1. Identify the protagonist, and define the kinds of conflict that make up the plot.
• The protagonist of the story is the narrator, and the story is written in first person. The narrator is a lawyer who has his own business and has hired four clerks, the last being Bartleby. The narrator seems to be indecisive, and he is a pushover when it comes to Bartleby because of something in Bartleby’s demeanor that hooks him. The reader sees events unfold through the narrator, and he becomes the most personable character throughout the story.
2. Characterize the staff at the Wall Street office before the arrival of Bartleby. How are they comic? Why does the lawyer not replace them?
• The lawyer does not replace his staff because they all
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Are there any verifiable reasons for his behavior? Is he a developing character (give examples to show that he is or is not)?
• Bartleby is a static character because although initially he is a studious copyist who does his job diligently and produces lengthy, completed copies, at that time, he is still passive and “prefers not to” do the tasks the lawyer asks. When Bartleby tells the lawyer “he had permanently given up copying,” indicating an epiphany and change of mind, it does not change who is as a character because he still is passive and refuses to talk much or explain himself. In the beginning, when the lawyer requests that Bartleby examine a small paper, he responds with, “I would prefer not to.” In the middle of the story, when the lawyer asks Bartleby to leave the premises or make himself useful, Bartleby again responds with, “I would prefer not to quit you,” still displaying his passivity. Finally, this passivity leads to his death as he refuses to eat at the prison even though the grub-man shows him a special preference. 4. How does the lawyer feel about Bartleby at the various stages of his story? Are his feelings clear to him? How do you feel about Bartleby as the story develops? Can you say for certain why he does what he does (or does not do what he does not)?
• The lawyer changes his opinions on Bartleby as the story develops, never coming to a definitive decision. Initially, the narrator
In both stories, after the characters are introduced, one begins to see situational changes within the characters. Bartleby, who once was a skillful, efficient worker and a valuable asset to the lawyer, has now ceased working and his superficial façade is none changing. He presents his employer with a constant and passive answer of “I would prefer not to” to all request and inquiries presented by the lawyer. He unwilling leaves the premises of his job and the lawyer try to put up with him but he finds his annoyance of Bartleby’s actions unbearable. Such as when he found that Bartleby was staying the office after all others had gone home and refusal to do any work and take any money from the lawyer and leave. Even the lawyer seems to be walled in by Bartleby and Bartleby’s
3. Identify each of the following characters below by (1) their relationship to one another and (2) what can be inferred about their personalities thus far.
protagonists and antagonists, the plot structure and events of the story and the way he
The author creates a sense of mystery, puzzle, which relentlessly attracts the reader through the whole work. When the author described Bartleby's character, he feels apologetic for his isolation and strange behavior. However, the author said that he depended on other people's judgments, Bartleby did not fit into the structure of established society. He would have to explain to every visitor why Bartleby violates someone invented the
In "Bartleby the Scrivener," Melville chooses his order of character introduction in order to illustrate what kind of man the lawyer is. The entire story depends upon the lawyer's reactions and responses to Bartleby and upon the reader accepting the lawyer's reactions, responses, and actions as wholly sincere and in keeping with his character. The descriptions of these characters are also really part of the setting. The office is cramped and uninspiring, and those who work there could be considered misfits. Turkey and Nippers together make one effective worker, and Ginger Nuts is nothing but a glorified errand boy, though he's supposed to be an apprentice. Once we meet them, the tone of the office is set and helps prepare us for the inimitable Bartleby the scrivener who "would prefer not to."
When the lawyer finds out Bartleby never leaves the office and has made it his home he says, “Before, I had never experienced aught but a not unpleasing sadness. The bond of common humanity now drew me
Sarty is saved from testifying at the hearing when neither Mr. Harris nor the Justice of the Peace can bring themselves to make him turn on his father. Without eye witness testimony the case is dismissed, but the Justice of the Peace has demanded Abner leave town.
