Herman Melville's "Bartleby, the Scrivener" is a thought-provoking novella that explores themes of isolation, conformity, and mental health in the context of 19th-century Wall Street. Despite its age, the story remains relevant today, offering insights into the human condition and the struggles of modern work life.
Introduction
"Bartleby, the Scrivener" is narrated by an elderly lawyer who runs a small law office on Wall Street. The story revolves around his experiences with a peculiar scrivener named Bartleby, whose enigmatic behavior and famous phrase, "I would prefer not to," challenge the narrator's understanding of human nature and society.
The Narrator and His Office
The unnamed narrator introduces himself as a comfortable, unambitious lawyer in his sixties. He prides himself on his ability to handle difficult personalities and maintain a peaceful work environment. His office employs two scriveners, Turkey and Nippers, as well as an office boy named Ginger Nut.
Turkey
Turkey is an older man, about the same age as the narrator. He's an excellent worker in the morning, but his productivity and behavior deteriorate significantly after lunch. The narrator describes how Turkey's face becomes flushed "like a grate full of Christmas coals" in the afternoon, likely due to drinking during his lunch break. Despite Turkey's afternoon shortcomings, the narrator keeps him on staff, partly out of pity and partly because of his morning efficiency.
Nippers
Nippers, the younger scrivener, is described as a well-dressed, ambitious young man of about twenty-five. Unlike Turkey, Nippers suffers from indigestion and irritability in the mornings but becomes more productive and agreeable in the afternoons. The narrator notes how Turkey and Nippers' productive periods complement each other, likening them to guards relieving one another.
Ginger Nut
Ginger Nut is the twelve-year-old office boy, named after the ginger nut cakes he frequently fetches for the scriveners. The narrator explains that Ginger Nut's father sent him to work in the law office in hopes that he might learn the trade and find a better career than his own as a cart driver.
Enter Bartleby
As the narrator's business grows, he decides to hire another scrivener. This is when Bartleby enters the story. The narrator describes Bartleby's first appearance as "pallidly neat, pitiably respectable, incurably forlorn." Impressed by Bartleby's calm demeanor and apparent qualifications, the narrator hires him on the spot.
Bartleby is given a desk in the corner of the office, separated from the others by a folding screen. His window faces a brick wall, symbolizing the confining nature of his work environment. Initially, Bartleby proves to be an exceptionally productive worker, copying documents day and night "as if long famishing for something to copy."
The First Refusal
The turning point in the story comes when the narrator asks Bartleby to help proofread a document, a standard task for scriveners. To the narrator's surprise, Bartleby responds with what will become his trademark phrase: "I would prefer not to." This polite but firm refusal leaves the narrator stunned and unsure how to react.
Despite his initial shock, the narrator decides not to confront Bartleby about his refusal. Instead, he asks another scrivener to complete the task. This marks the beginning of a pattern where Bartleby refuses to do anything beyond copying documents, always using the same phrase: "I would prefer not to."
Escalating Peculiarities
As the story progresses, Bartleby's behavior becomes increasingly strange. He begins to refuse all tasks, even copying documents. The narrator discovers that Bartleby never leaves the office, apparently living there day and night. This revelation fills the narrator with a mixture of pity and fascination.
The narrator's attempts to reason with Bartleby or learn more about his past are met with the same polite refusal. Bartleby's unwavering use of "I would prefer not to" begins to affect the other employees, who start using the phrase themselves, much to the narrator's dismay.
The Narrator's Dilemma
The narrator finds himself in a difficult position. He feels a sense of responsibility towards Bartleby, pitying his apparent loneliness and possible mental instability. At the same time, he's frustrated by Bartleby's refusal to work or leave the office. The narrator's clients begin to notice Bartleby's odd presence, putting pressure on him to resolve the situation.
Throughout the story, the narrator oscillates between feelings of anger, pity, and fascination towards Bartleby. He tries various approaches to deal with the situation, from reasoning with Bartleby to offering him different job opportunities. However, all his efforts are met with the same response: "I would prefer not to."
Attempts at Resolution
As Bartleby's behavior becomes more problematic, the narrator makes several attempts to resolve the situation:
He tries to fire Bartleby, giving him six days' notice. However, Bartleby simply ignores this and continues to occupy the office.
The narrator decides to move his business to a new location, hoping Bartleby will leave when the office is empty. To his dismay, he finds Bartleby still in the old office building after the move.
He offers Bartleby various alternative jobs, including working as a bartender or a bill collector. Bartleby refuses all these offers.
In a final act of desperation, the narrator even offers to take Bartleby into his own home. Again, Bartleby refuses.
Bartleby's Fate
Unable to remove Bartleby from the old office building, the narrator eventually washes his hands of the matter. Bartleby is arrested as a vagrant and taken to the Tombs, New York City's infamous prison. The narrator visits Bartleby in prison, attempting one last time to help him, but Bartleby refuses all assistance.
