American Literature

The story of Bartleby, the Scrivener, is the story of an attorney who is either so weak that he is unable to manage his own law office, or he is so mean that he forces other to deal with his left over problem, namely Bartleby.  However, when analyzing this short story by Herman Melville one can automatically see that the attorney  narrator is not mean, but frustrated.  In essence, he feels there is no other way in which to rid himself of the scrivener Bartleby.

The first thing that must be acknowledged is that this attorney  narrator has very little back bone and is not one for stressful situations.  This is apparent when he explains that he is an attorney that has never been before a jury or even in a courtroom (Melville 3).  He works on property titles and such that are only necessary to meet with clients in his office on Wall Street (Melville 5). Therefore, from the beginning the reader assumes that this man may be an attorney, but does not have the knack as other attorneys for fighting for their clients.  He prefers to write documents in regards to titles of property and mortgages.  In this sense, it is shown that is he all about the lack of conflict.

This is also shown in the way in which he deals with the two scriveners and the one errand boy that work for him in the beginning of the story.  Given nicknames, the reader does not know the employees other than by the nicknames, which seem to fit their personalities.  The first is Turkey.  He is an older man with a mild disposition in the morning and turbulent personality in the afternoon (Melville 6).  The other is Nippers, who is the exact opposite of Turkey.  In the sense that he is highly disagreeable in the morning while very industrious in the afternoon (Melville 11).  He even tries to talk Turkey into working only part time, but when he is reminded that he is about the same age, he can say nothing and gives in letting Turkey stay on full time (Melville 10).  It is at this point that one sees that this attorney  narrator is just happy that their eccentricities are at opposite times so that he does not need to deal with their irrational behaviors at the same time.
This leads to Bartleby.  He is hired after the attorney  narrator advertized for another scrivener.  Bartleby showed up and after just a few words was hired on the spot (Melville 18).  This is would seem was very rash, but the reader does not know exactly how rash this action is until later in the story.  In fact, if the reader believed that Turkey and Nipper were eccentric than Bartleby made them look like saints.  For Bartlebys favor saying was I prefer not to which is used continuously through out the story any time the attorney  narrator asks him to do something (Melville 21).  It eventually get to the point that Bartleby does not let the attorney  narrator into his own office suite (Melville 37), and does not leave when fired and no longer working (Melville 61).  It is at this point that the attorney  narrator not knowing what else to do, moves his office to another building leaving Bartleby to the new tenant (Melville 70).

It is only when the attorney  narrator returns to try to get Bartleby to leave the building that it becomes obvious that Bartleby has been hurt by the actions of the attorney  narrator.  However, it was not that Bartleby did not know his employer was moving, but he was told that he was not welcomed at the new office.  Bartleby was then told he was not welcomed with the new tenant or in the building (Melville 73).  Eventually Bartleby is taken to prison where he dies of starvation, but in no way can the attorney  narrator be held at fault (Melville 86).  He tried to help Bartleby, but Bartleby would not let himself be helped. He refused to work.  He refused to move.  He wanted to do what he wanted and listened to no one else.  Because of these actions, he pushed everyone away from him, even those people who tried to help him.  Bartleby lived in his own world, on his own time, and no one could change his mind or his actions.