Now that we've spent some time collectively discussing the plot, themes and symbolism of Melville's "Bartleby, the Scrivener," it's your turn to individually interpret this cryptic story. Post a 1-3 paragraph summary of your idea using this general framework:
1. INTRODUCE an original thesis offering your "reading" of the story in the first line. 2. DEVELOP that thesis statement in a few sentences of explanation and detail 3. PROVIDE examples from the story, and perhaps comparisons with other sources I'm going to count this as the equivalent of two quiz grades (50 points) so please give it your best effort. That means taking a creative risk if you think you've got a cool idea.
67 Comments
Cyntaia
1/16/2017 05:55:49 pm
Bartleby is the life of an average american when you really think about it. At first you start out with a job that you love and your so great at. You're that one person that has something different than the others, so someone always wants to find out what's so special. They'll do anything to try and find out who you really are, they kind of become obsessive. That's the story of Bartleby and the elderly lawyer. The lawyer really wants to find out who Bartleby is. He thinks that this is a mission from God. So he has to try to understand Bartleby, matter the extent. In the story Bartleby has no where else to go so he's sleeping in the lawyers office. When the lawyer goes to his office, Barlteby kicks him out and the lawyer actually leaves. The lawyer doesn't know why he left but he did. Another example is when the lawyer is out with his friends and they ask why he cares so much about Bartleby and he can't answer. Then his friends think he's getting obsessed. Things get so bad that the lawyer has to leave town. Even though the lawyer originally thought this was a mission from God, he thinks things are going to far. He's starting to change because of Bartleby. The lawyer fears that Bartleby will find him one day. This all ties into being an average american. Everyone has something no one wants anyone to know, and I feel like the lawyer was hiding something and that's why he left town and kind of let Bartleby do whatever he wanted. He feared Bartleby and he knew that Bartleby knew something. To keep Bartleby from saying anything, the lawyer let Bartleby have power over him until he couldn't take it anymore.
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Biggs
1/23/2017 08:51:12 am
This reading seems especially relevant to American workers in the age of the internet, trying to present an image of ourselves as special and happy while at the same time terrified anyone will find out about our doubts and insecurities. Nice!
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Aidan Butler
1/16/2017 06:38:57 pm
The story "Bartleby, the Scrivener" by Herman Melville is a representation of the life in the "free" world and how everything must be business as usual. Bartleby is a representation of what happens when things don't go as they should and everything becomes disrupted and corrupted. We see this throughout the progression of the story as the narrator slowly becomes obsessed with the fact the Bartleby won't do any work and this begins to hinder how the narrator lives. The narrator will go as far as moving buildings to get away from Bartleby and his disruption of business as usual. It's as if he needs silence Bartleby but doesn't want him to die just to be out of his life. Similar to the business world you will be fired and forgotten if you don't continue to keep the business train rolling at high speeds. Throughout the story the narrator is seen going to extreme lengths to get away from the disruption known as Bartleby. By the end the narrator seems to be infatuated by his behavior. It's as if the idea of disruption and rebellion is seeping into the narrator. Business as usual is slowly dissipating as the narrator and his co-workers are draw in by Bartleby's behavior, or lack there of. This is similar to the Harlequin when his ideas of rebellion begin to infect the Tick-tock Man. When business as usual becomes interrupted then business begins to fall apart.
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Biggs
1/23/2017 08:53:37 am
Great comparison at the end there. It seems we all have that little inner kernel that resists the civilizing and ordering forces of society, and these tales show how that's even true of society's enforcers. We don't want to give up business-as-usual, because instinctively we seek security in routine and safety in numbers. But there is that small voice that reminds us of the animal intensity we lose through that kind of living - what psychologist Sigmund Freud called our "Id."
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Anna Moore
1/17/2017 05:26:52 am
In Bartleby the Scrivener, Herman Melville is able to show through the unique characters how an idea can stick with people even when society ignores it. Bartleby represents a new idea such as the idea that a person can find a job that they love and be satisfied with life. However in society everyone is expected to find a job to make money and fit in everyone's schedule. The narrator represents a person who is suppressed by society and tricked into being happy when deep down he is not. When the narrator first meets Bartleby he is unsettled by his behavior because not many people truly want to be satisfied with their job. Even when the narrator should have fired Bartleby he keeps him because he is interested in Bartleby. Subconsciously the narrator wants to be happy because that is a basic human instinct ,and he thinks that Bartleby has the answer so he tries to stay near him. Even after Bartleby dies the idea of happiness is permanently implanted into the narrator’s mind. The suppression of different ideas in society is often portrayed in many books and movies. In V for Vendetta the idea of freedom is suppressed by everyone especially by the government. Although V dies the idea is carried on by Evey and Finch because they know that they want freedom and must spread the idea. Bartleby is a message for everyone that different ideas need to be accepted so everyone can live a happy and fulfilling life.
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Biggs
1/23/2017 08:56:11 am
In a weird way then, Bartleby is like a celebrity. He has some special quality that draws us in and makes us think this person has some unique access to happiness. Call it "star power." Bartleby has almost the inverse version of that lure - he draws you in not because he's happy, but because he seems to know something is WRONG, something is PREVENTING our happiness.So when Bartleby dies there is this sense that he took "the answer" with him to the grave.
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Evelyn sullivan
1/17/2017 07:45:34 am
After reading Bartlebey, I've concluded that he has some mental issues from letters he read in his previous job to copying for the lawyer. What else could make him like this?
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Michael Dandrea
1/17/2017 08:23:44 am
After I read Bartleby, the Scrivner, I believe that Bartleby has some sort of mental issue that stops him from doing normal, everyday things, possibly caused by his previous job in a dead mail room. This would explain why he does not want to copy the papers or leave the office. It is also possible that Bartleby is blind, since he was copying papers at night with no light.
