"Bartleby, the Scrivener": A Review

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the story of "Bartleby, the Scrivener" by Herman Melville told through the narration of the Wall Street Lawyer who knew him. It examines how from the intrigue of the opening paragraph of the enigma of Bartleby, Melville immediately pulls us into the story and makes us want to read using psychological strategies. It shows how Melville continues with these psychological strategies throughout the story in his illustration of the two main characters and their shortcomings. Melville created a character that was so hopeless; he lives on in the reader's minds after reading his story and in the ultimate psychological strategy, constantly makes them wonder about the worth of their own lives.

From the Paper:

"Bartleby profoundly affects the lawyer, and he discovers more about himself while he deals with Bartleby's eccentricities. He realizes that others who were less understanding would simply have thrown Bartleby out, and never worried about him again. He cannot bring himself to do this, and thinks he is there for some purpose. Bartleby is death, and the story is about death, and how we live our lives trying to get away from it. Most of the time, we try to ignore death, but it is always there, and we know it, we just "prefer" not to. The lawyer alludes to this when he discovers Bartleby is living in his offices. He says he becomes unhappier than he has ever felt before, and says, Ah, happiness courts the light, so we deem the world is gay; but misery hides aloof, so we deem that misery there is none."

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