Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall-Street -A Literary Analysis

Herman Melville’s “Bartleby, the Scrivener is a short story written in the mid 1850’s. This story has an underlying theme that has implications that affect the people of today as much as the time it was written. In this story Bartleby represents a new consumer or leisure class. Bartleby presents a lax attitude towards work, in contrast to the narrator who clearly embodies the Protestant Ethic of work and charity. Through these characters, Melville shows the deterioration of society, as this new class has no respect for the old ways.  

            Bartleby comes into the narrators employ and in the beginning he is a very productive employee. Bartleby spends the entire day focused on his work. “At first Bartleby did an extraordinary quantity of writing. As if long famishing for something to copy, he seemed to gorge himself on my documents. There was no pause for digestion. He ran a day and night line, copying by sun-light and by candle-light” (par.18). He never even takes time to leave for lunch.” I observed that he never went to dinner; indeed that he never went any where” (par. 51). This is how most people begin their working career. They are focused hard working and enjoy the fruits of the labor. People get pleasure from performing well and getting recognition for their effort. This is something that separates man from animals. The need to be appreciated for who you are and what you do, is a desire that drives most and has moved the human species to progress forward to advance with technology, literature, relationships, and much more from the time man was placed on this earth.

            Another trait that separates man from animal is a sense of charity. Besides the optimistic feeling one gets from working hard and succeeding, is having the ability to help those that are less fortunate. This rewarding feeling comes from lending a hand to those that truly deserve this charity. Yes, people want to assist those who deserve it but there is also a feeling of accomplishment that one gets for providing the charity that may spur them to do these good deeds.

            Hard work and charity are two traits that the narrator, in Bartleby, the Scrivener, possesses. He has built a successful scrivener business on honesty and his work ethic. His clients are wealthy people who are very particular about whom they trust with their legal documents. This trust is something that is not just given to a person, it is earned. It is earned by hard work and accountability. The narrator has built his office to a size where he requires the assistance of employees. Unfortunately, his employees do not share his same work ethic. Regarding Turkey he said “in the afternoon he was disposed, upon provocation, to be slightly rash with his tongue, in fact, insolent.”(par.6). Regarding Nippers he states” The indigestion seemed betokened in an occasional nervous testiness and grinning irritability, causing the teeth to audibly grind together over mistakes committed in copying; unnecessary maledictions, hissed, rather than spoken, in the heat of business; and especially by a continual discontent with the height of the table where he worked.” (par. 11) The narrator shows his compassion and charity for his fellow man by allowing them to stay in his employ. He also shows his charity by employing a young boy whose fathers had passed. “Ginger Nut, the third on my list, was a lad some twelve years old. His father was a carman, ambitious of seeing his son on the bench instead of a cart, before he died. So he sent him to my office as student at law, errand boy, and cleaner and sweeper, at the rate of one dollar a week” (par.14).

            Mr. Melville uses an employee of the narrator, Bartleby, as a representation of what has gone wrong with society. The sense of hard work and charity has gone away. Bartleby comes into the narrator’s life and after initially earning his trust and compassion, begins to take advantage of the man who has looked out for his best interest.  “Bartleby,” said I, “are you aware that you are the cause of great tribulation to me, by persisting in occupying the entry after being dismissed from the office?” (par.193) It is this sense of entitlement that has plagued societies who try to incorporate charity and welfare towards its people. It is not all of those that receive charity that fall into this category but the ones that do make it difficult for those who do and more expensive for those who pay into it. These people believe that they are entitled to handouts from those who are more fortunate, or better said as those who work harder and benefit from their labor.  “Now one of two things must take place. Either you must do something, or something must be done to you. Now what sort of business would you like to engage in? Would you like to re-engage in copying for some one?” “No; I would prefer not to make any change.” (par. 197)

            For a society to prosper there is a need for charity. This charity must be for those that are in real need of the assistance. Those who are physically or mentally disabled and those who may need help for a short time to get back on their feet. But to allow people who are able to work and provide for themselves to take advantage of this welfare is a crime and will lead to the death of the society and its charity, like it killed Bartleby. “Ah Bartleby! Ah humanity!” (par 251).