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Jack Niesz
1/17/2017 08:27:11 am
The short story of Bartleby, The Scrivener is a very peculiar one. Bartleby is a very strange man and I believe this strangeness comes from being mentally ill at birth. I think only a mentally ill person can read letters that were intended for dead people as a career. However, I do believe that some of his ideas came from those letters. He has become so intelligent from those letters that he can use language to manipulate peoples minds into getting what he wants. When he doesn't feel like doing something for his boss, he doesn't do it. And when he doesn't feel like leaving the office even after he has stopped working for the man, he doesn't. I believe that Bartleby has a certain mindset that doesn't want to be acted upon by ideas that he doesn't believe in. In conclusion, my theory is that Bartleby was an already mentally ill man that got ideas that society has claimed to be not right. But, Bartleby doesn't care about anyone besides himself, so he never changed.
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sinead henderson
1/17/2017 09:09:06 am
Bartleby the scrivener is all about chaos you see what happens when something doesn't go as planned. Throughout the story you see Bartleby test the limits by saying " I would prefer not to" and by having control over the lawyer without even noticing. Throughout the story you cant even tell if he knows what he is doing is wrong because he shows no emotions or actions pointing towards he knows what he is doing is wrong. We get to see in to what the lawyers thinking a lot and how he "tries" to deal with Bartleby, especially when he thinks it is his mission from god to watvh over Batleby.
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Marc Brewer
1/17/2017 09:15:20 am
"Bartleby the Scrivener" is a story about a man suffering of aspbergers following his struggles in the workplace, with his coworkers, and with himself. This is because Bartleby exhibits many traits usually present in those with aspbergers, and seeming scriveners are still a profession this story takes place a long time ago when people wouldn't understand mental disability like we do now. When the narrator confronts Bartleby he noticed how Bartleby avoided making eye contact. Bartleby is also unable to have proper social interactions with his coworkers and boss. Finally he seems to repeat the phrase, "I would prefer not to" another tell tale sign of aspbergers.
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Bella Fernandes
1/17/2017 09:39:21 am
"Bartebly the Scrivener" written by Herman Melville is a story that presents chaos and confusion when someone goes against the social norm and disrupts the flow of a business. When Bartebly says "I prefer not to" and refuses to certain tasks told by the experienced and well-knowledged lawyer, he is caught off gaurd by this. His obsession with Bartebly grows as he continues to refuse tasks. This certain story represents how when someone goes against society and what is considered "normal," people get confused and don't understand.
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Bella Fernandes
1/17/2017 09:42:16 am
The tic-toc man relates to Bartelby because he goes against the flow of people by refusing taxes. Both of these people make a choice to not agree and follow what is expected of them. Bartleby also is considered to have something mentally wrong with him, which was not expected from the lawyer since he was doing so well at his new job and always got his work finished.
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Colleen Dougan
1/17/2017 09:40:59 am
Within Harlem Melville’s short story Bartleby, The Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street, it can be portrayed that he is trying to tell a story about the fear of the future. Bartleby is the main character in the story who represents the fear of new things-- in this case, the future. Bartleby is a hard worker and does not cause any sense of distrust, but when he is asked to do something he does not do it. As you get farther and farther into the story you can not help but ask yourself ‘what is wrong with this guy?’ and ‘why won’t the narrator fire him?’. Eventually the narrator explains that he trusts his papers to be in Bartleby’s hands. However, that isn’t an excuse for the things he does. Without going through new experiences, it keeps him from moving towards his future. If he does this consciously or subconsciously, it is not explained. It is shown throughout the story that Bartleby can possibly be afraid of these things. In multiple instances, Bartleby says ‘I would prefer not to’ and that is one of the main examples of his fear of the unknown and/or the future. Bartleby symbolizes the personal struggles of people who struggle with the future.
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Shealyn Russell
1/17/2017 09:42:36 am
In the short story "Bartleby, The Scrivener: A story of Wall Street" by Herman Melville Bartleby the main character changes throughout the story. Bartleby represents the depression that some people get when something doesn't live up to their expectations. When you dream of something so wonderful and exciting, then it turns out to be awful and boring you get a disappointing and uneasy feeling. Barlteby often responds " I would prefer not to. " Bartleby's choice of words prove that the depression made him unmotivated and lazy. He has been a scrivener for such a long time that it turned out to be not as fulfilling as he thought it would be. Near the end Bartleby stopped working and caring because of his depression and is uncertain of what to do next.
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Harrison Jones
1/17/2017 09:54:08 am
In 'Bartleby the Scrivener' by Herman Meville, Bartleby is mentally troubled. This is most likely caused by a disorder at birth. However the various letters and papers Bartleby must go through could have started, or more likely added to his disorder, due to the content inside those papers. An instance where he displays this disorder is whenever he stands at the window, and just stares and the brick wall. The brick wall might mean something to him, or he could just be thinking. Another example is that Bartleby refused to eat anything aside from ginger cookies, and chose starving over consuming anything else while in jail. The cause of Bartleby's mental issue is not completely known but is easily seen through his actions and behaviour.
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Quinn Moore
1/17/2017 09:57:48 am
At the end Melvilleś short story ¨Bartleby, the Scrivener¨ the words ¨Ah Bartleby! Ah Humanity!¨ are proclaimed after the death of Bartleby. This last line can be seen as a demonstration of human tragedy because of how the narrator saw something more in Bartleby that no one else did. He found interest fascination and maybe even purpose in the man, while everyone else disliked him. Bartleby had been described throughout the story as emotionless and strange. His co-workers had complained about his different habits like his bad temper and unreliability to the to the narrator throughout the story. Everybody else saw him as a bizzare, dull, lazy and mysterious person that was extremely bothersome, but the narrator didn´t exactly like him but instead saw him as complex person. Bartlebyś divergent actions are what intrigued him because his life had used to have such order when having an office job like his. The narratorś words ¨The humanity!¨ expresses a sense of sorrow and remorse. He feels the outcome of Bartlebyś time in prison wasn´t fair. Bartleby was possibly just misunderstood man that no one took the time to make sense of. The death of Bartleby was a dreadful loss and tragedy.
