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Assignments – Week #9
- Believe it or not, the semester is halfway over! Please set aside some time to complete our Mid-Semester Reflection which you can find HERE. Your form should be submitted by Friday, October 28th.
- This week’s reading is Herman Melville’s “Bartleby, the Scrivener”. You can find the text in Volume E of your Norton Anthology. Melville uses a lot of words that may be unfamiliar to you, so please be sure to look them up as you read.
- In preparation for Wednesday’s class, please respond to ONE of the following questions. Your response can be shared as a comment on this post. Your response should be a minimum of 250 words and should be posted before Wednesday’s class.
- Explain the significance of the text’s subtitle, “a Story of Wall Street”.
- Why do you think Bartleby refuses to perform his copying duties?
- Whom do you sympathize with more in this narrative, Bartleby or the Narrator? Why?
- How does power work in this story? Who seems to have power? Why?
- The text ends mysteriously, “Ah Bartleby! Ah humanity!” What do you think this means?
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Question : Why do you think Bartleby refuses to perform his copying duties?
In the novel “Bartleby The Scrivener” we are told a story about a series of office workers. There is a new worker by the name of Bartleby who does his work well and on time the first few days . He impresses those in charge and is asked to just print copies on this day. Bartleby simply declines the offer , very nonchalantly and this confuses the lawyer as he didn’t expect such a reply to such a simple job. To me Bartleby isn’t trying to portray himself as lazy , he simply doesn’t like the idea of change. Bartleby as a character is very to himself and has a simple agenda as to what he wants his life to consist of. Whether it’s how he lives or what he does. Therefore when the lawyer asks him to change something and do something he doesn’t want to do , he simply declines. This is backed up by the story as throughout the novel he states he would prefer not to change and he enjoys being stationary. The whole theme of the story is isolation , Bartleby doesn’t enjoy being near his coworkers or boss. His life isn’t as appealing as it could be and it’s almost like he lives in his own world. This could relate to mental loneliness and always being so separated from the world. In the end Bartleby is response has to do with way more than just being lazy.
Thanks for these comments. I wonder what the connection is between what you describe as Bartleby’s resistance to change and his isolation. Are they related?
Why do you think Bartleby refuses to perform his copying duties?
In the novel “Bartleby The Scrivener,” we can barely see how Bartleby refuses to give away his copies because, as the book says, “he’s preferred not to do” than Melville told him to do. Instead, he says he’d instead not do that than give away his copy or something. Bartleby gives his opinion on what he would do as a job later in the novel. He said he liked to be stationary. I feel like Bartleby was someone who wanted to work alone, on his own departure, not being around people or hearing people’s opinions on his own decisions. Maybe he doesn’t want to collaborate with other people. That’s why he was always alone in the office without disturbing anyone or being disturbed by anyone else. On page # 307, we find that Bartleby is in Melville’s office and lives there as his house. Like someone doesn’t have a home to live there, it was a work desk that Melville had as a desk. Melville was surprised not to see Bartleby in the office. I think Bartleby might have a mental health issue. as a result, he was constantly alone and didn’t want to collaborate with people. Maybe something was done in the past that affected him emotionally. Because he didn’t want to talk to anyone except to say, “prefer not to do it.”
Moreover, there’s no reason to know what is going on. Even in life, people can’t work alone unless there’s a problem. Even if there were problems, there would always be a solution to solve the problem.
Is there a connection between Bartleby’s loneliness and his desire not to do any more copying – or any other work for that matter?
The text ends mysteriously, “Ah Bartleby! Ah humanity!” What do you think this means?
