1. Compare and contrast the texts, “Bartleby, the Scrivener” and “Narrative of the Life”. How do they relate to Enlightenment?
2. Analyze “I prefer not to.” Why does Bartleby always “prefers not to?”
Monthly Archives: March 2013
Midterm Questions
1.When did it become noticeable that Swift’s proposal couldn’t be a serious one?
2. Explain why Herman Melville ends the story Bartleby, the Scrivener with “Ah, humanity!”
3. What do you think is the purpose of the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass?
“Bartleby the scrivener” by Herman Melvin
“Bartleby the scrivener” be Herman Melvin was an amazing story. It all happened in a law firm constructed by a lawyer, the boss, Turkey the scrivener who works hard in the morning time, Nippers the young ambitious scrivener who had stomach trouble during the morning, but was more productive after lunch time, and the errand-boy whose nickname was Ginger Nut. The boss managed with them in a daily basis, but later need more help, he then hired Bartleby. At the beginning Bartleby was a very hard working person and productive so the boss became pleased with him over the other employees. But later on, Bartleby had a very strange attitude towards the boss. He refused to do even the routine tasks in the office, he to do the job assigned to him politely by saying “I prefer not to.” The boss was amazed by his reaction, but did not sanction him from work. The other employees were very upset about that attitude of Bartleby and began hating him because the boss still favors him over them after all this.
I think that Bartleby had some personal issues going on in his life and could not handle it in his own, which is why he was reacting like that at work. He did not want a social life, he refuses to eat, from here we can say that he did not feel good about himself; he was missing something in his life. He felt that he needed more freedom, but he chose a very wrong way of claiming it. He died in a very pitiful way, sad, depressed, and lonely in a dark life.
I can say that there is no Bartley in today’s society at the work places. Even we do not want do a job we are assigned to, we will end up doing it because we are lack of choice and power. If one resigns for a position, there will be tones of individuals available for that position. Be smart, be mature and be careful before you make any decision!!!
read read read the strange story by herman melvile
Reading Herman Melvin’s “Bartleby the Scrivener” was pretty entertaining. Although strange, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for Bartleby. After all, he inf act die unhappy. He was most certainly depressed. There was something seriously wrong with the dude, if he refused even to eat. Personally I find mental illness, fascinating. Although a cruel reality, it’s interesting to see where a person’s mind can go and linger.
Humanity is funny because its the only species that causes other humans to grow weary and insane. Bartleby, once a goodworker, slowly fell deeper and deeper into a depressing state. Soon he was so unhappy that his actions forced the narrator to move his business. Then after that, he was taken to a mental institution because he didn’t move from the room where he had once worked. There he even refused food, and died. What led Bartleby to such madness? Getting fired from a Dead letter office. Can getting fired really have such an effect on a person? Kind of insane.
Sad story. 🙁
If Bartleby Was Alive Today He Would Probably Get His A** Beat (By His Boss First)
Seeing as I have read this story before, I felt as though I had a certain advantage over everyone else. I was sadly mistaken. As much as I enjoyed Herman Melville’s little story, it confused me to no end. I felt as though literally every single word Melville chose served some ulterior motive and because of that I remembered that I must put delicate care into reading it. The story is long enough as it is but I had to read over it methodically again and again in order to even begin to grasp at the themes that laid within the lines (though in all honesty I feel like I was grasping at straws). With that being said, I’ve decided to take on the challenge Professor Kaufman laid out before us last class and tried cross-examining one of my favorite lines in an attempt to flush out one of those themes from the literary bushes.
The line I’d like to discuss is Bartleby’s all-famous catch-phrase “I would prefer not to.” Short, simple, and direct; when read in Bartleby’s politely droll tone, the recipient (and reader) of his phrase would be almost forced to treat Bartleby tenderly no matter the circumstance. Every time the narrator asked of something from Bartleby, he would hear the same response. At times he would become agitated, but it never escalated into anything serious. Now why is that? Is it because the narrator is too craven (#GameOfThrones) to chew out his own employee or is it because he pities him? I’m pretty sure it’s the latter. When the narrator hears Bartleby’s gentle retort, he feels almost guilty; guilty of pushing his own employee to do something. To do the work he’s being paid for! By using the word “prefer” it’s as if Bartleby is denying to do someone a favor and because of that the narrator feels as though he’s being too forceful. You could say that by words alone, Bartleby effectively neutered (almost) everyone he spoke to.
In regards to my title, if Bartleby were alive today I’m 100% sure he’d be a hobo on the streets. Literally no one in this day and age would take that “I would prefer not to” B.S. regardless of how polite he said it. Ain’t nobody got time fo’ dat.
Going against the norm
So after reading this story the first time, I felt it had to do with the fact of Bartleby sleeping in his office and maybe a broader topic of economic classes. Having this idea in mind I tried to type a blog about it but it just seemed out of place and couldn’t elaborate on it very much, I could say he was saving his money and not spending it on drinking like Turkey and it was the smarter route for him but it didn’t make much sense for me at least. After re-reading it a second time I started to notice a trend that lied with Bartleby and his fellow workers. He is described as a great worker and does a great amount of work that impresses his boss. His only down fall, as far as the boss thinks, is his idea of not wanting to do something or not preferring to do it.