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Biggs
1/23/2017 10:30:54 am
So every person is valuable, every death is a tragedy, but we only treat the people whom society values as worthwhile.
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Brigid Clanton-Calnan
1/17/2017 10:02:08 am
Bartleby the scrivener is all about the crazy things that happens when nothin g goes the right way Throughout the story you see Bartleby test the limits by saying " I would prefer not to" and by having control over the lawyer without even noticing. Throughout the story you cant even tell if he knows what he is doing is wrong because he shows no emotions or actions pointing towards he knows what he is doing is wrong. We get to see in to what the lawyers thinking a lot and how he "tries" to deal with Bartleby, especially when he thinks it is his mission from god to watvh over Batleby.
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Hannah Nishiura
1/17/2017 03:23:55 pm
In my depiction of the story 'Bartleby, the Scrivener' I see that Bartleby represents an everyman, the people in society who go through life as nothing but a statistic and a stereotype. The narrator represents the inner voice in everyone, that life doesn't need to be planned out in the confines society has on it, but like in the story, it's almost impossible. A common theme in the story is frustration, and how Bartleby seems almost inhuman in the fact that he cannot feel any of the emotions those around him are feeling. When the narrator says, "I concluded to forget the matter for the present, reserving it for my future leisure.", he is relating to every person in society and even touches the details and depth of time. We see ourselves as different from others in society, but we follow our peers in their actions. We always see a better society in the future, and yet do nothing to change it now. While talking about Bartleby, the narrator states, " Conceive a man by nature and misfortune prone to a pallid hopelessness, can any business seem more fitted to heighten it than that of continually handling these dead letters!" In his final statement, the narrator chooses to describe Bartleby as hopeless, and perfect for the handling of dead letters. To this, I see that the narrator views anyone who follows the confines of society deprives themselves of every truly living.
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kayleigh Murray
1/17/2017 03:54:54 pm
In the short story, Bartleby, The Scrivener by Herman Melville, it can be portrayed that he is telling a story about a man that has mental issues. The narrator in the beginning of the short story describes his employees and tells us about their problems. Bartleby didn’t drink and do drugs at lunch and wasn’t an unpleasant guy and was known as normal at first which made him be respected right away and got the job. He is treated with respect until he continuously responds with “I prefer not to” when asked to do something. I believe that the narrator did not know what was wrong with Bartleby until he died and realized he had a mental issue which caused him to say no to everything. I also believe that Bartleby knew somewhat of what he was doing but knew he was dying and wanted to live the last few days how he wanted to.
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Jackie Prestininzi
1/17/2017 04:56:15 pm
In Melville's Bartleby the Scrivener, the reader learns that accepting death and living a fulfilling life is the key to happiness. Throughout the short story, the narrator learns a great deal about himself and society after meeting Bartleby and eventually learning his story. When Bartleby dies in the jail and looks happy, the reader and the narrator see the message Bartleby is trying to express. He lived his life to the fullest and only did things that made him happy which made it easy for him to accept death. Bartleby previously worked in the Dead Letter Office at Washington, which affected his outlook on life. Bartleby's infamous line was “ I prefer not to” which clearly expressed his attitude of only doing things that make him happy which made it easy for him to accept death. The narrator whose outlook on life was far from happy, needed Bartleby to show him that being happy and living life to the fullest makes accepting death easier. Melville states that “ I am a man who from his youth upwards, has been filled with a profound conviction that the easiest way of life is the best”. The narrator who lived with an “easy way out” mentality, needed to meet Bartleby to see how precious life was and to change his way of life to make his last years fulfilling.
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Biggs
1/23/2017 10:23:38 am
Great connection to V! Is the Bartleby experience sort of like the narrator's version of Evey's imprisonment or Finch's acid trip? The big difference is that for the narrator, he's left feeling Bartleby's demand for greater freedom is impossible and humanity is doomed to suffer, while Evey and Finch become enlightened to brighter possibilities for the future.
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Amira
1/17/2017 05:08:12 pm
The story "Bartleby the Scrivener" is an allegory for society. In society today people are quick to judge and base their feelings and view about a person by how they look or act, which is a reason why people are sometimes treated badly. This happens to Bartleby. Bartleby is represents different people in society and his coworker are the people in society. Turkey and Nippers on a few occasions told the narrator Bartleby should be fired because he is weird or peculiar. Society acts this way too because many people in society reject or abuse (physically or mentally) people who are weird or different from them.
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Brendan Loftus
1/17/2017 05:32:10 pm
Buckle up kids, you’re in for a bumpy ride.
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Brendan Loftus
1/17/2017 06:27:58 pm
I say Utopia in the final paragraph, that is incorrect. I meant to say a Marxist Society.
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Biggs
1/23/2017 09:57:00 am
I really like the comparison with Soviet Union as a modern interpretation (though I'm not sure it's accurate to say West Germany fled the "left-thinkers" since West Germany was ruled by a social-democratic party during much of this time, and social democracy functioned as a left-wing anti-communism in the postwar period, much as Churchhill's conservatism functioned as a right-wing anti-fascism during the war).
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Biggs
1/23/2017 10:01:12 am
To expand on this a little - going off your interpretation, what plays the role of Stalin in the story? Wall Street. This could be a cool way for you to argue that Goldman Sachs-style globalist capitalism is a corruption of the original idea of individualistic capitalism and leads to the cronyism and corruption of culture we see in America today. Sort of a Tea Party interpretation of the story (Melville's grandfather was actually in the original Boston Tea Party :)
Charlotte Jansky
1/17/2017 05:46:40 pm
The story, “Bartleby, The Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street” tells the tale of Bartleby who alters his surroundings by simply refusing to do any work. My interpretation of this story is that the narrator is inspired by Bartleby because he realizes that maybe he hasn’t been happy his entire life. After all, he did work the same job for his whole life and lived comfortably—never taking any risks or trying new things. When Bartleby comes to work at the narrator’s office, the narrator realizes that maybe it is possible to not go with the “business as usual” of society and do whatever you want. Perhaps he already had inklings of these feelings in his mind, and Bartleby just ignited them into reality. There are many supporting examples of this theory in the story.
