Essay about Bartelby the Scrivener - 658 Words

Bartelby the Scrivener Herman Melville, an American novelist and major literary figure explored psychological themes in many of his works. Through his writing, Melville recreated a part of life that existed then, and is prevalent in our society today. Low self esteem along with self-perception and how others perceive us can be a factor leading to depression. Depression, if left untreated can become so severe that it is possible to cause someone to lose the will to live. I will clarify this illness and it’s ill effects in the story â€Å"Bartleby the Scrivener†, by Herman Melville. Bartleby, the main character in this story, starts out a worker in the dead letter office in Washington. Exposing someone to a depressed situation†¦show more content†¦Bartleby’s existence as we were led to believe seemed like a death in life existence. Bartleby was a man incapable of experiencing emotions and isolated himself from his environment. â€Å"A lofty brick wall, black by age and everlasting shade.† A lot of Bartleby time was spent staring outside at the blank wall, which seemed to be a reflection of the isolation and loneliness in his own life. As time passed Bartleby verbally stated when asked to comply with his work responsibilities â€Å"I prefer not to.† His protest for the work was very direct and yet very passive. Bartleby seems to have a distinctive, dysfunctional personality. â€Å"But he wrote on silently, palely, mechanically†. This passage shows the debilitating effects of such a depressed life. â€Å"I prefer not toà ¢â‚¬  seemed to be the only verbal communication he was capable of at the present time. Although he appeared to be referring to his work subconsciously his true feelings for death were stated, as â€Å"I prefer not to.† As the story continues it becomes obvious that Bartleby could not be saved from himself, nor did he want help from anyone else. Bartleby seemed to put up a brick wall between him and the world. He would not allow anyone into his self-destructive deteriorating world. â€Å"Strangely huddled at the base of the wall, his knees drawn up, and lying on his sides, his head touching the cold stone, I saw the wasted Bartleby.† From this excerpt, weShow MoreRelated Many Views of Melvilles Bartelby The Scrivener Essay2380 Words   |  10 Pagesit was meant to have. The short story, Bartelby the Scrivener by Herman Melville, has been reviewed by several different critics as having several different standpoints. These standpoints include Bartelby as a Psychological Double to the Narrator, an apostle of reason, having biblical ties, and as being Melville himself. A personal standpoint that proves to be different than those that have come before it is to perceive the story, Bartelby the Scrivener, as a story of family. Of all of these viewsRead MoreRelating Fiction to Real Life1099 Words   |  4 PagesIn many ways, thus, fiction does reflect reality. This can be seen in Herman Melvilles short story Bartelby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall-Street, Gabriel Garcia Marquezs Chronicle of a Death Foretold, and finally Toni Morrisons The Bluest Eye. These three stories all highlight fictional characters that reflect real world experiences of their readers. In Melvilles Bartelby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall-Street, there are three very relatable characters. Each one of the characters representsRead MoreEssay on American Capitalist Society In The 19th Century1849 Words   |  8 PagesHerman Melville’s Utilization of Bartleby the Scrivener: the Story of Wall Street As a Means of Criticizing Capitalism and Its Crimes Against Humanity Herman Melvilles Bartleby, The Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street scrutinizes the alienation of labor, the social ideologies and the dehumanizing consequences of the American capitalist society in the 19th century. Bartleby is the main character in the story. The other characters in the story, Ginger Nut, Nippers and Turkey, barelyRead MoreEssay on Herman Melvilles Bartleby the Scrivener1090 Words   |  5 Pagesis the key to Bartleby, written by Herman Melville, for it indicates that Bartleby stands as a symbol for humanity. This in turn functions as a commentary on society and the working world, for Bartleby is a seemingly homeless, mentally disturbed scrivener who gives up on the prospect of living life. However, by doing so Bartleby is attempting to exercise his freewill, for he would amp;quot;prefer not toamp;quot; work. His relationship to the narrator is thus significant, for as he attempts to exerciseRead MoreAnalysis Of Annabel Lee s A Kingdom By The Sea1780 Words   |  8 Pagesthe adversity and with the help of Maud, a female that comes aboard, they were able to repair the ship and sail towards Japan. In contrast, the Romantics were either a noble hero or a dastardly villain. In Herman Melville s story Bartleby, the Scrivener the narrator and ow ner of the shop that hires Bartleby works towards the noble hero. When one reads the story, you can see the thought and emotions processing through the character. A section of note from the story is this, right after he tells Bartleby