On a subsequent visit, the narrator finds that Bartleby has died, having apparently refused to eat. The story ends with the narrator sharing a rumor he's heard about Bartleby's past: before becoming a scrivener, Bartleby had worked in the Dead Letter Office in Washington, D.C. This job, which involved handling undeliverable mail often containing important or emotional content, is suggested as a possible cause of Bartleby's despondent state.
Themes and Analysis
Alienation and Isolation
One of the central themes in "Bartleby, the Scrivener" is the alienation and isolation experienced by individuals in modern society, particularly in the workplace. Bartleby's physical isolation behind a screen, facing a blank wall, symbolizes the emotional and social isolation many workers feel in their jobs.
Bartleby's refusal to engage in any activity beyond his initial copying work can be seen as a rejection of the dehumanizing aspects of office work. His famous phrase, "I would prefer not to," becomes a passive resistance against the demands of a society that values productivity over individual well-being.
The narrator's discovery that Bartleby lives in the office further emphasizes his isolation. Bartleby has no life outside of work, no connections or relationships. This extreme isolation ultimately leads to his demise, highlighting the devastating effects of social disconnection.
Conformity and Resistance
The story explores the tension between societal expectations of conformity and individual resistance to these norms. The law office represents a microcosm of society, with its hierarchies and expectations of behavior. Bartleby's refusal to conform to these expectations throws the entire system into disarray.
The other characters in the story, including the narrator, struggle to understand and deal with Bartleby's non-conformity. Their reactions range from confusion to anger to pity, reflecting society's often inadequate responses to those who don't fit in.
Bartleby's resistance, while passive, is absolute. He doesn't argue or explain himself; he simply states his preference not to conform. This quiet but unyielding resistance proves more powerful than active rebellion, as it leaves others unsure how to respond.
Mental Health and Society's Response
While never explicitly stated, the story strongly implies that Bartleby suffers from some form of mental illness, possibly depression. His "pallid" appearance, his preference for isolation, and his eventual refusal to eat all suggest a severe mental health crisis.
The narrator's response to Bartleby's condition reflects 19th-century attitudes towards mental illness, which often mixed pity with frustration and a lack of understanding. The narrator tries to help Bartleby but is ultimately unable to provide the kind of support he needs.
The story's ending, with Bartleby dying alone in prison, is a stark commentary on society's treatment of those with mental illness. Instead of receiving care and support, Bartleby is treated as a nuisance and ultimately criminalized.
The Nature of Work and Capitalism
Set on Wall Street, the story offers a critique of the dehumanizing nature of work in a capitalist society. The scriveners' job of endlessly copying documents is mind-numbing and repetitive, stripping away individuality and creativity.
Bartleby's initial productivity, working day and night "as if long famishing for something to copy," suggests a desperate need for purpose. However, this purpose proves hollow, leading to Bartleby's eventual refusal to work at all.
The narrator's focus on productivity and his initial tolerance of Bartleby's odd behavior as long as he's still working reflect the prioritization of output over human well-being in capitalist systems.
The Limits of Charity and Understanding
The narrator's attempts to help Bartleby highlight both the possibilities and limitations of individual charity. While the narrator goes to extraordinary lengths to accommodate and assist Bartleby, his efforts ultimately fail.
This failure suggests that individual acts of kindness, while commendable, are often insufficient to address systemic issues like alienation, mental illness, and the dehumanizing aspects of modern work. The story implies that deeper, societal-level changes are needed to truly address these problems.
Character Analysis
Bartleby
Bartleby is the enigmatic central character of the story. His polite but firm refusals and his gradual withdrawal from all activity make him a fascinating and perplexing figure. Bartleby can be seen as a symbol of passive resistance against societal norms, or as a tragic figure suffering from severe depression and alienation.
Bartleby's famous phrase, "I would prefer not to," is open to multiple interpretations. It could be seen as a assertion of free will in the face of societal expectations, a symptom of deep depression and apathy, or a philosophical statement about the absurdity of modern life.
The revelation about Bartleby's past work in the Dead Letter Office provides a possible explanation for his state of mind. Dealing constantly with failed communications and unfulfilled hopes could have contributed to his sense of the futility of human endeavors.
The Narrator
The unnamed narrator is a complex character who serves as both a foil to Bartleby and a lens through which the reader views the story. He describes himself as an "eminently safe man," someone who values peace and order above all else.
The narrator's reactions to Bartleby evolve throughout the story, ranging from initial bemusement to frustration, pity, and even a kind of affection. His attempts to help Bartleby, while well-intentioned, are limited by his inability to truly understand or connect with him.
The narrator's character arc can be seen as a journey from complacent acceptance of societal norms to a growing awareness of the flaws in the system. However, despite his increased understanding, he ultimately fails to effect any real change, highlighting the difficulty of challenging entrenched societal structures.