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Biggs
1/18/2017 06:21:34 pm
FANTASTIC post! I think you hit on a lot of the most important elements of the story here :)
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Grace Noglows
1/17/2017 06:08:41 pm
In the story, Melville shows that an idea can take over. Bartleby represents an average man in the work life. At the beginning, an average person is happy with his new job and enjoys doing the work. As time goes on though, the person starts to like it less and less and does not enjoy the tasks they are given. After two days of working, Bartleby already does not want to do work. There is a thought that everyone should live life as “business as usual” and follow what’s normal. The narrator becomes intrigued by Bartleby not doing work. He gets annoyed and switches buildings. Everyone is being effected by Bartleby not following the “business as usual” way. This is kind of like when the tick-tock man was late because other people rubbed off on him. When people go away from “what is right”, it starts to mess up everyone.
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Robbie DeMarco
1/17/2017 06:12:09 pm
In the short story "Bartlebey the Scrivener", Bartleby, a worker on Wall Street who used to be a clerk in the Dead Letter Office is a man out of the ordinary when it comes to acting like the average day human. The last line of this short story is "Ah Bartleby! Ah humanity!" This last line gives a strong example on what it means to behave in a way as any other person would. Bartleby is a useless worker throughout the story because he does not do anything or when he is asked to do actual work he responds by saying "I'd prefer not to". This phrase is by far the most mysterious line is this story. The importance of it is that he says it over and over again, even to his boss who is pretty laid back and even that makes him go crazy. The line itself could make anyone second think it because the choice of words is not no nor yes, it is simply said "I'd prefer not to". Bartleby uses this to demonstrate the power of an individual to resist a common pressure to obey. Bartleby could also have this emotional detachment by his old job by reading dead letters intended for people that were lost and this drove Bartleby to be an emotional mess and never giving a straight forward answer.
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Julia Rousseau
1/17/2017 06:40:53 pm
Bartleby, the Scrivener by Herman Melville is more about the narrator than it is about the main character, Bartleby. The narrator represents how people project their emotions and ideals onto other people even if they don't know them at all. This also stems from judging someone at a first look. Society as a whole judges people by the way they look or what you assume of them and then eventually come to a conclusion about their lives and feelings. Even if we know very little about someone, we will assume certain characteristics of them and project our own feelings and what we think they feel. This usually ends up as a completely wrong conclusion made about someone and this short story is a reflection on society's quickness to judge.
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Jacob Swartz
1/17/2017 07:12:57 pm
Bartleby, the Scrivener. The beginning of this story focuses on the Narrator introducing the regular happenings of his firm. Bartleby however, comes from what seems to be out of the blue, mildly disrupting the flow of work in the narrator's office. Throughout the reading I came to understand that the Narrator's only weakness was consistency, however it was his major strong suit. Every time Bartleby was asked to look over his tax related documents he simply stated, "I would prefer not to," consistently. Although the Narrator was very focused on his work, he seemed that it would be wrong to completely get rid of Bartleby. But keeping him in the business wouldn't help whatsoever. This is so similar to the Tic -Tock man, and how he didn't just 'Turn off' the Harlequin for disrupting the completely scheduled society in which they lived. The Tic-Tock man saved him in a way because he personally was being influenced by the Harlequin consistently from there on out. There is no escape from an Idea..Oh Humanity.
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Aislinn butler
1/17/2017 07:19:46 pm
“Bartleby the Scrivener” by Herman Melville is a short allegory describing the growth of ideas within a society, and how that growth depends on popular opinion. Bartleby is representing a new idea and the lawyer is representing the popular opinion. Although the lawyer completely disregards Bartleby at first, he begins to grow increasingly intrigued by his behavior. Like most ideas, if they do not follow the norm of society, they are immediately discarded. After letting the idea simmer, people can start to believe in it. This is comparable to large movements such as civil rights and women's rights because although it was seen as silly by those who did not belong to those groups, as they kept protesting for their rights, more and more people began to change their views. This story clearly represents the relationship between suggestion and acceptance. Suggestions can only become useful when people accept them, even if it's not good for them, but it's good for everyone. Throughout the story Bartleby repeatedly says “I'd prefer not to,” and all of the lawyer's assistants shut him down and want to punish him, but the lawyer himself is intrigued. The lawyer is the start of the acceptance that Bartleby is suggesting. The sad truth is represented at the end of the story when Bartleby dies. This shows the unavoidable death of most ideas, and that we can try our hardest to make people believe, it sometimes just isn't enough.
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Biggs
1/23/2017 09:01:25 am
It's like the Survival of the Fittest in the realm of Ideas. There might be "better" ideas out there for determining human life, but the majority rules. Reminds me of Emily Dickinson's poem "Much Madness."
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Sophia Morales
1/17/2017 07:42:55 pm
In the story "Bartleby the Scrivener" by Herman Melville the main character Bartleby represents Melville himself. Throughout Melville's life he felt out of place and unfulfilled. He was always seeking for something, anything that would complete him. In this time he turned to writing challenging the usual writing to speak out against humanity and the suffering it has caused. This where I believe the idea of Bartleby was formed because Bartleby did not fit the mold of what a person in society should be. He did not copy the paper and refused to do so. As he was refusing he used the word "prefer". I believe this played a large part in the story because by saying "prefer" he was attempting to make a choice to say no that society had not offered him. The expectation of people was to do their jobs, no questions asked. Bartleby and Melville asked the questions others were otherwise not brave enough or not interested to ask. They questioned why they had to conform to this way of society. Both wanted to be their own persons and not follow the path that was carved for them instead carve their own. Although it was looked down upon both stopped at nothing to relentlessly question these principles. They challenged humanity when others didn't using this idea to fulfill them and be original.
