Critical Analysis Of Bartleby The Scrivener By Herman Melville

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Critical Analysis The short story “Bartleby the Scrivener” by Herman Melville, showcases the protagonist, Bartleby, as a scrivener who is inundated with the demanding expectations of his job while being employed by an overbearing mercenary boss. Ultimately, Melville illustrates the protagonist’s sanity and moral value deteriorating as Bartleby begins to lose the will to live due to the stress that his job has created. Herman Melville (1819-1891) was born in New York City, New York. He is the third child out of eight. Before adventuring out to sea, he had several occupations: a farmer, a clerk, a teacher, and bookkeeper. While he was at sea, he was inspired to write novels. Since he was not making money off of his stories, he started to write poetry (Melville 603). In this short story, “Bartleby the Scrivener,” the narrator is an attorney that runs a business on Wall Street. The narrator has a small team that consists of two scriveners, Turkey and Nippers, and a boy that supplies the scriveners with snacks, Ginger Nut. He later decides to increase his team and employ a third scrivener, Bartleby. At first, Bartleby was a promising addition to the workforce. However, as time passes, Bartleby starts to lose the commitment that he once had. Bartleby begins to refuse to work. The narrator discovers that Bartleby has been living in the business complex, gives him time to recover from eye strain, and tries to fire Bartleby. Bartleby refuses to leave. Due to Bartley 's refusal,