Bartleby the Scrivener by Herman Melville Analysis

Fiction Analysis Essay
Analysis of "Bartleby, the Scrivener" by Herman Melville
"Bartleby the Scrivener" remains one of the best-known fictional works by Melville. Analysts describe the art as arguably among the most challenging to interpret compared to other writers' works. Over time, numerous critics have differed about the interpretations (Fisher, 59-79; Kaplan and Kloss, 63-79; Stempel and Stillians, 268-82).
Only a small section agrees on the interpretations' trajectory; others completely fail to find harmony in their schools of thought. The subject covered in "Bartleby the Scrivener" was far ahead of time as at the time, depression and job dissatisfaction among the middle class were rare subjects. Additionally, the concepts surrounding the importance of Wall Street in Americans' lives were not as pronounced. It was symbolic because Bartleby presented a section of people who openly rejected some employers' tasks while remaining in those businesses.
Before getting deep into the themes discussed in "Bartleby the Scrivener," it is vital to understand Melville. He was gifted in making contemplations and unique descriptions in both his novels and short stories. The clauses in his writings open technically, thoughtfully, and slowly. His friend and colleague Nathaniel Hawthorne also displayed a similar style in "The Scarlet Letter." The lawyer, who adds up as Melville's narrator, takes time and slowly gives the story in detail, highlighting both the character and the scene. For example, in the beginning, the narrator explains how he offered a coat to his scrivener Turkey and turned to be egotistical and overprotective of it.
The methodical attributes manifested in the writings by Melville indicate quality pacing. Pacing is common in music and films, but Melville paces his stories in a professional manner. Melville paces slowly and blends some scenes with deep action, such as the episode about Benito's escape. The role of such intense phases is to indicate climax or serve as revelations of earlier actions. Melville captures those actions in the period surrounding the imprisonment and demise of Bartleby.
A three-page coverage of these events happens after the lawyer is rejected, leading to Bartleby's imprisonment. Series of rapid events that happen during the phase appears inevitable and important yet full of sadness. The rapid events make the reader alert to the causes of the actions.
The simplicity of the plot makes it appear deceptive. With a great reputation on Wall Street, the lawyer gets a copyist in a rather strange manner. On the other hand, Bartleby's opinion is different and appears to resist the way events unfold (Melville, 12). The rejection shows honesty on his part but later transforms into a mantra, a slogan that defines Bartleby's character. The lawyer tends to imply some form of resistance (Kaplan and Kloss, 63-79).
Of the most important theme in the artwork is charity. The role and character played by the lawyer lead to puzzlement among many readers. Common questions that linger in many minds is on whether the lawyer is supporting or ends up ruining Bartleby. Unexpected to many, the lawyer keeps embracing the stubborn Bartleby. Initially, it is because the lawyer still has not had a proper understanding of him.
Another reason is the approach that Bartleby uses to reject the lawyer, which looks calm and composed. Such a reaction makes the lawyer question his competency because he expected the client to adhere to the lawyer's advice. "It is not seldom the case that, when a man is browbeaten in some unprecedented and violently unreasonable way, he begins…to vaguely surmise that, wonderful as it may be, all the justice and all the reason is on the other side" (Melville, 13-4).
The principal source of the puzzlement is Bartleby's persistent refusal to take advice. Analysts compare his character with Cicero and other philosophers such as Mahatma Gandhi. Critiques argue that the continued rejection of the lawyer's requests characterizes materialism, which was a common culture then.
Another imperative point worth noting is the lawyer's office, which was on Wall Street. The story itself that runs in the writing is anchored on Wall Street. During this time, Wall Street was fast becoming an important financial and economic hub, and Melville and other authors were alert about the opportunities. Bartleby's stubbornness can be seen as the pillar of fighting for economic controls.
If the deep interpretation of the new theme (economic control) in Melville's life is valid, then it is subtle, even like its development. It is born through refusal to join the society. It gets to the extreme when Bartleby rejects meals or even shelter. In all the story scenes, Bartleby is defined as someone who exists without playing significant parts, only some minor writings. Later, he gives up the little he does and chooses to stare at the wall.
Other characters form part of the story. They include Nippers, Turkey, and Ginger Nut. The roles of Nippers and Turkey are the most critical, and their symbolic names communicate less about their real character. For Turkey, nothing resembles a turkey unless in cases when he transformed into a red, taking after turkey's neck. Nipper is temperamental and highly "nippy," especially in the morning.
These interpretations and attempts to get the symbolic meanings in the names are literal and shallow and have little effect on the characterization. The naming is Melville's technique to make the characters memorable and separate them from their original names. Identification by appearance, behavior, and function is a clear match that attributes them to "nameless workers."
The strange names attached to Nippers and Turkey further reveal fairy or nursery rhymes with tale characters. First, because of the uniqueness of the names and second, how their behaviors complement each other. The performance of Turkey is excellent in the morning and fades in the day. Nippers, on the other hand, grumbles and makes fun with his desk. Turkey is always angry and red-faced and keeps staining his work while Nippers is diligent and silent. The lawyer uses rather interesting terms to define the two characters. He associates them with the Tweedledum and Tweedledee that govern the Wall Street version of the world.
The thoughtful analysis and compilation of events in Bartleby's life cannot be complete without referring to the last sections of the story (Melville, 41). In those last phases, the lawyer discloses that he discovered Bartleby, through rumors, that he once operated in the Dead Letter Office before firing during administration changes. The narrator intrinsically questions whether the said job was depressing and lonely, only featured by reading letters for the dead. The narrator argues that it could be the possible reason for the depressed Bartleby, whose last destination was a prison yard.
It is worth realizing that the series of events in the analysis brings together different themes that form part of the thesis statements. Each of the characters represents different themes or contributes to making principal themes stronger. Melville has merged different thematic aspects and reinforced them with characters that pass the intended message with simplicity and in a manner that the audience understands. The writings are purely fictitious and offer a bridge to the real world.
Works cited
Fisher, Marvin. "'Bartleby,' Melville's Circumscribed Scrivener," The Southern Review, Vol. X, No. 1, Winter, 1974, pp. 59-79.
Kaplan, Morton, and Robert Kloss. "Fantasy of Passivity: Melville's 'Bartleby the Scrivener'," in The Unspoken Motive: A Guide to Psychoanalytic Literary Criticism, Free Press, 1973, pp. 63-79.
Melville, Herman. "Bartleby the Scrivener." Melville's Short Novels (2002): 3-34.
Stempel, Daniel, and Bruce M. Stillians. "'Bartleby the Scrivener': A Parable of Pessimism," in Nineteenth-Century Fiction, Vol. 27, No. 1, 1972-1973, pp. 268-82.