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Lauren Marcolus
1/17/2017 08:47:01 pm
To me, the most interesting interpretation of "Bartleby the Scrivener" by Herman Melville has less to do with, well, Bartleby the scrivener, and more to do with how he reveals the truths of the narrator and the repercussions of living an "ideal" life. Namely, a life of success and wealth. The narrator introduces himself as a "safe" and "unambitious" lawyer. He seems satisfied and does not question the system. His life has been spent worrying over copying the words of others. Yet, he does not seem to recognize anything missing in his life. Not before Bartleby. Now this may be because the narrator is unaware of anything missing in his life, or, better yet, it may be because he fears to seek anything that seems hard to reach. Just because he has settled into "business as usual" on Wall Street does not mean he does not crave something more. Trapped in a world like that, who wouldn't?
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Biggs
1/23/2017 10:19:58 am
This is damn good analysis. You bring up a host of interesting possibilities for reading the story and connecting it to "Harlequin." In both cases all the rebels have to offer is a vision of the possibility of possibility, the potential for there to be something more.
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Hailey Chace
1/17/2017 08:57:47 pm
In the short story, “Bartleby, The Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street” Bartleby is hired by a lawyer to copy documents. Bartleby is doing great at work for the first two days. However, after that he decides he would “prefer not to” do anything. By doing this Bartleby goes against the social norm, business as usual. Business as usual has taken its toll on Bartleby and he is changing his ways.
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Ethan Bennett
1/18/2017 01:50:05 pm
"Bartleby the Scrivener" is an oddball of a short story if there ever was one. The plot, taken at face value, is deceptively simple- the main character, referred to only as "the lawyer," employs a scrivener, the titular Bartleby, to... Well, copy things down. One day, Bartleby stops working altogether, stating only that, "I would prefer not to." This continues for a few days, until, finally, Bartleby dies of starvation after being imprisoned. There are an infinite number of ways one can interpret this. Personally, I believe that Bartleby doesn't represent a person at all- I believe instead that Bartleby symbolizes the feeling of uselessness one might have after coming to the realization that they have made nothing of their lives.
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Biggs
1/23/2017 08:59:17 am
Connects very well to the Simone deBeauvoir quote I used in class: "Society only cares about the individual as far as he is profitable. The young know this. Their anxiety as they enter in upon social life matches the anguish of the old as they are excluded from it."
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Sima Vaidya
1/18/2017 05:47:04 pm
In Melville’s short story “Bartleby, the Scrivener,” the main character is Bartley, who is a normal, ordinary man that is trying to live life and make a living while working as a scrivener at the narrator’s office. In the story, a few days later, Bartleby decides that he does not want to do what the narrator assigns him, and replies by saying that he “prefers” not to. He does not give a reason as to why he does not want to do the assignment, which makes the narrator upset and mad. The narrator finds out Bartleby is a poor man who has been living in the office, so he tries to move his office and fire Bartleby. Bartleby refuses to leave the job and the old office, which leads to him going to jail, and dying of starvation (because he also refuses to eat). After reading the story, I feel that Bartleby may be traumatized due to something bad he experienced in his life.
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Biggs
1/23/2017 09:16:16 am
It's interesting because you say Bartleby might be traumatized, which makes sense, but all he saw in the Dead Letter Office would be sad realities of life. Is life, then, inherently traumatic because it must end?
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Michael Gilson
1/18/2017 06:45:51 pm
In the story Bartleby, the Scrivener it can be interpreted in many different ways and does not have one message. That is what is great about the story because you can interpret in many different ways. In the story Bartleby works for a lawyer in a office building of which he makes copies for him and does some other things around the office. It is a business casual setting and Bartleby decides to go against that. One day in the office the lawyer asks him to help him with something and Bartleby says "I'd prefer not to." Obviously the lawyer or narrator was very shocked by this comment and thought he Misheard him but Bartleby really said that he'd prefer not to do the job. Shocked by this he thought maybe something was wrong and told him he'd have to leave but he said he'd prefer not to again. The lawyer eventually feels responsible for Bartleby and offers things like new jobs and to drive him home but he said he'd prefer not to. The lawyer eventually has to build a new office and since he sold the old one bartleby is arrested for not leaving the premises. Since the lawyer still feels bad and responsible he goes to visit Bartleby at jail and finds him dead on the ground. I believe this story has to do with addictions. It is very far fetched but hear me out. Bartleby is a man with an addiction. The lawyer is like someone reminding him of it and when he says "I'd prefer not to" it is him denying it. When you see someone with a bad addiction you want to help them and that's why the lawyer feels obligated to help Bartleby. Bartley still doesn't listen and it seems to get worse like an addiction like how he doesn't leave the office. Finally people give up like the lawyer but it still give you courisiosity to see if they'll ever get passed it. When he finds him dead it proves the addiction got the best of him and killed him. This was my interpretation of the story and I believe it is very logical
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Biggs
1/23/2017 10:33:21 am
This is actually a great allegorical reading of the story! It does make logical sense (he dies wasted away, too). You can also take the idea of addiction more metaphorically. Bartleby is addicted to refusal or to disobedience (or, the narrator and the rest of society are addicted to regularity and business-as-usual). Nice work!
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Bella ybarra
1/19/2017 06:07:46 am
Bartleby seems to be a lifelike body of the lawyer's conscience and intuition and is shown through insecurities/frustration, a struggle for individuality, and maintaining work ethic. Bartleby was a hard worker, and slowly becomes sick of all of the busy work, just as the lawyer did. The lawyer tried to understand Bartleby, even when it was unnecessary. The lawyer should have left it as it was, because intuition doesn't always deserve a clear explanation. The lawyer describes Bartleby as robotic and computer-like, mostly because Bartleby is like his childlike and undeveloped conscience.
