2:04 – 5:15
In this video, Professor Bernstein provides introductions and guidance about reading Bartleby. What really interests me is that she poses a series of questions that readers may not be conscious of during reading, which are not only about the characters’ characteristics but also about readers themselves’ thinking process. For example, “Do you feeling frustrated when reading this story? “”What expectation do you have when entering into stories?” “what sort of message the story is conveying?”
I agree with her idea that the writer Herman Melville questioned people’s ability to really know anyone else. In Bartleby, few people have interests to understand Bartleby, like the narrator; most of them have never tried to know more about Bartleby’s inner world. The presupposition of knowing anyone else is the motivation to know about him/her; however, individuals are too busy to spend their time on others. Everybody is controlled by some kind of powers to work unconsciously. Even for people like the narrator who has interests and tries to know Bartleby, it is sad that Bartleby does not want to say anything about himself and the reason behind his “I preferred not to.” In reality, when people who are willing to tell his or her stories and when listeners have interests in the stories, there is still a gap between speakers and listeners due to many causes like empathy capability, personal experience and so on. Actually, I did not have the feeling of frustration when reading this story like the professor raised. I allow my incompetence, and I accept that human is mysterious.
This video also provides an important logic that readers should apprehend this story, from different perspectives and various standpoints, setting aside biases and presupposed views. The narrator thought himself is mercy and kind enough, but what is real intent behind his action? Is it based on the pure ethnic or other benefit-cost analysis? Does Bartleby behave so because of his firm stand of fear of change? All the questions or assumptions, I believe nobody could have a certain answer including the characters themselves.
The plot is kind of absurd; however, it is a miniature of the modern world. Everyone is restrained is this or that domination, none truly enjoys freedom from his or her bottle of heart. Maybe the happiest moment for Bartleby is when he died and he could finally do something he prefers to do.