In the text “Bartleby The Scrivener”, I believe Bartleby is found to be dead. The narrator’s last words seem like he is sort of mourning over Bartleby’s death by saying “Ah Bartleby! Ah humanity!”, which represents the narrator’s thoughts of how cruel the world was for Bartleby. He previously worked as a clerk in a dead letter office. The narrator emphasizes how he would organize letters that were written for the dead which would eventually be destroyed. It shows how repetitive and useless the job was, which could be the cause of his death. The narrator says “On errands of life, these letters speed to death”, and in this he is emphasizing again how repetitiveness of organizing these letters that would be destroyed anyway made his life so useless and depressing which would lead to his death. The narrator screaming out to humanity portrays the cruel repetitive lives that people like Bartleby go through. Furthermore the narrator’s screaming out to humanity could also be to show how pointless humanity really is just like Bartleby’s job before meeting the narrator.In addition I believe when Bartleby would refuse to do tasks because he didn’t want to do it and only do the tasks that he desires to do can show Bartleby trying to break his repetitive cycle at work. Lastly I think this relates to people in real life where they would keep doing the same thing over and over everyday without breaking the cycle until the day that they die.
I think you make a good point here about Bartleby’s story being an example of the dehumanizing quality of boring, repetitive work.
Bartley refuses to do his copying duties because of how his vision deteriorates throughout the story. At first, he would only refuse to read his copies but would still diligently write out his copies. Later, he stopped doing his copying duties entirely when his vision worsened; however, he still stayed in the office despite being unable to work. However, he doesn’t explain this predicament to anyone until the narrator has cornered Bartley. There is a chance that Bartley did not want to show any weakness to his peers since he doesn’t even let the Narrator know that he is secretly staying in his living quarters until his secret is exposed. He couldn’t even admit his housing situation, but being unable to perform his copying duties because of his vision might be an even worse blow since everyone in the company would know, not just the narrator. Bartley didn’t even accept the 20 dollars to help him transition to a new industry. I’m not quite sure how much twenty dollars was worth at that time compared to now but I can assume that it was a generous amount of money, but Bartley didn’t even touch the money. This can be an example of his desire to reestablish his independence and not show weakness since if he didn’t accept the money then clearly he didn’t need it. He demonstrates how much he is willing to refuse to maintain what independence he has,
Is his vision really the issue???
3.) Whom do you sympathize with more in this narrative, Bartleby or the Narrator? Why?
I think that in a certain way the text makes me sympathize a little with the two characters; on one hand Bartleby is discreet and modest, almost insignificant; but his behavior is selfish and unforeseen. Bartleby is kind and passive, but his manner ends up being incisive. Bartleby is a silent usurper pursuing an uncertain end. On the other hand, we have the narrator, a hard-working person who cares about his employees and his business. His frustration with Bartleby and his behavior is noticeable, giving a certain impotence to the actions and comments that Bartlebey makes throughout the text. I think the author begins the text by showing us a more enthusiastic environment on the part of the narrator. However, when Bartleby takes over the text, the story becomes disconcerting. In the end, as in almost all good works of art, the interpretation is left open. In this case, in total uncertainty. It’s hard to side with either of them, as it’s noticeable that the narrator tries his best to keep his business going but also considers himself to be a bit nosy, not in a bad way, but I think the privacy and mysticism that Bartleby represents creates a certain conflict for the narrator to the point of firing him for not talking much about him and his private life. But it is understandable to want to know who he works with, his personality, and so on. Bertleby, on the other hand, is a focused, working and discreet man. But it is clear that something is not right with him, and something is happening in his life that makes him act the way he does. It’s clear that he is very excessive with his behavior. He doesn’t want anyone to help him or get close to him; this conduct is fully demonstrated at the end of the story.
Luna, These blog posts need to be 100% your own words and ideas. When you offer up words or ideas that you have encountered elsewhere without crediting them to their source, you are plagiarizing. This is a form of cheating and a violation of Baruch’s code of Academic Integrity. Please see me for clarification about this policy and the consequences of violating it.
Whom do you sympathize with more in this narrative, Bartleby or the Narrator? Why?
