![]() ![]() Bartleby’s reactions to his superior are so unlike those which most of us have ever experienced, human nature causes the reader to attempt to apply logic to his eccentricities. Throughout the story Melville relates the many troubling incidents experienced with the mysterious copier. This concise study guide includes plot summary character analysis author biography study questions historical context suggestions for further reading and. Although American capitalism, democracy, and. Whether Bartleby has the right to kill himself through passive resistance-and whether The Lawyer should have endeavored to help him further-is up to the reader to determine. For this reason, Bartleby the Scrivener, is a tragedy. Bartleby, the Scrivener forces readers to consider the numbing effects of capitalism upon a workers mind. Further, when Bartleby winds up in prison and The Lawyer returns to Bartleby to offer him good food to eat to keep him alive, again Bartleby resists, preferring not to eat until he, presumably, dies. This apprehension had not been without efficacy in determining me to summary means. At this point, Bartleby becomes a testament to the limits of charity (and the inherent self-annihilating flaw of extreme passive resistance), as when The Lawyer returns to his office to offer Bartleby his old job back, or to get him a new job, or to take Bartleby into his own home until they can determine a better solution, Bartleby resists all of these efforts. Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall-Street, composed in 1853. Melvilles account of how the eponymous scrivener, whose job is to produce multiple copies of legal documents, slowly and. 'Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall-Street,' composed in 1853, is perhaps Herman Melvilles most famous short story. Eventually, Bartleby’s passive resistance becomes more extreme and he refuses to do even the basic requirements of his copying job, The Lawyer tries to fire Bartleby, who prefers not to vacate The Lawyer’s office, even after The Lawyer changes offices and leaves Bartleby behind. What Bartleby Can Teach Us About Occupy Wall Street. The title character of the story, Bartleby, is hired by the lawyer as a scrivener, whose job is to copy out legal documents by hand. Further, Bartleby rebuffs any of The Lawyer’s attempts to learn about Bartleby by talking with him, revealing nothing to The Lawyer about his beliefs, his family, his relationships, or his personal history. ![]() Bartleby is also a testament to the inherent failure present in language: it is revealed that Bartleby previously worked at the Dead Letter Office, where his task was to destroy lost or undelivered letters. While Bartleby begins as an exemplary employee, he soon says he “would prefer not to” do any of the tasks The Lawyer asks of him other than write. By the story’s end, Bartleby therefore becomes an antagonist to The Lawyer’s goal of getting the most productivity out of his workers. Bartleby’s actions throughout the story come to embody the idea of passive resistance.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |