Selfish Theme Analysis in Bartleby by Herman Melville

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Is the narrator of “Bartleby” a selfish or an unselfish man? Defend your answer with evidence from the story. The narrator of Bartleby is not a selfish man. Instead, he was the type of man who tried to do everything for someone who was in need. He tried his best to be there for one of his workers when he knew he was not well. Bartleby was a man who was a great worker. He was a man who knew what he was doing and what needed to be done from him. He was extremely caught up with his work, as he had nothing else to do and no one to be with. The story changed when Bartleby's attitude about everything changed. The first thing he did was he prefer not to do what his boss asked him to do. He gave no explanation why but made it clear that he won't do it. The narrator was extremely caring. He could have been harsh, rude, or even fire him right away but instead, he controlled his anger and examined what was happening. “For a few moments I was turned into a pillar of salt, standing at the head of my seated column of clerks. Recovering myself, I advanced towards the screen, and demanded the reason...

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