Bartleby
Since he will not quit me, I must quit him. "Ah Bartleby, Ah Humanity." (Page 140, Herman Melville) This is 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 "prefer not to" work. His relationship to the narrator is thus significant, for as he attempts to exercise his freewill he is breaking from the will of the narrator and the normal progression of life. However, this attempt to exercise his freewill and break loose from the confines of typical societal functions, isolates Bartleby from society, which in turn places him in a state of depression and soon there after, death. Ultimately, by having Bartleby "prefer not to," Melville is commenting on the role of humanity in the work force. If man attempts to break free of his role and exercise his own freewill then he is severing himself from humanity which in turn will lead to depression and perhaps death, for he will have nothing but a wall always obstructi
However, this is not the end of the isolation for he is not only detached from those around him, but society as well. Arnold, Page 3 He continued to breathe, he continued to exist, but he was no longer of any use to society. Through Bartleby, he demonstrates that once you give up on life, everyone around will give up on you in turn, as the narrator did with Bartleby, for you have become an obstruction, much like the walls surrounding Bartleby. I will change my offices; I will move elsewhere. Ultimately, every aspect of Bartleby's life further expounds upon the motif of solitude. "( pg 137) It is ironic that once he is actually confined within prison walls, that he is finally exposed to the outside world, the sky and grass. Arnold, Page 4 It is even more ironic that once Bartleby is no longer restrained by society's conformities that it is then that he dies. This resulted from a refusal to follow the orders of the narrator, for he refused to work or even communicate with him. I remembered that he never spoke but to answer. His only response soon became "I would prefer not to," which shows his lack of involvement and in turn his decision not to interact in society, for he gave up what little life he still had. Bartleby was imprisoned because of his desire to demonstrate his free will and never leave his office, even after it was no longer his place of employment. " (Jawaharial Nehru) For in the end, isolation can drive a person insane, make him mute, or even kill him. This story demonstrates that life if not lived is useless, as in the case of Bartleby, who wastes his away "preferring not to. He lost all desire to work, or even function, "I now recalled all the quiet mysteries, which I had, noted in the man. Thus, "for long periods he would stand looking out, at his pale window behind the screen, upon the dead brick wall," (pg 126) and this became his life.
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Acceptance Essays
