The Man Bartleby

In his work, Bartleby, The Scrivener, Herman Melville tells the tale of a Wall Street lawyer and the evolution of his relationship with one of his scriveners.  The story is told in the first person, from the point of view of the lawyer, whose perspective provides for some very intriguing questions.  Can we trust the narrator?  Why is the narrator compelled to tell his story?  And one that I'd like to focus on, what is the true relationship between the narrator and Bartleby?  I plan to go more in depth with this later, but for now, let's just look at a selection from the text:

"As days passed on, I became considerably reconciled to Bartleby.  His steadiness, his freedom from all dissipation, his incessant industry (except when he chose to throw himself into a standing revery behind his screen), his great, stillness, his unalterableness of demeanor under all circumstances, made him a valuable acquisition.  One prime thing was this, -he was always there;- first thing in the morning, continually through the day, and the last at night.  I had a singular confidence in his honesty.  I felt my most precious papers perfectly safe in his hands." (28-9)

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This excerpt really highlights the attitude of the narrator towards Bartleby.  I contend that Bartleby may in fact be a part of the narrator's own personality and may not physically exist at all.  The narrator comments that he has never been the type to have trouble with nervousness as many of his peers have, yet becomes quite agitated and on edge, not knowing what to do with the man Bartleby when he won't cooperate.

Bartleby is identified by the narrator as being industrious, and completely trustworthy in the quote, yet he won't do any task aside from copying, and the narrator claims to know not of his background. It is also interesting to note that a work station was set up for him in a corner of the narrator's office, and not in the other room where the other scriveners work.  This is never completely explained.  It makes sense that if Bartleby is indeed a part of the narrator that he would always be there when the narrator is.  In fact, Bartelby never leaves work, and thus represents a part of the narrator that is involved only with his work life, and not his personal life until he tries to leave that part of him behind later in the tale, by moving to a new office.

Something I find very telling in the struggle that the narrator has with how to deal with Bartleby.  He finds him to be industrious, and considers him to be a great addition to his staff, but is also continually frustrated by him and his unaltering demeanor.  It seems that, it might be that he can't simply fire him because it's not that simple.  He can't let go of that other part of himself, that he trusts to be industrious, yet silently rebels.  It seems to truly be a reflection of the lawyer who, from the start, identifies himself as someone who does a lot of work, though having no aspirations beyond what he is.  Perhaps Bartleby is the same in that he does his copying, but nothing more.

There are many ways to read this text.  The way I read the short story and the interaction between the characters was similar to the film Fight Club.  What thoughts and questions did you take away from reading it?



Melville, Herman. Bartleby, The Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street. 1853. Kindle Edition.