Turkey and Nippers
Turkey and Nippers serve as contrasts to both Bartleby and each other. Their complementary work patterns (Turkey working well in the morning, Nippers in the afternoon) represent a kind of compromise with the demands of office life. Unlike Bartleby, they find ways to cope with the system, even if imperfectly.
These characters also provide comic relief in the story, with their eccentric behaviors and the narrator's bemused descriptions of them. However, their quirks also serve to highlight the dehumanizing aspects of office work, showing how it can warp and distort human behavior.
Ginger Nut
While a minor character, Ginger Nut represents the future generation being indoctrinated into the world of office work. His presence in the story serves as a reminder of the cycle of conformity and the way societal expectations are passed down through generations.
Style and Structure
Melville's writing style in "Bartleby, the Scrivener" is characterized by long, complex sentences and a formal, somewhat archaic diction that reflects the 19th-century setting. This style contributes to the story's somber, reflective tone and adds to its sense of timelessness.
The story is structured as a first-person narrative, with the lawyer recounting his experiences with Bartleby. This narrative choice allows Melville to explore the narrator's thoughts and feelings in depth, while also maintaining an air of mystery around Bartleby, whose inner life remains inaccessible to both the narrator and the reader.
The plot follows a clear arc, from Bartleby's hiring to his death, but much of the story's power comes from its exploration of ideas and emotions rather than from plot events. The repetition of Bartleby's phrase "I would prefer not to" creates a rhythmic structure within the narrative, each repetition building tension and deepening the story's themes.
Historical Context
"Bartleby, the Scrivener" was published in 1853, a time of significant social and economic change in America. The story's Wall Street setting places it at the heart of America's growing capitalist economy. This was an era of increasing industrialization and urbanization, which brought with it new forms of work and social organization.
The story can be seen as a critique of these changes, highlighting the alienation and loss of individuality that came with the new economic order. The mechanistic nature of the scriveners' work, copying documents endlessly, reflects the increasing standardization and repetitiveness of many jobs in this period.
The 19th century also saw the beginnings of modern psychology and changing attitudes towards mental health. While understanding of mental illness was still limited, there was growing recognition of conditions like depression. Bartleby's behavior and the narrator's responses to it reflect this evolving understanding.
Relevance Today
Despite being written over 150 years ago, "Bartleby, the Scrivener" remains deeply relevant to modern readers. Many of the issues it explores - alienation in the workplace, the struggle between individuality and conformity, the challenges of mental health - continue to be significant concerns in contemporary society.
In today's world of open-plan offices and constant connectivity, Bartleby's desire for privacy and his refusal to engage in work beyond his specific job description may resonate with many readers. His famous phrase, "I would prefer not to," has become a rallying cry for those who feel overwhelmed by the demands of modern life.
The story's exploration of mental health issues is particularly relevant today, as society continues to grapple with how to understand and support those with mental illness. Bartleby's fate serves as a stark reminder of the potential consequences of failing to address mental health needs adequately.
The critique of capitalist work structures in the story also remains pertinent. In an era of increasing automation and debates about work-life balance, Bartleby's passive resistance to the demands of office life takes on new meanings.
Interpretations and Impact
"Bartleby, the Scrivener" has been subject to numerous interpretations since its publication. Some see it as a critique of capitalism and the dehumanizing effects of modern work life. Others interpret it as an exploration of depression and mental illness. Some readers view Bartleby as a Christ-like figure, his passive resistance a form of martyrdom against societal norms.
The story has had a significant impact on literature and popular culture. Its influence can be seen in works exploring themes of alienation and resistance, from Franz Kafka's "The Metamorphosis" to contemporary office comedies. Bartleby's phrase "I would prefer not to" has entered the popular lexicon, often used to express polite but firm refusal.
In the field of literature, "Bartleby, the Scrivener" is considered one of Melville's most important works after "Moby-Dick." It's often taught in schools and universities as an example of 19th-century American literature and for its exploration of timeless themes.
Conclusion
"Bartleby, the Scrivener" is a rich and complex story that continues to provoke thought and discussion more than a century and a half after its publication. Through the enigmatic figure of Bartleby and the narrator's attempts to understand him, Melville explores fundamental questions about human nature, society, and the meaning of work.
The story's power lies in its ability to elicit multiple interpretations and to speak to different readers in different ways. Some may see in Bartleby a tragic figure, crushed by the weight of a dehumanizing society. Others might view him as a quiet rebel, his passive resistance a powerful statement against conformity.
Ultimately, "Bartleby, the Scrivener" leaves us with more questions than answers. It challenges us to think about our own place in society, our responses to those who don't fit in, and the potential costs of unquestioning conformity. In an era of increasing workplace stress and mental health awareness, Bartleby's story serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of human connection and understanding.
As we navigate our own complex world, Bartleby's gentle but firm "I would prefer not to" echoes as a call to question our assumptions, to resist unnecessary demands, and to recognize the humanity in ourselves and others. Whether we see Bartleby as a hero, a victim, or something in between, his story continues to resonate, inviting us to look more closely at our world and our place within it.