Narative of Humanity in Bartleby
In "Bartleby, the Scrivener" by Herman Melville, the main character,Bartleby, and the narrator form a parallel to each other, and alsocompliment each other in terms of humanity. Both also lose part of theirhumanity as a result of the inhuman business environment in which they findthemselves. As Bartleby however shows signs of losing all his humanity thedark, gray world in which he lives, he increasingly has a humanizing effecton the narrator. The humanizing process is complete with Bartleby's death. The effect of the dehumanizing world on Bartleby is manifest in thedecayed nature of his physical body. A change in administration is whatcauses the loss of his original job, which was soul destroying to beginwith. As Bartleby's working life with the narrator progresses, he becomesincreasingly passive. His decay of body is thus followed by a decay of hisspirit. He increasingly refuses gently to do anything at all. His wordsof refusal form a motif throughout the story: "I would prefer not to." The dehumanizing effect, as seen above, is evident first inBartleby's appearance. The narrator describes his first impression ofBartleby as being "pallidly neat, pit
Bartleby's lethargy in turn is too strong to succumb to any of thenarrator's efforts. No effort to raise his interest hasany effect. His inhumanity and his newly acquiredhumanity are then at war in his indecision regarding the pale employee. Bartleby's bizarre behavior, having become problematic in terms ofthe narrator's successful business dealings, moves the narrator not only topity, but also to desperation. This intrigues the narrator, and pacifies him to echo Bartleby'spassivity. After his first refusal to work, Bartleby's passivity becomesprogressively worse. Having been unable to even help a single humanbeing, despite being a powerful and wealthy man, the narrator's humanity isexpressed in a type of epiphany when he cries, "Ah, Bartleby! Ah,humanity!" (p. The fraternal bond he shares with Bartleby as two human beingsdehumanized by the business world, becomes stronger than his own lethargy. This is indicative of his inhumanity: he has no strongconvictions beyond making things as easy for himself as possible. 67), yet he continuesfor a time until what little spark of interest was left in him, isdestroyed. His previous job is cancelled because it becomesobsolete. Thenarrator later finds that his employee is living in the office, notbothering to go home. iably respectable, incurably forlorn(p. His extreme sorrow forBartleby seems to open a floodgate of sorrow for the entirety of the humanrace, including himself.
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