In the story Bartleby starts off as a strong worker, but slowly decreases in his work, for lack of a better word, “ability”, he begins to slow down to eventually not doing any work at all. This annoys the narrator to the point of trying to fire Bartleby, but he does not prefer that, the lawyer ends up moving his whole practice to avoid Bartleby, who lives in the building scaring other tenants. When arrested and put in jail, the narrator attempts to help him and get him special food but he does not prefer it, he winds up dying in jail, taking no help from anyone.
The idea I got from reading this story is going against the norm, and not being a yes sir kind of person. While all the other employees ran to the lawyers side when he called, Bartleby did his own thing, still doing his assigned work (sometimes), but still followed his own path. He lived with out being controlled by others and broke free from the orders of the narrator, such as America declaring their Independence from Britain, they had their right to do so, just like Bartleby, not needing help from the outside, just governing himself as one.
The Declaration
In addition, ” A decent respect to mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the seperation”. This document is written in a way which is not meant to be agressive or provacative. ” A decent respect to mankind requires”, the forefathers of America are respectfully attempting to reflect their reasoning upon England. “requires” means that it is necessary are there cannot be a way without this. This being the reasons for which America wants to lose their ties with England.
” It becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them to one another”. When something is necessary there cannot be a way without it. To dissolve is to move away from , in this case political bands. These political bands are England. This powerful fragment of a sentance means that there cannot be a way which the people of America will continue to be tied to England.
The introduction to the Declaration of Independence is designed to provide a rational for the text that follows. It attempts to introduce an explanation lying under reasoning and logic which is supported by public opinion.
The Declatation of Idependance is a very important document of history. It is a product of the Enlightment, an example of what Enlightment actually is. This form of Enlightment is the kind which occurs when many people are listening and are heard at the same time.
“The Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God”
The texts we read for Monday all lead to a same idea, Enlightenment. They illustrated the idea of human rights, which is Life, Liberty, and Property. In “The Declaration of Independence,” a phrase caught my attention, “the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God .” According to the John Locke, the law of nature was simply upon “reason and equity.” In the text, LAWS is in a plural form, which means both “reason and equity.” What is the reason for the United States to dissolve from England? The answer is EQUITY. The authors of “The Declaration of Independence” and the colonizers argued that the King of the Britain, George III, failed to give them the same equal rights as those British people.
NATURE, according to Oxford dictionary, is “the basic or inherent features of something, especially when seen as characteristic of it.” NATURE described the inherent features of deist. GOD, is ” the creator and ruler of the universe and source of all moral authority,” which the God is above human beings. God, in all religion is described as almighty and omnipotence. NATURE’S GOD, were referred to as the God of deist. They believed that their separation from the Britain was the will of God. God entitled them the right to separate themselves from the inequality, and enjoy their right of being treat equally.
Declare Enlightenment
Declaration
- The act of declaring; announcement.
- A formal statement; proclamation.
I think Declaration is one of best express way to announce and proclaim about historically a momentous event. It influences distinguished in many different fields which is social, political, culture, and science etc. And “The Declaration of Independence” was involved and proved Enlightenment by scientific, moral/philosophical, and political justification.
“Declare the causes which impel them to the Separation” it is a scientific justification which is cause and effect relationship. Enlightenment influenced to develop science. People began to think and search what is cause and what is effect it made people more logically and scientific.
“Unalienable Rights” and ”Pursuit of Happiness” it is a Moral/ philosophical justification. It means that rights held to be inherent in natural law, not dependent on government. It is also one of Enlightenment. And all people have right to pursuit of happiness so people respect each other and began to keep their right. It made people thinking people has equal value and right.
“That to secure these right” it explains social contract. Social contract is a voluntary agreement among individuals to secure their rights and welfare by creating a government and abiding by its rules. Before Enlightenment, most people thought that king or governor was given by God so people are obeyed by them. But it tells that government is creating just by voluntary agreement among individuals it is not given by God just God gave to us unalienable Right and pursuit of happiness so to keep our rights we are creating a government.
In short, “The Declaration of Independence” involved Enlightenment and it influenced distinguished in many different fields.
Adding “Women”
In Declaration of Sentiments, Seneca Falls wrote about why women should be independent form men. She enlightened women to realize that they were suffering in the unequal situation. When I first time read Seneca Falls’ Declaration of Sentiments, I felt this article was very impressed because she used the language of Declaration of Independence to fight for women rights. I think that write in this way can address readers’ attention. For the people who had read Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence before, when they read this article, they might feel the article was interesting and want to know the detail, and then they might read closely. Some readers also contract this article with Declaration of Independence to order to see how Seneca Falls expressed her different opinions in the same written format of Declaration of Independence.
Jefferson wrote “all men are created equal.” Seneca Falls changed the whole feeling and meaning of the sentence by adding “women”. This difference makes me feel ironic. This adding makes people feel that those famous people who decided the draft of Declaration of Independence, like Jefferson and John Adams forget to write “women”, so she amended this in her article. This shows that the men and society were used to neglect the importance of women. Adding “women” emphasizes that women are equal as men. This action also sent out a message that if you, men, don’t give us the equal rights and always neglect our human rights, we will take actions to fight for this.
I think it is very difficult to express one’s own opinion by using the language of a famous document, so Seneca Falls did a great job. Her Declaration of Sentiments is very successful.