Reading Pointers for Sharper Insights

As you read Melville's “Bartleby, the Scrivener” pay attention to the following:

Theme:

Because “Bartleby, the Scrivener” is constructed as it is, numerous themes emerge; the ambiguity of Melville's writing allows for different interpretations.

• the negative effects of capitalism

• alienation and isolation in the business world

• a lack of emotion resulting from a stifling career

• the repetition of “I would prefer not to,” in a universal sense of non-participation

Setting/Tone:

The description of the physical condition of the workplace mirrors the emptiness and barrenness of Bartleby's personality and life, which ultimately supports Melville's view about the business world.

Symbols:

• Bartleby the scrivener represents the universal man lost in daily, boring, and repetitious work.

• The Tombs (prison) is the place where each man ultimately goes to endure unalleviated boredom, then death.

• The Dead Letters stand for the dead people who did not receive their letters. The narrator implies that Bartleby's work had such a strong influence on him that gradually he withdraws from life.

Motifs:

• Death and dying – Melville scatters specific words throughout the narrative to give a somber, serious, and even morbid atmosphere to the story.

• Food – Food ties much of the story together, beginning with the names of the lawyer's two other scriveners, Turkey and Ginger Nut.

• Passive resistance – Bartleby never strongly opposes his employer; the scrivener's reluctance is more subtle.

Unique Elements in Melville's Story:

• Bartleby acts from his heart or emotions rather than from a logical mind.

• Bartleby is a flat character throughout the story; however, the nameless lawyer is dynamic.

• Melville presents two minor characters as the opposites of each other. They appear to be more caricatures than real people, giving almost brief comic relief to the story.

• Note how the narrator creates sympathy for Bartleby when each minute detail about him is disclosed.

• The lawyer's final comment “Ah Bartleby! Ah humanity!” equates the scrivener to the universal. He is not merely Bartleby, but all of humankind.