I think what happened to Bartleby was really tragic, and so I find it difficult to choose between the narrator or Bartleby. The narrator, a lawyer that owns a small firm, is a good boss as he will care for his employee. The work environment also seems to be rather comfortable. The narrator pays attention to his employees, and when he notices things that displease him, instead of firing the employee he would try to talk to them instead. He would also praise his employees often, of being competent with their work. The narrator also tried to talk to Bartleby multiple times but failed, even so the narrator didn’t fire Bartleby right away despite the other employees’ dissatisfaction, especially Turkey. The narrator didn’t know anything about Bartleby’s situation or his reason as to why he refused to work. So the narrator has a reason to get mad. I think any employers would have gotten mad over Bartleby’s actions.
As for Bartleby he was always a modest individual, but he was also lonely. The narrator had mentioned how when checking the paper, Turkey and Nipper will help each other but Bartleby did the task by himself. I don’t believe Bartleby’s actions were intentional, as he doesn’t mean to hurt anyone through his actions. I think that Bartleby had burnt out. He was tired of living and constantly doing boring and repetitive tasks, and so he wouldn’t care what would happen to him. Eventually Bartleby stops working altogether and rather stare at the wall. When the narrator tried talking to Bartleby, Bartleby didn’t answer, and I think it is because Bartleby isn’t used to talking about himself in general. I think throughout the story, what Bartleby struggles with is expressing himself, and so he will simply refuse to answer.
So it sounds like you are sympathetic to both Bartleby and the narrator?
5) The text ends mysteriously, “Ah Bartleby! Ah humanity!” What do you think this means?
After the death of Bartleby in Herman Melville’s short novel “Bartleby, the Scrivener,” the phrase “Ah Bartleby! Ah, Humanity!” is proclaime. Because the narrator saw more in Bartleby than anybody else did, this last statement can be interpreted as an evidence of human tragedy. While everyone else despised the man, he found attraction, interest, and perhaps even meaning in him. Throughout the narrative, Bartleby is characterized as being odd and emotionless. Bartleby’s coworkers frequently voiced complaints about his terrible behavior and dependability to the narrator, among other behaviors. He was seen by everyone else as a strange, dull, lethargic, and mysterious individual who was exceedingly troublesome. Even yet, the narrator didn’t particularly like him but perceived him as a multifaceted individual. He was interested by Bartleby’s unconventional behavior because an office job like his had once given his life a sense of order. When the narrator said “The humanity!” he conveys regret and grief. He believes Bartleby’s prison sentence had an unfair result. It’s possible that Bartleby was merely a poorly understood individual that no one took the time to understand. Bartleby’s passing was a terrible loss and tragedy.
I think that you are right to suggest that the narrator somehow finds Bartleby fascinating.
4) How does power work in this story? Who seems to have power? Why?
The concept of power has an interesting role in Herman Melville’s “Bartleby, the Scrivener”. Upon analyzing, the short story I noticed a shift in power among the characters. The narrator is portrayed as the authority figure, who has power over his workers and dominates them, but in reality, he holds no real power over them. When Bartleby enters the picture, the narrator orders him to do certain tasks, but he states that he prefers not to do them. The narrator saw this as Bartleby flat-out refusing to do any work. In this situation, it is clear that Bartleby’s attempt to regain control from societal pressures forces people to work themselves to death. This can be seen as him rebelling against societal values by setting up personal boundaries when it comes to his work. Soon after, we see that the narrator loses whatever power he thought he possessed over the employees when he realizes that he can’t control Bartleby. I believe that Bartleby’s defiance is meant to inspire others who can’t break out of the endless cycle of being overworked and even though, his character gave up at the end that does not diminish his courageous actions throughout the story.
I agree with you about the shift in power. I wonder, however, if it’s really true that Bartleby “gives up” in his struggle with the attorney. Does he ever give in to the attorney’s requests?
Whom do you sympathize with more in this narrative, Bartleby or the Narrator? Why?
In this narrative I feel a sense of sympathy for both of the characters, the narrator and Bartledy.
