Bartleby By Milville Essay, Research Paper

Since he will not quit me, I must quit him. ?Ah Bartleby, Ah Humanity.?

(Page 140, Herman Melville) This is the key to Bartleby, written by Herman

Melville, for it indicates that Bartleby stands as a symbol for humanity. This

in turn functions as a commentary on society and the working world, for Bartleby

is a seemingly homeless, mentally disturbed scrivener who gives up on the

prospect of living life. However, by doing so Bartleby is attempting to exercise

his freewill, for he would ?prefer not to? work. His relationship to the

narrator is thus significant, for as he attempts to exercise his freewill he is

breaking from the will of the narrator and the normal progression of life.

However, this attempt to exercise his freewill and break loose from the confines

of typical societal functions, isolates Bartleby from society, which in turn

places him in a state of depression and soon there after, death. Ultimately, by

having Bartleby ?prefer not to,? Melville is commenting on the role of

humanity in the work force. If man attempts to break free of his role and

exercise his own freewill then he is severing himself from humanity which in

turn will lead to depression and perhaps death, for he will have nothing but a

wall always obstructing him. From the beginning Bartleby is isolated within the

confines of his work place. ?I procured a high green folding screen, which

might entirely isolate Bartleby from my sight, though not remove him from my

voice.?( pg 111) In this quotation the narrator put Arnold, Page 2 up a screen

to separate his office from Bartleby?s, which isolates him from the other

members of the staff which thus isolates him from humanity. However, this is not

the end of the isolation for he is not only detached from those around him, but

society as well. ?I placed his desk close up to a small side window, a window

that had originally afforded a view of certain grimy backyards, but which

commanded at present, no view at all. Within three feet of the pains was a

wall.? (pg 110-111) This quotation demonstrates Bartleby?s total isolation

from society, for even his window, usually a form of escape, traps Bartelby

behind another wall, which thus reinforces absolute isolation. Ultimately, every

aspect of Bartleby?s life further expounds upon the motif of solitude.

Bartalby?s attempt to exercise his freewill eventually leads him into an even

more alienated state as he estranges himself from his coworkers and his boss,

the narrator. This resulted from a refusal to follow the orders of the narrator,

for he refused to work or even communicate with him. His only response soon

became ?I would prefer not to,? which shows his lack of involvement and in

turn his decision not to interact in society, for he gave up what little life he

still had. Ultimately, what he was doing, was preferring not to live, but

instead just exist. Melville, is thus commenting on the work force by

demonstrating through Bartleby?s continual descend into the abysmal, society

confines you behind walls and that if you give in and choose to stop living you

will waste away as Bartleby did. Consequently, Bartleby after having alienated

himself so fully was then left to his own devices. ?Since he will not quit me,

I must quit him. I will change my offices; I will move elsewhere.? (pg

132-133) He was deserted completely, for he was no longer living. Arnold, Page 3

He continued to breathe, he continued to exist, but he was no longer of any use

to society. As he severs himself from humanity, Bartleby is unaware of the

consequences. However, these consequences as displayed by Melville, comment upon

the impact that the work force can have upon mankind. Through Bartleby, he

demonstrates that once you give up on life, everyone around will give up on you

in turn, as the narrator did with Bartleby, for you have become an obstruction,

much like the walls surrounding Bartleby. In the end, his self-will was what led

him to death. For his decision to withdraw from society and further seclude

himself led to the disintegration of his soul. He lost all desire to work, or

even function, ?I now recalled all the quiet mysteries, which I had, noted in

the man. I remembered that he never spoke but to answer.?( pg. 106) He soon

became a victim of society, loosing all initiative. Thus, ?for long periods he

would stand looking out, at his pale window behind the screen, upon the dead

brick wall,? (pg 126) and this became his life. He was trapped behind a brick

wall and he soon became so disillusioned by it that he lost sight of life and

gave up. Ultimately, his will to ?prefer not to? concluded in his death.

Bartleby was imprisoned because of his desire to demonstrate his free will and

never leave his office, even after it was no longer his place of employment.

"And to you, this should not be so vile a place. Nothing reproachful

attaches to you by being here. And see, it is not so sad a place as one might

think. Look, there is the sky, and here is the grass."( pg 137) It is

ironic that once he is actually confined within prison walls, that he is finally

exposed to the outside world, the sky and grass. Arnold, Page 4 It is even more

ironic that once Bartleby is no longer restrained by society?s conformities

that it is then that he dies. ?Strangely huddled at the base of the wall, his

knees drawn up, his head touching the stones, I saw the wasted Bartleby.?( pg

139) Ultimately, once disillusioned by society and the work force, he died at

his own free will because he ?preferred no to? live. Bartleby?s character

comments upon the functions of society and the work force. This story

demonstrates that life if not lived is useless, as in the case of Bartleby, who

wastes his away ?preferring not to.? Although, from the beginning he was

isolated behind the green folding screen with nothing but a wall to stare out,

he did not have to give up his humanity. However, he chose to, he chose to

further isolate himself by his own self-will and accordingly it led to his

death. ?It is dangerous to isolate oneself; dangerous for and individual and

for a nation.? (Jawaharial Nehru) For in the end, isolation can drive a person

insane, make him mute, or even kill him.