Herman Melville’s Bartleby, the Scrivener, is an eerie and somewhat depressing short story. Scrivener is the name given to those who are copyist’s at the lawyer’s office. What’s interesting in this short story is how one scrivener in particular, Bartleby, appears to be one thing but is not. He is hiding a life that perplexes the narrator, which is the lawyer of the office, and his coworkers. They watch as his life spirals downward into a state that is far from saving Bartleby.
Immediately what I noticed about this story was the names given to the lawyer’s other copyists in his office. Their names are Turkey, Nippers and Ginger-Nut. He claims that these nicknames reflect their character and personalities. I don’t know what this means for Bartleby, as he is a rather peculiar person and soon the lawyer will realize just how strange he really is.
At first, the lawyer notices that Bartleby does a substantial amount of writing. But on the third day, Bartleby’s non-compliance will take the lawyer by surprise. He replies with “I would prefer not to”, which the lawyer doesn’t understand. He was hired to do work but the lawyer thinks that there must be something wrong. In a time sensitive issue where he desperately needs Bartleby’s help, he responds once again with “I would prefer not to” in a rather slow and dull manner. The lawyer says that with any other person he would have responded hastily but states that his “wonderful manner touched and disconcerted me”.
I think it’s funny that the Lawyer had to question himself. He thought that his approach and manner in addressing Bartleby was wrong and that is why he is refusing to do what is asked of him. It’s almost like he couldn’t believe the situation he was in and the only logical explanation must be that he himself was crazy and that Bartleby is totally in the right. But, the other copyists reassure him Bartleby is not behaving like a good employee at all. In fact, his refusal to do work is rude and he may need to leave soon.
It’s now apparent that Bartleby has to leave the office because he’s giving off bad vibes around the office. In this line delivered by the lawyer (which I love), he tells Bartleby “Either you must do something, or something must be done to you”. Of course, Bartleby doesn’t really respond to this type of demand nor the question that the lawyer asks immediately after about making copies. Shortly after, he realizes that Bartleby has made the office his residence. If he has done so, this means that Bartleby is homeless and has nowhere else to stay. It’s really sad when you think about it and I think that’s why the Lawyer tried to show some compassion for him, even though by this point he has moved his office because Bartleby refused to move out.
After making the building’s stairs his home, he is finally put in jail. This doesn’t seem to bother Bartleby as he refuses to talk and refuses to eat. There’s no hope for saving Bartleby now.
The twist comes in the end where the Lawyer reveals where Bartleby previous employment was. He said that he was a clerk in the Dead Letter Office in Washington. This I find to be so ironic but fitting to Bartleby’s nature. I believe that his last job literally killed him. He was “dying” so to speak while working there and being fired from there left him lost. Who knows what Bartleby’s work entailed while he was working there but that type of job doesn’t sound like an exciting place to go to work every day. I think it was an unfortunate end for Bartleby as he couldn’t find his way into society again at his new job. I’ll end with the lawyer stating “Conceive a man by nature and misfortune, prone to a pallid hopelessness…”
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