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Desiree Marshall
1/19/2017 05:10:00 pm
"Bartleby, The Scrivener" written by Herman Melville features a main character, Bartleby who very closely mirrors the life of what we may call an average American. He is the kind of person who sits at a desk all day completing repetitive tasks, and someone who is part of the cycle that keeps everything in order. It is people like this who keep business as usual. So of course when he is hired Bartleby is expected to complete tasks like everyone else in the office, but he doesn't. Whenever he is asked to do something he responds with "I'd rather not", and that comes as a shock to the lawyer. The lawyer is used to his employees doing whatever he asks of him and when he meets Bartleby who dares go against him, it's like a ripple in a seemingly calm ocean. While I was reading the short story, I was confused as to why Bartleby would even take the job if he was just going to sit there and do nothing. Yet I learned later in the book about his past, which in a way made the lawyer feel bad for Bartleby, but it also helped me see why he might not want to complete his job. He worked in a dead letter office, and I think after a while it killed him a bit inside. It made me think that maybe Bartleby was almost dead inside, and that's why he doesn't do anything, that he was so traumatized that he can't exactly function. And maybe to me the reason he always says "I'd rather not" isn't just to say no all the time, but maybe to say I'd rather not do this meaningless assignment, or I'd rather not relive my past. I think his past has a lot to do with the way he feels now. The lawyer in a way symbolizes the concerned family member or colleague who feels it's their obligation to help out in any way they can. He sees that Bartleby is struggling and just wants to find a way to help him out. I think the story really shows a real message, that some people can't be helped. That some people are damaged so much, that no matter how much you try to help them or what you do, they will be too far beyond repair. And I think Bartleby was too traumatized to every recover from his chilling past working with letters sent to dead people. Bartleby's death represents all those lost to the demons inside them, a common thing that happens while the rest of us carry on our lives and ignore them. The lawyer's concern represents the few people who actually stop and try to help those in pain, who are not always successful in their efforts. That's my interpretation of this text.
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This is a profound interpretation. People often see the story as being about mental disability, but rarely do they interpret it as a commentary on depression or post-traumatic stress. We're always expected to carry on with business-as-usual, but what about the ones who are overwhelmed with feelings they can't process? They get ignored, or hospitalized, or simply given pills. Bartleby is a reminder that human life is hard and we should pay compassionate attention to people struggling with it. Maybe we should even consider more radical changes that would make life less stressful for everyone!
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Patrick Sullivan
1/19/2017 05:42:59 pm
The story "Bartleby the Scrivener" relates to the constant flow that society undergoes on a daily basis. The main point of this loop is that the government is constantly wanting to be able to control the loop. To be able to control this loop the government sees the need to know everything that is going on so that they can control the loop. In the story the person who represents the government is the narrator. What the narrator (government) wants to do is to be in charge of the office and make sure that people are fluently doing their work and getting their job done. The people that represent society are Turkey and Nippers. Each day the do their work and go through the same boring loop that society undergoes. Since the key to be in control is knowing what is going on, the narrator makes himself comfortable by making himself think that people are doing their work. For example, to keep Bartleby on track he has a screen to separate him from the other workers and a brick wall to look at out the window. These things that keep Bartleby focused, like a cubicle in an office, allow the narrator to know that his workers (society) are at work and stuck in the constant loop. To add on, I believe that Bartleby represents the part of society that goes against this loop. Bartleby's rebellious actions were similar to Henry Thoreau's actions. For example, he stops working just like Henry Thoreau stopped paying his taxes. Since Thoreau disagreed with the governments actions, Thoreau refused to pay federal taxes. Normally people would pay the taxes and not question paying it because they just are going through the loop of society and they do not want to challenge authority. On the other hand, both Bartleby and Henry Thoreau go against this constant loop of society.
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Biggs
1/23/2017 10:54:51 am
Excellent thoreau connection! people treated thoreau with the same distaste and confusion as they do bartleby. Remember that thoreau also experimented with living in a cabin and was deemed crazy as well as lazy for wanting to do something different from the regular work-a-day world.
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Shea Grant
1/19/2017 06:52:29 pm
Bartleby the Scrivener, by Herman Melville, is a somewhat satirically charged on the worklife of the common man and the absurdity of it. Melville creates a character Bartleby, who intrigues his boss so much that the boss has to move office spaces because his employee, Bartleby, will not participate in business-as-usual. Bartleby begins by working quietly in a corner, shut in by walls on most sides. Soon enough, Bartleby begins to deny performing tasks associated with his job, such as checking his own work, etc. The boss becomes so confused by Bartleby because of his simple answer of “I would prefer not to” that he obsesses over him. He watches Bartleby and studies him, trying to gather intel on why he acts the way he acts. The boss soon gets angry with Bartleby, for disrupting the flow of his office. I believe this is story has quite a few satirical elements for a few reasons. First, the narrator is so obsessed and fascinated by Bartleby because Bartle does nothing. Bartleby actually does nothing. He would prefer not to do anything. The boss is so confused by this that he believed there to be something mentally unstable with Bartleby. Also, I find this funny because the boss’ entire work life is corrupted and comes to a halt because of a man who does nothing. The system is so flawed that it can be overturned with the simple refusal of a request. I believe that Bartleby the Scrivener is whatever you want it to be. However, I also see it is a satirical outlook on the fragility of our common lives.
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Summer Smith
1/19/2017 07:11:14 pm
Bartleby the Scrivener was one of those stories where I had to read three times because I was completely lost the first time I read it. But, after the third reading of Bartleby I has a clear interpretation on the story. I believe that one of the major themes in the story is the importance of law and order. In the law office, everything is to be done in an orderly fashion. Order is very important in the office so when Bartleby refuses to do his job is messes up the order. Another important theme to the lawyer and the office is law. There are unwritten "laws" at the office. Which include doing your job without complaining. Everyone at the office does that so it became an unwritten rule. Therefore when Bartleby refused to perform his job he broke the "law" (although unwritten) at the office. Bartleby is a very complex story that can have many different interpretations.
