Bartleby, the Scrivener Short story by Herman Melville

Bartleby, the Scrivener Short story by Herman Melville

Bartleby, the Scrivener is a short story by Herman Melville that explores themes of isolation, passive resistance, and the dehumanizing effects of modern work. Set in a Wall Street law office, the narrative follows the enigmatic character Bartleby, who refuses to comply with requests from his employer, leading to profound existential questions. Melville's work critiques the capitalist society of the 19th century, highlighting the struggles of individuals within a mechanized world. This classic tale is essential for literature enthusiasts and those studying American literature, offering insights into human behavior and societal norms.

Key Points

  • Explores themes of isolation and passive resistance in a capitalist society.
  • Features Bartleby, a scrivener who refuses to comply with requests, raising existential questions.
  • Set in a Wall Street law office, reflecting the dehumanizing effects of modern work.
  • Melville critiques 19th-century American society and its impact on individuals.
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Bartleby, The Scrivener: A Stor y Of Wall-street
Herman Melville
from
The Piazza Tales
1856
I
AM a rather elderly man. The nature of my avocations for the last thirty years
has brought me into more than ordinary contact with what would seem an in-
teresting and somewhat singular set of men, of whom as yet nothing that I know
of has ever been written:—I mean the law-copyists or scriveners. I have known
very many of them, professionally and privately, and if I pleased, could relate
divers histories, at which good-natured gentlemen might smile, and sentimental
souls might weep. But I waive the biographies of all other scriveners for a few
passages in the life of Bartleby, who was a scrivener of the strangest I ever saw or
heard of. While of other law-copyists I might write the complete life, of Bartleby
nothing of that sort can be done. I believe that no materials exist for a full and
satisfactory biography of this man. It is an irreparable loss to literature. Bartleby
was one of those beings of whom nothing is ascertainable, except from the orig-
inal sources, and in his case those are very small. What my own astonished eyes
saw of Bartleby, that is all I know of him, except, indeed, one vague report which
will appear in the sequel.
Ere introducing the scrivener, as he first appeared to me, it is fit I make some
mention of myself, my employées, my business, my chambers, and general sur-
roundings; because some such description is indispensable to an adequate under-
standing of the chief character about to be presented.
Imprimis: 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 tranquility of a snug retreat, do a snug
business among rich men’s bonds and mor tgages and title-deeds. All who know
me, consider me an eminently safe man. The late John Jacob Astor, a personage
little given to poetic enthusiasm, had no hesitation in pronouncing my first grand
point to be prudence; my next, method. I do not speak it in vanity, but simply
record the fact, that I was not unemployed in my profession by the late John
Jacob Astor; a name which, I admit, I love to repeat, for it hath a rounded and
orbicular sound to it, and rings like unto bullion. I will freely add, that I was not
insensible to the late John Jacob Astor’s good opinion.
Some time prior to the period at which this little history begins, my avoca-
tions had been largely increased. The good old office, now extinct in the State of
New York, of a Master in Chancery, had been conferred upon me. It was not a
very arduous office, but very pleasantly remunerative. 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 in Chancery, by the new Constitution,
1
Bartleby, The Scrivener
2
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. But this is by the way.
My chambers were up stairs at No. – Wall-street. 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. This view might have been considered rather tame
than otherwise, deficient in what landscape painters call “life.” But if so, the
view from the other end of my chambers offered, at least, a contrast, if nothing
more. In that direction my windows commanded an unobstructed view of a lofty
brick wall, black by age and everlasting shade; which wall required no spy-glass
to bring out its lurking beauties, but for the benefit of all near-sighted spectators,
was pushed up to within ten feet of my window panes. Owing to the great height
of the surrounding buildings, and my chambers being on the second floor, the
interval between this wall and mine not a little resembled a huge square cistern.
At the period just preceding the advent of Bartleby, I had two persons as
copyists in my employment, and a promising lad as an office-boy. First, Turkey;
second, Nippers; third, Ginger Nut. These may seem names, the like of which are
not usually found in the Directory. In truth they were nicknames, mutually con-
ferred upon each other by my three clerks, and were deemed expressive of their
respective persons or characters. Turkey was a short, pursy Englishman of about
my own age, that is, somewhere not far from sixty. In the morning, one might
say, his face was of a fine florid hue, but after twelve o’clock, meridian—his din-
ner hour—it blazed li ke a grate full of Christmas coals; and continued blazing—
but, as it were, with a gradual wane—till 6 o’clock, p.m. or thereabouts, after
which I saw no more of the proprietor of the face, which gaining its meridian
with the sun, seemed to set with it, to rise, culminate, and decline the following
day, with the like regularity and undiminished glory. There are many singular
coincidences I have known in the course of my life, not the least among which
was the fact, that exactly when Turkey displayed his fullest beams from his red
and radiant countenance, just then, too, at that critical moment, began the daily
period when I considered his business capacities as seriously disturbed for the
remainder of the twenty-four hours. Not that he was absolutely idle, or averse
to business then; far from it. The difficulty was, he was apt to be altogether too
energetic. There was a strange, inflamed, flurried, flighty recklessness of activity
about him. He would be incautious in dipping his pen into his inkstand. All
his blots upon my documents, were dropped there after twelve o’clock, merid-
ian. Indeed, not only would he be reckless and sadly given to making blots in the
af ternoon, but some days he went further, and was rather noisy. At such times,
too, his face flamed with augmented blazonry, as if cannel coal had been heaped
on anthracite. He made an unpleasant racket with his chair; spilled his sand-box;
in mending his pens, impatiently split them all to pieces, and threw them on the
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FAQs of Bartleby, the Scrivener Short story by Herman Melville

What is the main conflict in Bartleby, the Scrivener?
The main conflict revolves around the relationship between the narrator, a lawyer, and Bartleby, a scrivener who increasingly refuses to perform tasks. Initially, Bartleby is a diligent worker, but he eventually declines to examine his own copies and refuses to run errands. This passive resistance frustrates the narrator, who struggles to understand Bartleby's behavior and the implications of his refusal to conform to societal expectations.
What themes are explored in Bartleby, the Scrivener?
Key themes include isolation, the struggle for individuality, and the critique of capitalism. Bartleby's passive resistance symbolizes the alienation experienced by individuals in a mechanized society. The story raises questions about the nature of work, the human condition, and the moral responsibilities of employers towards their employees.
Who is Bartleby and what is his significance?
Bartleby is a scrivener who initially demonstrates great diligence but later refuses to engage in any work, famously stating, 'I would prefer not to.' His character serves as a critique of the dehumanizing nature of modern work and the existential despair that can arise from it. Bartleby's passive resistance challenges the narrator and readers to confront the implications of societal norms and individual agency.
How does the narrator react to Bartleby's behavior?
The narrator experiences a range of emotions, from confusion and frustration to pity and helplessness. Initially, he tries to reason with Bartleby, but as Bartleby's refusals escalate, the narrator becomes increasingly distressed. His inability to change Bartleby's behavior leads him to reflect on his own moral responsibilities and the nature of human connection.

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