An exploration of the capitalist work ethic of the main character in Herman Melville's classic short story "Bartleby, the Scrivener".
Written in 2007; 1,100 words; 2 sources; MLA; $ 38.95
Paper Summary:
This paper examines how, in the short story "Bartleby, the Scrivener", one of the more interesting character interactions is the narrator's reaction to Bartleby. The paper discusses how, if one observes this situation in the context of the ideas of Max Weber, it seems that Weber would most likely credit the way the narrator reacts to Bartleby to the ethos of capitalism instilled in the narrator by his Protestantism. The paper explains that it is this ethos that causes the narrator to be so perplexed by Bartleby, as well as what leads to the narrator's compassion towards him.
From the Paper:
"In order to claim that that narrator's capitalist ethos is at the root of the narrator's reaction we must first show that the narrator indeed has such an ethos. In "Bartleby" the narrator exhibits ascetic Protestantism, which Weber claims is the religious foundation that defines the current capitalist ethos. It is easy to see that the narrator is religious when his is "... [going] to Trinity Church," (Melville 16). Even more proof comes on page 28 when the narrator reads Jonathan Edwards and is mulling over the issue of predestination. Both of these are signs that the narrator is Calvinist, as Edwards was a Puritan writer and predestination is a predominantly Calvinist principle. Signs of asceticism also show up in the setting of the narrator's office, which has windows that "...afford a lateral view of certain grimy back-yards and bricks," (8) and is scantly decorated. It is evident that in "Bartleby" the narrator has a Protestant background that instills in him an ethos of capitalism that affects his relation with his scrivener Bartleby."
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