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Biggs
1/23/2017 10:27:26 am
"LAW" is definitely a huge theme here - I was hoping someone would make this point! Bartleby rejects the unwritten laws of society, the formal rules (laws) of the workplace, even the actual law (by refusing to leave the Lawyer's property, even after he sells it to another). We need law of some kind in order to maintain the kind of regularity and security that humans require, but we become stifled and unhappy when those laws go overboard. It's like an eternal conflict between our need for law and our dislike of it, and Bartleby represents that conflict. This is why I often connect the story to the work of Sigmund Freud, the psychologist who said our minds are dominated by the struggle between instincts (the Id) and society's rules (the Superego).
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Christina W.
1/19/2017 07:22:41 pm
In the short story, "Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street", Bartleby, the main character forces everyone to question society's strict, and man-made rules, and to consider a life without any rules. Bartleby completely resists authority of any kind. No matter what anyone tells him to do he doesn't do it. For instance, the only thing Bartleby preferred to do was write, so he "did an extraordinary quantity of writing", despite the major workload that he was supposed to be getting done (Melville 1). The narrator then describes the environment of the office with Bartleby present. No one has ever resisted the narrator before, and although one would think he would be furious with Bartleby, he actually found Bartleby "is useful to [him]" (Melville 2). He doesn't know how to react to Bartleby's actions and secretly, I believe he wishes he could be like Bartleby too. He never screams or yells at Bartleby, which tells the reader something about the thoughts roaming in the narrator's mind; he must not be disagreeing with Bartleby. In addition, I believe the narrator wants to be more similar to Bartleby because the narrator admires the fact that Bartleby speaks the truth. "[He] remembered that [Bartleby] never spoke but to answer" (Melville 6). Again, Bartleby's ways were different than the society everyone was used to. People, in the narrator's society feel as though they need to speak more than just to answer. They need to speak at all times, and sometimes even to tell lies when they do speak, just so that they can fill the silence. To Bartleby, this would be unheard of. He only speaks when necessary and he only speaks the honest truth. Therefore, the narrator is fascinated by Bartleby's exotic ways. Lastly, the narrator was intrigued by Bartleby's disconnection with the world. In a world like the narrator's, it is common to know everything about a person; where they live, who they know, what they do and where they came from can all be traced down by technology. Bartleby, as always, is different. The narrator secretly loves the fact that "[Bartleby] had declined telling who he was, or whence he came, or whether he had any relatives in the world" (Melville 6). Therefore, he knows nothing about Bartleby besides from the things he would prefer not to do. This leaves the narrator in utter shock. He is so used to every detail being given to him that he wants. Therefore, Bartleby leads the narrator to question his ways. He questions his ways so much that at the very end of the story, despite Bartleby's odd ways, the narrator considers him a friend. Over all, Bartleby leads the the narrator to question his ways of life.
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Murray Elinson
1/20/2017 12:23:13 am
The short story, "Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street" by Herman Melville, portrays the corporate world present day society is based on and how humans are affected by this way of living. Bartleby is a scrivener who works for a lawyer, and he decides that he does not want to do a task that the lawyer asked of him. Bartleby says that he would "prefer not to" do the task asked of him and the lawyer responds by asking, "What do you mean?" (Melville). In the story, Bartleby refused an order in a society where if someone is given work, it is expected to be completed and that is why the lawyer finds it weird that Bartleby would refuse to do a task. This is very similar to society today in which people do what they are told and there is no, "I would prefer not to". People are supposed to do what they are told even if it goes against what they want. Bartleby is different and says "no" in a world where "no" is not an answer. He is showing the conflict in an individual between himself and society where the individual wants certain things but the corporate world takes precedence. Bartleby is the individual saying what he wants and not what society expects while the lawyer is the society that defines each person. Later on in the story, Bartleby refuses to leave the office and eventually refuses to eat. He says, "I prefer not to dine to-day" and the lawyer states that Bartleby is "deranged" (Melville). Bartleby is refusing to eat but the lawyer cannot do anything about it except think he is weird. This describes present day society because there is always someone that cannot be controlled, which is shown through Bartleby, and there is nothing that society can do about it except label that person as different. This story is an allegory for society today and it's effects on people because Bartleby is in a world where one does what he/she is told which is a lot like the present day, but Bartleby does not want to do what he is told even in a world where society does not care if someone wants something. Bartleby shows that society has people living like robots and they forget about their wants and he shows that this corporate world cannot control every action of each person.
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Biggs
1/23/2017 10:44:36 am
Good points! I have some friends who work in corporate environments and they constantly hear that they are a "team" and sometimes even a "family." There's a huge emphasis on being part of the group and the "mission." Bartleby is that haunting reminder that humans are actually individuals and no attempt to force sameness on us will ever work entirely.
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Ethan Christensen
1/20/2017 08:30:10 am
"Bartleby the Scriviner: A story of Wall Street" by Herman Melville has many different interpretations. Ive thought of many of these but I believe Bartleby represents thr nihilistic idea of nothingness. How there's nothing out there. The narrator is being confronted with this idea and reacts how many people including me reacted to nihilism. He's is just incredibly confused and frustrated by Bartleby. I reacted the same when I started looking into nihilism. Its frustrating and confusing but you can't get rid of the idea. Just like the narrator can't fire Bartleby. Bartleby's iconic quote "I would prefer not to" relates perfectly to the idea that there's nothing. We don't know why he would prefer not to; and if nihilism is real we don't know what to think because what else is there to think about.
