Character Analysis : ' Bartleby, The Scrivener ' And Lusus Naturae Essay

People one can never really tell how person is feeling or what their situation is behind closed doors or behind the façade of the life they lead. Two masterly crafted literary works present readers with characters that have two similar but very different stories that end in the same result. In Herman Melville’s story “Bartleby the Scrivener” readers are presented with Bartleby, an interesting and minimally deep character. In comparison to Gail Godwin’s work, “A Sorrowful Woman” we are presented with a nameless woman with a similar physiological state as Bartleby whom expresses her feelings of dissatisfaction of her life. Here, a deeper examination of these characters their situations and their ultimate fate will be pursued and delved into

Background Info: By writing in vignettes, she illustrates her emotions and the feelings she expresses towards the people that surround her.

In both stories, the authors are able to advance the conflict theme in a distinctive fashion. In "Bartleby the Scrivener,"

materialistic she is. There are many quotes that describe how she feels about love, mortality,

the ones that stand out most is her determination, her courage, and that she fights for

that especially makes her admirable is the way she grows into a young woman who

Mother: was a very confident woman who believed in high morals and ethic. Known for being very composed, calm, and confident. Very tough lady who harvested the crops, maintained a beautiful home, and took care of all of the farm animals. Also, a deep in her religion as her husband was. 3 sons as a single mom, Communist terrorist came into her

She allows herself to believe all she is told. She also allows herself to believe that being treated as she is is going to make her better, when in fact it is only making her worse. Her being sent up in a room, like a penitentiary will add loneliness to her illness. Her being told not to write or not to go and see family and friends, again, adds to her loneliness. She is separated from society. Therefore, she feels as though she is alone in society. She gives into the fact that the male-dominated society would rather her alone, than be with lots of women and cause chaos. She gives into everything the world wants instead of listening to her inner self. She ignores herself, causing her to act out in madness. When one does not listen to one's inner self, he or she is then turning away from his or her conscience. It's like the "devil and angel" episode that has been seen in numerous cartoons. If the person listens to the little devil, it will end up being the wrong decision. It the person listens to the little angel, it will be the right decision. The narrator listens to almost neither. She allows what is happening to happen and does nothing but sit back. This would cause anger inside anyone.

saw her as being a determined individual that knew what she wanted. Everyone saw the same

In Herman Melville’s “Bartleby, The Scrivener,” Melville uses a range of devices in his writing that makes his style distinguishable. Although he only focuses on one major setting throughout the story, he uses it symbolically to demonstrate a developing theme. The uncommon comparisons he uses to describe the characters provides the reader with interesting imagery to interpret. The narration that he deliberately places throughout the story allows the reader to follow the narrator’s thoughts as they come. Melville’s writing style is distinguished by his limited but symbolic setting, unique comparisons that contribute to characterization, and frequent narration.

She is willing to lie not only for herself but also force others to do so as well. She is a bad influence on everyone in her life because of her deceitfulness. This is one drastic difference in personalities that leads to many conflicts in the story.

had a wide-range perspective. She fought for what she believed in, never giving up, dying for her

Throughout the short story, Bartleby the Scrivener by Herman Melville, the author magnifies certain themes by using the actions and reactions of the main characters. By using the themes: alienation, man’s desire to avoid conflict, and man’s desire to keep a free conscience, the author conveys a mood of compassion and sympathy towards all people, even lawyers. In today’s society, to many, it seems as if people do not treat others with as much compassion as they should. However, there are some examples of comparisons between today’s society and text evidence found in Bartleby the Scrivener that prove compassion to be present. Beside the estimated 150 year time frame, these examples display that the themes

Because of this, she gained the reputation of being a little crazy. An example of this is how she is willing to do anything to save her grandma, even if it means sacrificing

is like no other woman in the book or indeed of her time and by