." The Devil clenched his fists, clearly hot tempered towards Bartleby, and said, "Unfortunately that is not the correct response. While you have only been here a short time, you are the longest standing defector of my great realm. Everyone falls into place sooner or later. Except you…you dislodge my love for torture with your passivity. Therefore, you will do what even I hate most and that shall be enough." Without another word, the guard led Bartleby to away. Once again, I would never see the deranged man
(p. 44); "Who came to you with the devil?" and ".perhaps another person in the village?" (p. 45). A few of his faults are that he judges too much by appearances, ".you look as such a good soul should" (p. 37); ".a claim so weighty cannot be argued by a farmer," (p. 99); and he uses people to question other people.
People one can never really tell how person is feeling or what their situation is behind closed doors or behind the façade of the life they lead. Two masterly crafted literary works present readers with characters that have two similar but very different stories that end in the same result. In Herman Melville’s story “Bartleby the Scrivener” readers are presented with Bartleby, an interesting and minimally deep character. In comparison to Gail Godwin’s work, “A Sorrowful Woman” we are presented with a nameless woman with a similar physiological state as Bartleby whom expresses her feelings of dissatisfaction of her life. Here, a deeper examination of these characters their situations and their ultimate fate will be pursued and delved into for a deeper understanding of the choice death for these characters.
The author of the story presents the questions of what is valuable in society and how those that resist these values are dealt with and answers them through Bartleby's actions from his life to his death. Society values things such as money and working to make money where human things such as sentimentalities and emotions are not worth holding onto and when one refuses to work he is left with choices of imprisonment in a cell or imprisonment in a job where Bartleby instead chose to die, to be free of such a world that does not value freedoms and humanity.
Bartleby has been asked to work his life away with no real benefits. Replying “I would prefer not to” is a way for him to stand up and finally say no to the system. At the end of the story, Bartleby refuses to eat and dies of starvation and sorrow. When he takes his life for his cause, he becomes a martyr to others. One character saves a life while the other character takes his life, but they both are undeniably heroes in their own right.
7. The response “prefer not to” is found in the story of “Bartleby, The Scrivener” by Herman Melville. One can understand that this repeating response to his boss is representation of individualism. Bartleby’s individualism brings him to a mental break and gives up on life. He has overwhelmed himself with the idea that the world is controlling him and all he wants is to be left alone.
While the narrator never specifies precisely that Bartleby does feel this way it can be inferred from a few of the passages. The first instance that would suggest guilt is when the narrator goes to the office before church, herein he finds Bartleby at the office on a Sunday morning he is described to be “in a strangely tattered dishabille, saying quietly that he was sorry”. (Melville, 86) This quiet apology combined with the later revelation that in answering the narrator he could not look at him, (Melville, 105) does imply that Bartleby still has some guilt or shame
Bartleby's state is further clarified by the symbolic use of the walls and the dead letter office described in the epilogue. First, throughout the story he is depicted time and again as facing and staring at a wall. Staring at a wall can mean ...
...e into his soul in order to help him and possibly to understand him better. " I might give alms to his body; but his body does not pain him; it was his soul that suffered, and his soul I could not reach." (Page134-135, Paragraph 4) This is the real struggle the narrator is facing, the narrator confusion and frustration with Bartleby would all go away if only he knew what was wrong so he could help him but it isn't a physical pain but a spiritual pain in which Bartleby would have to open up in order for the narrator to help. Tone is just one of the literary deceives used that help convey the narrator's attitude towards Bartleby.
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
...ployer, and then he will be rudely treated, and perhaps driven forth miserably to starve”(p.8) Bartleby doesn’t want to be saved; Bartleby desires not to conform to the etiquette that the Lawyers society places upon him. Bartleby wins in the end because he goes to his death holding on to his convictions. Bartleby controlled the relationship to the end of it and beyond.
Bartleby who is part of the name of the story is not even considered the “chief character” of the story, but the lawyer (Melville 1484). The narrator repeatedly references different sources such as Cicero, “his biblical evocations” as well as Trinity Church, “his pride of association with John Jacob Astor” (Dilworth 49). He uses them as ways to explain what he did which may interpret “the guilt the lawyer feels”, if that is what he really feels (Dilworth 50). He may or may not feel guilt, but his actions clearly show his selfishness. The lawyer helps Bartleby because he feels pity, he helps him to feel better and to fulfill his self-interest to go to heaven. He was “predestinated from eternity” and Bartleby was his test (Melville 1502). That must clearly be the reason why the “chief character” of the story tries to help Bartleby. He is a business man seeking profit, he may know he ...
...ningful demise. So this Buddhistic view simply gives us an ideal understanding of Bartleby’s perplexing, meaningless actions and helps us realize that Bartleby might not be as crazy as he seems. He’s just trying to find his way…
Melville’s use of verbal irony allows for a deeper understanding of Bartleby’s character. Bartleby states that he would rather be assigned a position that is not as confined as a clerk; however, in reality, his behavior indicates that he prefers to be isolated. The narrator cannot understand why Bartleby expresses a disliking for confinement when he keeps to himself the majority of his time. As he
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
...longer write. The narrator did not immediately take this as rebellion; however, he viewed this as a result of Bartleby sitting in the sunlight causing his vision to become impaired. This is another example of his desire to help Bartleby. Instead of letting him good because of his odd behaviors he allows him to stay and stare out the window.