On one side I feel empathy towards Bartleby, we don’t really know the things he has been through throughout his life but we can see some of the consequences he faced such as being homeless and later on in the story his vision starts to deteriorate. He seems to be a weak and lost. He turns to what he sees as his only option that is to stand his ground and refuse to leave the narrators office, since he doesn’t have another place to go, even with the help the narrator offers him. He ends up dead after being put in jail because he seemed too proud to really accept the help he was offered.
On the other hand I can see how horrible the narrator must feel, he gave Bartledy plenty of chances and options since he felt obligated and responsable for him in a certain way, but since Bartledy didn’t accept he did all he could to get rid of him. Once he did get rid of him by moving to another office, he was then told that Bartledy would still not leave and since he was the person that knew a little more about Bartledy than others that knew nothing of him, he felt a sense of responsibility to help him. At the end of the story the narrator seems to have found Bartledy dead in a fetal position, and he seems very sad and maybe even feels a bit guilty by how humanity failed to aid a poor man in need.
You seem to have a solid grasp of the dynamic here!
Explain the significance of the text’s subtitle, “a Story of Wall Street”.
Herman Melville’s ‘Bartleby the scrivener’ is a very relatable story about a person who imprisoned himself in his office (work life). The story of Wall Street is given to this text to take a direct viewpoint at the country’s growing capitalism at the time the book was written. Walls and dead letters are the main symbols of Herman’s ‘Bartleby the scrivener’. This also gives us, the audience, a sense of isolation in his life from the world in physical and mental aspects. The wall also symbolized Bartleby’s life which was concentrated inside his office room (cubicle) as most of the people working on Wall Street had. He had separated himself from the people and did not communicate with anyone.
The other symbol in the subtitle was the dead letters. Herman was trying to explain Scrivener’s strange behavior. He was working as a mail sorter who sorted dead men’s letters . I think I can say this for everyone that this is not a real job and doesn’t require much to do. Infact, it is depressing. This work in the department was the reason why all the emotions were killed inside of him and also led to a separation from the world. In conclusion, Wall street is the symbol of capitalism and the walls in Bartleby’s cabinet are the symbol of isolation and self imprisonment.
How are “dead letters” connected to Wall Street?
1. Explain the significance of the text’s subtitle, “a Story of Wall Street”.
In Herman Melville’s “Bartleby, the Scrivener” the subtitle, “a Story of Wall Street” signifies how demanding and lonesome the workplace can be. This is evident through the behavior of the characters in the story. Turkey and Nippers have a severe case of double personality. Turkey completes all his work and has a gleeful mood in the morning and then slacks off and behaves in an irksome manner during the afternoon hours whereas Nippers is the exact opposite. The age difference is to account for why their personalities change at different times since Turkey is much older and nearing his 60s and Nippers is only twenty five. The way the moods of these two characters change during contrasting working hours shows how tiring their jobs can be and that’s why they don’t know how to function properly and contain the same nature. On the other hand, Bartleby serves as a contrarian with the way he acts in the office and his attitude towards the narrator. When he says “I prefer not to,” he is setting his limit for the amount of work he can endure. Furthermore, he is the character in the story that represents the true lonesome component of working. He keeps to himself and avoids answering any questions especially if they are personal. This can be seen when the narrator asks Bartleby questions like when was he born or “any thing about [himself]” (309). Additionally, he goes to a point where he doesn’t do anything and barely talks unless he is spoken to first. Ultimately, the significance of the subtitle is to display how the workplace can alter the way you behave because of the constant routine you are expected to submit to.
Can you explain more clearly how the examples you cite here from the workplace are connected to Melville’s subtitle, “a Story of Wall Street”? I’m not seeing the connection.
Whom do you sympathize with more in this narrative, Bartleby or the Narrator? Why?
In my opinion both characters have a personality that highlights them in their own ways. I sympathize more with the narrator because he is such a great person, who wants to help Bartleby. The narrator knew that Bartleby was a hard worker guy and he had so much potential in him, so when he saw that Bartley refused to work, he tried to reach out to him. But Bartleby never answered him or gave him a reason, besides that the narrator kept looking for a way to help him. I think he narrator feels a connection with Bartleby because we did not know much about the narrator, so he probably has gone through what Bartleby is going through right now. This was the main reason the narrator was worried about the Bartleby situation, not wanting to eat, work and stay at his office, because he probably knew what being alone all the time felt. At the end, the narrator must have felt sad, disappointed with himself because he could not save Bartleby, and he knew that he was a great human being, who didn’t deserve to end like he did.
