Bartleby The Scrivener Conflict Essay

Short story, “Bartleby the Scrivener,” by Herman Melville follows main character, Bartleby, who works at a lawyer’s office. Throughout the short story and movie adaptation, Bartleby comes across many conflicts. The most prominent conflict is the Bartleby versus himself. He is seen as his own main conflict because of his lethargy, his assumed mental instability, and his strange behaviors around others. Bartleby cannot be described as a normal person or compliant employee. Bartleby works for a lawyer who demands work from him and expects him to do it. In response, whenever he is asked to do even the simplest of tasks he tells his boss he would prefer not to. He lacks compliance with all instructions or commands given to him, which is not usually

He is his own conflict because his actions don’t allow him to be successful in any realm. Many times his actions and behaviors cause others to distance themselves. It is also seen that he isolates himself even. Eventually Bartleby’s boss gives up and stops badgering him to do work. Soon after, in response to moving into the office, Bartleby’s boss, the lawyer, moves his own office away so he wouldn’t have to be around Bartleby’s peculiar behavior. Not too long after there is a new superior in the office and Bartleby gets arrested for vagrancy. Although the lawyer from the office tells the prison he is of no harm to anyone and better set in a poorhouse, Bartleby stays resident of the prison. His isolation and nonconformity is more obvious when Bartleby is close to death and still refuses food. He entirely shuts himself out of the normal world staying in seclusion preferring not to do anything whatsoever. “Bartleby the Scrivener,” Herman Melville’s short story, is a perfect example of a conflict within yourself. The main conflict carried out is Bartleby versus himself because of his mental state and odd behavioral manners. All of his failed relationships with people and disobedience in the workplace is caused by his own