http://www.confluence.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/black-hole.jpeg
Thesis: The tragic mistake of a hero leads to his or her demise or downfall that in turn brings tragic end. Bartleby’s tragic mistake is his continuous struggle with alienation and detachment that inevitability leads to his own destruction.
This picture of the black hole represents Bartleby and the journey model of Aristotle’s tragic hero. A black hole can represent depression in a person. It feels like there is the point of no return when the black hole slowly spirals into the middle. Bartleby has been struggling with an internal battle with isolation and detachment. He started off as an obedient worker, but he slowly transitioned into someone who rejects everyone and everything. Even though Bartleby is working in the same office with his coworkers, it feels like he is in another dimension. He manages to shut himself in, which demonstrates his ability to create his own isolated bubble. Like Bartleby, the black hole can look deceiving: it is nice and normal from afar, but as you get closer, it is slowly getting darker and darker. Bartleby’s isolation from everyone has inevitably led to his own death.
3 responses so far ↓
m.to1 // May 14th 2016 at 6:22 am
I think just looking at the image, I would need some sort of explanation. I think your interpretation was more on the sadness of Gregor more than the tragic hero aspect. The only real part that had a connection was that his isolation caused his death. Maybe find more reasons as to why he was tragic hero rather than explain why he was depressed,
m.camara // May 14th 2016 at 10:11 am
I think your picture and your thesis match up quite nicely in terms of the overall destruction of Bartleby. In the novel he does seem to spiral into a black hole as he starts of this dedicated worker and ends up failing to meet none of the demands from his both. I think the black hole represents Bartleby’s decline as a character.
JMERLE // May 14th 2016 at 10:25 am
Yes, I love the image, and I think it’s really appropriate in connection to Bartleby. I do think, though, you need to consider the points of the “journey” as he spirals downward into the black hole of utter isolation.
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