Do you really think the narrator believes that Bartleby was “a great human being”?
How does power work in this story? Who seems to have power? Why?
In Herman Melville’s “Bartleby, the Scrivener”, power appears to be challenged and shifted. The narrator is a lawyer who had four scriveners write and copy papers for him. He describes each scrivener’s behavior he’s noticed and even if it seems odd, he keeps them around because they are useful in their own ways. He then hires Bartleby who seemed like a great candidate on paper but a few days later, he was met with surprise when Bartleby refused to copy some papers for him. Bartleby would simply reply with “I would prefer not to” (302) when asked to do anything by his boss, the narrator. In the workplace, things are done for authoritative figures without really any hesitation. When the narrator asked Bartleby to make copies, it’s more of a command than a request that you can either accept or demand. So when Bartleby said no to him, the narrator has no power over him. The narrator tried everything, like asking the other scriveners about Bartleby’s response, thinking that Bartleby would change his mind after hearing how they thought he was outrageous for replying like that to his boss. Even though the narrator felt like he wanted to fire Bartleby, he chose to keep him around. The narrator wouldn’t ask him to make copies of the papers as much because his answer was no all the time. Here is where the power has shifted. The narrator is accommodating to Bartleby even though he doesn’t have to be. I also think when everyone started using the word “prefer” more, it was a sign that Bartleby was having an impact on everyone at the firm, and they didn’t even realize it.
Right, Bartleby succeeds in taking away some of the attorney’s power, although the example of Turkey and Nippers you cite might suggest that they too manage to shift some power from their employer to themselves.
In this text I sympathize more with the narrator than Bartleby. I think that this is because I feel that not enough was given for me to form that kind of connection with Bartleby. We know that he is struggling with something, but we don’t know from what. We all have felt this sort of helplessness that the narrator felt during his time with Bartleby. Instead of getting mad when he refused to do the work assigned to him, he thinks and tries to figure out why he did so. When he found Bartleby in his office on Sunday naked and he found his clothes and other utilities and his desk he found more reason to want to understand him and figure out what he is going through. We have all seen people struggling with something but not many of us including myself go out of our way to try to understand them and even help them out. When Bartley be was locked up the narrator was still trying to help him out my paying for his food in the tombs. He also went to try and see him as much as he could but later found that he had died from starvation. What was inside of him kept eating at him and was slowly killing himself and towards the end when the narrator says “Ah Bartleby! Ah humanity!” (321). I think this was him pleading about things turned out and what led Bartleby since we don’t know his history we can really tell but he was in a way mourning.
I appreciate your pointing out that the narrator really tries to understand Bartleby, rather than just seeing him as a problem or an obstacle.
Whom do you sympathize with more in this narrative, Bartleby or the Narrator? Why?
In this narrative, I sympathize equally on both sides because on one side we had the narrator whose life made an unexpected turn and on the other we have the new person that changed the life of the narrator whose background we know little of. At first, I felt more sympathy towards the narrator since he hired a person to work and help them examine the papers. Meanwhile, Bartleby said “I would prefer not to” without much explanation, which triggered confusion in the narrator since that’s the reason he was hired for. Also it was impressive how much control the narrator had of his emotions because Bartleby would prefer not to do his work and would prefer to keep a small conversation without giving out details of why he acts and is. In addition, the narrator kept Bartleby for some time which I thought he shouldn’t since he didn’t even do his job and acted with more authority than the narrator. However, after the narrator found out where he stays overnight, what he eats, I left sympathetic towards Bartleby because I realized we didn’t know anything about his background and that I was judging Bartleby through the narrator’s eyes. The narrator told us nothing but that he could have had a hard and tuff history which could be the reason for how he acts now. Also this may be the reason that he wants to keep small and short replies to forget about the past and doesn’t answer when asked about his life.