In Bartleby, The Scrivener, Bartleby serves as the main character with his distinct nature that everyone is trying to decipher. Despite the attention around Bartleby, much of the story also revolves around the narrator, the lawyer, who tells the story through his perspective; this implies that the lawyer’s ideology and perception of societal norms shape the interactions between the lawyer and Bartleby but also how the story is told. Take for example, if the lawyer disregards Bartleby and fires him on the spot, this story would have ended rather quickly and been much different than it actually is. With this said, the lawyer’s peculiar attraction to Bartleby’s strange behavior can be explained by the lawyer’s innate ideas of social norms and instruction that stems from the behavior of the other scriveners and his own experiences.
Prompt five, Argue who is/ are the most admirable and/ or despicable character(s) in the novel and why.
5. Discuss the order in which the characters die. Why do some live longer than others? Do you think this is this entirely by design? Does the murderer ever seem to lose control of the situation?
Bartleby tells his own boss and owner of the law office to leave his own property while he remains inside. This event solidifies the fact that the boss has no backbone for himself or the company. The boss cannot stand up for himself and tells Bartleby to leave, but rather takes the command of one of his incompetent workers. Bartleby at this point has gained complete control over his own boss.
From the way, the author tells Bartleby’s story, we can tell that his tone reflects these two feelings and it successfully speaks to us the Narrator’s courtesy and his emotional involvement in the events that are written in the story. Through the narrator’s perspective, we can identify with narrator and see Bartelby as both pathetic and a little frightening, like the narrator does.
He was able to see that the man he hired was using his office for his own living home. “For the first time in my life a feeling of overpowering stinging melancholy seized me. Before, I had never experienced aught but a not unpleasing sadness.”(Herman Melville, page 320). the narrator is feeling sad for Bartleby, he feels sad that the man who works for him is lonely and has no one to be with. However, as the story keeps going Bartleby refused to do anything. When asked to do something his simple words are, “I prefer not to.” the narrator did not like this and he got mad that he decided to move his business somewhere else. He didn't want to be in charge of Bartleby when the man would not do any work. He was proud of himself for leaving him behind without getting angry but being able to control his anger. “When again I entered my office, lo, a note from the landlord lay upon my desk. I opened it with trembling hands. It informed me that the writer had sent to the police, and had Bartleby remove to the Tombs as a vagrant.” (Herman Melville, page 329). everyone knew that the narrator knew more about Bartleby then they did. They wanted the narrator to be able and do something about Bartleby. As Bartleby was in the Tomb the narrator took time out to go and visit him. The first time he visited him Bartleby ignored him. The narrator out of his good character went to the person who cooks for them and gave him money so he can get Bartleby some good food. As stubborn as
The lawyer is not able to focus on anything because Bartleby will not move from the office or do any work. The lawyer then decides to pay Bartleby a “twenty-dollar bill over and above whatever [is in Bartleby’s account] and tell him his services” are not necessary (674).The lawyer throws money at Bartleby instead of handing it to him in his hands. The lawyer is trying to get rid of Bartleby to let the law firm make money. Melville portrays a constant war of conscience in the lawyer's mind regarding Bartleby's actions and the lawyer's reactions. The lawyer goes to church regularly yet does not show the Christian beliefs and ethics.
There are more than two sides to every story. Right and wrong isn't so easy to figure out. In the short story Charles, Laurie's actions could have been stopped if someone noticed his poor behavior. Madame Loisel from The Diamond Necklace made wrong choices, but she wasn't the only character who did. It will show that just because Markwardt from The Man with No Eyes was wrong, it doesn't mean Parsons was right. There aren't just two sides, with one side that is right and the other side wrong. It is our actions that are wrong and right, not the whole person. This essay will analyze the characters' decisions to determine whether they were right or wrong. The essay will illustrate how each character makes right and wrong choices, and not just one person is at fault. It will also show that it's better to learn from one's mistakes, and that some of the characters do, while others do not, which affected their lives.