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Biggs
1/23/2017 10:40:48 am
This is an awesome interpretation. It reminds me of the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche and the idea that "when you gaze into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you." People are always looking for meaning and purpose and destiny, and the idea that everything might be random and there are no answers to our existential questions can literally drive us crazy. Nietzsche thinks that unless we face nihilism and become strong enough to create our own purpose in live, we will fall into despair and waste away as a species. Sound familiar? And yet Bartleby sees that nihilism can be taken as a positive thing too: there is nothing we "have" to do but survive, so why not explore different possibilities and preferences in life? Unfortunately people seem to be frightened and so stick with the "herd's" way of living, as Nietzsche put it, and Bartleby is left to die. Yet the idea as you say lives on. Excellent!
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Zoe Zeek
1/21/2017 11:27:16 am
In “Bartleby, The Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street” the character Bartleby is a simple but content man. Bartleby shows his capability of being a well law firm, getting paperwork done quickly and professionally, although he choses a simpler path of life. Humans tend to be unsatisfied, wanting or needing, meanwhile Bartleby is just happy with living and needs nothing more.
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Biggs
1/23/2017 10:36:43 am
We are expected to work all the time even though we only need to work enough to live, yet people who choose a simpler life are seen as lazy or crazy. Sounds like Henry David Thoreau, who was mocked for choosing the cabin in the woods life. Great reading!
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Galina Gordon
1/21/2017 03:24:17 pm
In "Bartleby The Scrivener" Herman Melville creates Bartleby, a copyist working under the narrator that has no name. The reason there is no name given is because The Narrator is "You" and he takes you through the story to self reflect. The story is about how you react to world issues with Bartleby symbolizing the issue that people repress and don't think about, the narrator's assistants resembling how you try to deal with the guilt, and the screen is the wall between the issue and you. You never usually deal with world problems directly, so the motifs of walls is that constant reminder that 'you' have to be the one to tear it down and face the reality. If you saw Bartleby as a martial figure then you feel you have to give up liberties and that someone has to suffer in someone's utopia.. Along with that, if you viewed Bartleby as an idiot, and felt like he should have just conformed to the social norms then you are a harsh critic, almost ignorant, of the world who likes to understand every aspect of your life. That's the position the narrator mostly took, which everyone can relate to because we know something ideally is immoral but we choose to push that guilt down so we don't confuse ourselves with different feelings and ideas.
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Biggs
1/23/2017 10:49:03 am
This is very cool! I really get this because I teach the story and I see how people have these different reactions that reveal in a way their personalities and values. I can't stand being told what to do (even if it's good for me), so I identify with Bartleby immediately. Others who prefer routine and cooperation might find Bartleby distasteful and see him as just a crank. It's like a psychological test along the lines of those Rorshack inkblots they used to use to get a sense of how people interpret the world and especially how they deal with uncertainty.
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Donovan Turner
1/22/2017 10:48:20 am
In "Bartleby The Scrivener" Bartleby is a quiet and simple man who the Narrator hires at his law firm. Bartleby seems to be quietly content with his work and accomplishes his task, but suddenly stops working. Whenever the Narrator asks him to work, do an errand or even explain why he does nothing, Bartleby responds "I would prefer not to". Bartleby is so stubborn that the Narrator moves the firm out of the office because Bartleby refuses to leave. I believe the story of Bartleby could be considered an Anti-Communist story because in Communism, everyone needs to be working for society to work. The problem is if one person doesn't work, the whole system could be destroyed. This can be interpreted in the story because the office is a well oiled machine where everything works perfectly. As soon as Bartleby begins to disrupt the system, the Narrator begins to lose it. Bartleby disrupts "Business as Usual" whether he meant to or not. When the Narrator abandons the office because Bartleby wont leave, it is as if Bartleby is an idea, not a person. No matter how much you try, an idea is impossible to get rid of when it has taken root. When Bartleby dies, although he has gone, his idea took root in the Narrator. When the Narrator says "Ah Humanity!", he is acknowledging the fact that "Business as Usual" killed Bartleby.
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ray forbes
1/23/2017 06:57:39 am
Bartleby the Scrivener is a fascinating story unlike a lot of stories I have read. Bartleby reminds of when you buy something out of impulse. It may seem like a shaky connection but when you really think about it it makes sense. At first you have something that you love so dearly and find to be so amazing juts like how Bartleby seemed so great and content with his job. Every one thinks your new item is cool and want to look at it. But all of a sudden you do not have joy in this item anymore. This is like Bartleby when he decides he does not want to have this boring life anymore. Everyone is intrigued because you have lost interest in something you once had great interest in. Eventually Bartleby loses complete interest just like you would out of an impulse buy.
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Mia
1/25/2017 02:16:20 pm
Bartleby is a strange story because I've honestly never read anything like it, and probably wouldn't if I saw this. Reading this through the first time was honestly really confusing but as I read more into it I could sort of draw some similarities from it. Everyone in school is suppose to do what they are told, follows rules, not act out during class... and as soon as one person does something wrong or acts bad there in trouble and seen as "bad" or "wrong". I think this is exactly what's happening in bartleby. Bartleby decides one day he doesn't want to work, and doesn't exactly have a reason, but since no one is really used to going against the rules it's sought as wrong and people keep questioning what's wrong with him. In a way this story also resembles society where if one person acts a certain way everyone is taken back in an aspect.
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Allie Cohen
1/30/2017 07:56:29 pm
"Bartelby The Scrivener," Herman Melville, creates a situation where a character (Bartelby) is able to defy a typical corporate wall street society in a passive way. Originally, Bartleby is hired to work as a copier for a wall street lawyer, a simplistic job that required one constant task. As the story progresses, Bartleby increasingly becomes more resistant to complete his job, continually using the phrase, "I would prefer not to." In a typical scenario, if an employee refused to do his or her job, they would, with no doubt, be relieved of their duty. However, this was no ordinary employee and employer relationship. The conflict-ion the lawyer faces on handling Bartleby, due to his sheer curiosity and morality, is the first event that Bartleby takes the lawyer out of his comfort-zone.
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