You make a good point when you remind us that everything we know about Bartleby is filtered through the attorney’s perspective. It would be a very different story if we had access to Bartleby’s thoughts as well.
Q:Whom do you sympathize with more in this narrative, Bartleby or the Narrator? Why?
A: I feel more sympathy towards the Narrator in this narrative. Though I can understand Bartleby’s behavior as preferring not to socialize with his coworkers and not liking change much, it’s just rather frustrating how at work he refuses to collaborate with said coworkers aside from writing. It doesn’t necessarily mean he has to be friends with them, but he ought to learn how to communicate with others in a work setting if needed be. In addition, even trivial questions regarding Bartleby was given no clear answer. The Narrator, as his employer, continuously tried to understand Bartleby and why he behaved the way he did. Understandably, even though the Narrator still tried to show Bartleby he wanted to help, the Narrator grew more and more confused with Bartleby’s behavior. Until Bartleby’s supposed death, the Narrator has tried things like offering different jobs, financial assistance, and even while Bartleby was in jail, the Narrator asked the grub-man to ensure he was eating upon discovering Bartleby wasn’t eating much. The Narrator and Bartleby’s relationship was strictly professional, but the Narrator still decided to go out of his way to ensure his employee is doing just fine. I’m perhaps judging a bit too harshly as I have only read the narrative from the point of view of the narrator. Had Bartleby have had a written record of how things happened in his eyes, there can be more information to work with. Maybe he had a bad past? Does he want to avoid pity regarding his poverty? Perhaps this is just the way he acts and there’s no deeper meaning? Who knows.
Your post reminds us that we have no way of knowing what is going on in Bartleby’s head, so we are like the attorney, trying to come up with explanations that would allow us to make sense of his behavior.
Explain the significance of the text’s subtitle, “a Story of Wall Street”.
The significance of the texts subtitle ties directly in the theme of capitalism. Scrivener refers to the position that Bartleby holds. He is a copyist meaning he is basically a human fax machine. Even when he ceases to work he is still a cog of sorts in this corporate machine. I think this subtitle has a dual meaning as well. Not only is it referring to Wall Street where he works and the capital of capitalism, it also is referring to a literal wall. Bartleby is trapped by these walls real or not to live a lonesome and desolate life. For example in the office, one of the windows looks out directly to a brick wall. I feel the title also forces the reader to take note of the location before even reading the story because of how integral it is to the plot. This story is a tale of self isolation in corporate America and what better place for the story to take place than the epicenter of the economy.
I like the double-meaning of “Wall Street” with the implication that capitalism is a force that increases human loneliness and isolation.
Why do you think Bartleby refuses to perform his copying duties?
In the story “Bartleby, the Scrivener” by Herman Melville, the main character Bartleby starts off as a good worker, who turns against his superiors, but why? There are many possible reasons that could explain why he would begin to refuse following directions but there are that stick out to me. Firstly, it is the fact he does not like change, he says, ” I would prefer to not make any change” and little later he said “I like to be stationery”. He enjoys eating, sleeping, etc.. all in the same place. He is unable to leave his private mind to a social world.
Another possible reason that stood out to me was the possibility that he saw his work, as it was going, as a prison that only holds him back. With this, one could assume he was resisting. Contextually, this would make sense, since at the time of the writing of the story, capitalism was really starting to be more and more prominent.
I think this idea of Bartleby as “resisting” something bigger than himself is an important one – worth teasing out more fully.
How does power work in this story? Who seems to have power? Why?
