Bartleby the Scrivener

1. 
The narrator in the story is a spiritual person. On the morning that he finds out that
Bartleby had been living in his office, he was on his way to church. The narrator says, “Now, one
Sunday morning I happened to go to Trinity Church, to hear a celebrated preacher, and finding
myself rather early on the ground, I thought I would walk around to my chambers for a while”
(Melville, 1980, p. 13). He even considers himself a good man, and that is why he does not ask
Bartleby to leave the office. He pity’s him and even considers him a lost soul. He then decides to
let him live in the office as an example of a good deed to a lost soul. He even decides not to
proceed with his earlier mission of going to church because it was pointless. He had already done
a good thing and did not need to go to church. This depicts the narrator as a very transactional
person. He engages in spiritual transactions by allowing Bartleby to stay in his office. It is not
about Bartleby but rather about the narrator’s soul. After realizing that Bartleby had converted
his office into a home, the narrator thought deeply about him and his life. He realized that he had
a problem. He remarks, “What I saw that morning persuaded me that the scrivener was the
victim of innate and incurable disorder. I might give alms to his body, but his body did not pain
him; it was his soul that suffered, and his soul I could not reach” (Melville, 1980, p. 15). He finds
it fearful that Bartleby could have a problem that he could not solve. The thoughts disturbed him,
and he resolved to talk to Bartleby the following morning.
2.
Bartleby is a passively stubborn character. The narrator tries to ask him questions about
his heritage, his history, or at least more information that would help in understanding his

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situation, but Bartleby refuses to respond. Instead of providing information, Bartleby responds,
“I would prefer not to” (Melville, 1980, p. 16). The narrator was disturbed by his response and
could not understand his calm disdain considering all the good things he had done for him. The
narrator would realize later that his attempts to get rid of Bartleby were not bearing fruits. One
morning upon entering his office, he was disappointed after realizing that Bartleby had not left.
He asks Bartleby whether he will leave or not, and to his dismay, Bartleby responds, “I would
prefer not to quit you” (Melville, 1980, p. 21). After these many attempts, the narrator must
devise a new plan on how to get rid of Bartleby. He has realized that his harsh or even diplomatic
methods are not working. He also realizes that Bartleby is not afraid of him, and he has reached a
resolve not to leave his office. He then invites Bartleby to his home so as to try and bring him
closer and see if he will understand more about his condition. At this stage, he is certain that
Bartleby has a problem and that he needs help. However, he is not sure of how to help or what
exactly to do to be helpful. Inviting Bartleby to his home seems feasible if he is to finally
understand how to solve the dilemma.
3.
The narrator states that Bartleby was a subordinate clerk. A clerk in the dead letter office
does not seem like a good occupation. This revelation about his past occupation tells the reader
about Bartleby’s social status. The narrator states, “Conceive a man by nature and misfortune
prone to a pallid hopelessness, can any business seem more fitted to heighten it than that of
continually handling these dead letters, and assorting them for the flames?” (Melville, 1980, p.
29). The narrator even compares the “dead letters” to “dead men.” It appears to be a despised or
lowly-held job in the narrator’s society. Clerkships seem to be jobs reserved for people who were
generally not doing well in life. However, Bartleby does not seem to fit in this social class. He

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had mastery in calligraphy, and this shows that he had a privileged social background. He also
seemed to have enjoyed a solid education during his youthful days. Based on this information,
there is no comparison between Bartleby’s previous job and his current job at the lawyer’s office.
Based on these two jobs, one thing that comes out clearly is Bartleby’s character. He naively
believes in hard work and hopes that he will eventually get rewarded for it. He was a good
employee who added value. The narrator says, “One prime thing was this—he was always
there;—first in the morning, continually through the day, and the last at night” (Melville, 1980,
p. 12). He is also an honest employee whose work was extraordinary. It is evident that he worked
well, and this could partly be because he was educated, and the knowledge and skills he had
acquired were evident in how he completed his duties. Overall, he is depicted as a character who
is reliable and a good employee to work with.

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References

Melville, H. (1980). Bartleby the scrivener. Perfection Learning Corporation.