In Herman Melville’s “Bartleby the Scrivener”, positions of power seem to be very shifted. At the beginning, it appears that the relationship between Bartleby and the narrator seems to be ordinarily as employee to employer. However, with the progression of events, these power dynamics appear to reverse. Bartleby is no longer submissive to the demands of his employer. When told to do something, he passively refuses, saying that he would prefer not to do the task. Bartleby continues to hold complete authority over himself, doing only what he wants to do and not allowing for anyone else to change that. The strangeness about his character is the passiveness and humility with which he conducts himself, even in his refusal to comply. He doesn’t possess characteristics of a problematic person who intends to bother those around him. He is simply doing what he chooses to do, quietly minding his own business. Despite his harmlessness, he is regarded with fear and panic from those around for being somewhat of an outcast. Since he doesn’t comply with what society considers to be normal behavior, he is shunned and sent away. Even through all of this, he can still be seen as the most powerful character within the text, as he remains firm in his convictions until the point of death.
Yes, I think you’ve put your finger on the strange combination of power and passivity that seems to characterize Bartleby.
Whom do you sympathize with more in this narrative, Bartleby or the Narrator? Why?
I don’t really know if I can sympathize with either Bartleby or the Narrator in this narrative. The narrator seems to be a very unhumbled person in the narrative. He says he is not ambitious but he seems to be very ambitious because of the fact that he “admires” John Jacob Astor who in fact was a very rich man. Following the narrator does things in the easiest form of doing it. Just as when he hires Bartleby to become his scrivener. He just hires this man on the spot with no background check. He seemed to feel bad for him and thought he was suitable for the job hence Bartleby’s performance the first few days of him on the job. However, how can I sympathize with a boss who does everything the easy way to get done with it. That is basically like cheating your way through life. And Bartleby just seems to be taking advantage of the narrator and everything he has provided for him while working. It is unfortunate that Bartleby ends up dying in jail but I believe the narrator started to feel too bad for Bartleby after he goes to jail at the beginning of the story I understood that he was only helping Bartleby to boost his ego. So, it was like they were both taking advantage of each other. Therefore I can not sympathize with either Bartleby or the narrator.
Hmm, I wonder if Bartleby is also doing things the easiest way when he refuses to do any work? Are the two men somehow similar?
Whom do you sympathize with more in this narrative, Bartleby or the narrator? why?
In this passage, and given the personalities of both characters, I sympathize more with the Lawyer (narrator) than with Bartleby. I say this because the lawyer gave Bartleby several opportunities to demonstrate his suitability for the position. Having a Wall Street office and overseeing numerous clients puts you at danger of getting a poor reputation and even going to jail. When the lawyer employs Bartleby and follows the law, which requires him to examine all copies for authenticity so he may be authorized, he puts himself at danger more than having him work for his firm. With being said, the lawyer continued to offer Bartleby several chances to change, but all he saw was him being a flat character. He chose to provide Bartleby access to his office after firing him and to stay in the building when he wasn’t supposed to. The lawyer has attempted to establish a connection between them by continuing to see him in jail after he was jailed, but Bartleby refuses and does not want to see him. He even offered him to stay in his own house after he was forced out, demonstrating some form of feeling horrible for him and sympathy, but he continues to be extremely stuck up and arrogant, which is why I sympathize with the narrator since he continued to try for someone who was unwilling to change and repay what was provided to him.
Who is “stuck up and arrogant”? Bartleby or the narrator? Interesting…
How does power work in this story? Who seems to have power?
From reading this, I feel like, just like any other story we are given this one character at first who we should believe has power, although he really doesn’t. That is the narrator of this story. We are set to believe he has the control and all. Bartleby is presented to us, now he seems to have some “power”. What I mean by “power” is because, he may not really have power and control among others like his co workers etc, but he has power over himself. Why? because he would refuse to do certain task that were ordered for him to do.
Why do you think Bartleby refuses to perform his copying duties?
Anytime the narrator would ask Bartleby to do any sort of work, he would say, “I would not prefer so”. I think he refuses to perform his copying duties as a way to act rebellious and come off as he doesn’t need instructions from anyone to do something. Or, because we know Bartleby is someone who’s good at his job, I feel like him taking commands from someone else can possibly make him feel like he doesn’t need anyone elses opinion.