Laura Cline
ENG102
26 February 2012
Bartleby
Herman Melville’s Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall-Street, is about a set of copyist who all work together doing one of the most monotonous jobs there is. The story starts out giving information on all three workers, all of different capabilities and eccentrics. His other worker is Bartleby. Bartleby was a very good worker when he first got hired. “At first Bartleby did an extraordinary quantity of writing. As if long famishing for something to copy, he seemed to gorge himself on my documents” (Melville 18). As time went on Bartleby got more and more tired of the work he was doing and began to rebel against his employer, telling his boss he didn’t want to do certain work. Bartleby is a representation of a new consumer or leisure class. He presents a lax attitude towards work, in contrast to the narrator who clearly embodies the Protestant Ethic of work and charity. Through these characters, Melville shows the deterioration of society, as this new class has no respect for the old ways.
As Bartleby started working, he was a terrific employee; doing all his work at a fast pace, working day and night never leaving his desk. This type of work is very reminiscent in today’s society. The job market in this era is not the best, and in order to get a job people need to give a great first impression. They are also excited when they first work, so they work hard, do what they are told and go above and beyond. This is Bartleby to the T. He came in with a good resume and a hardworking attitude to show his employer that he could be a great fit in the company.
As a copyist, hired for the reason to do whatever the employer asked of Bartleby, he was expected to do certain tasks. One of these tasks was to make sure that the copy made was completely accurate. This task was not enjoyable at all, but had to be done. “It is a very dull, wearisome, and lethargic affair. I can readily imagine that to some sanguine temperaments it would be altogether intolerable” (Melville 19). This job was not an exciting one; however, this is the job Bartleby signed up for and is paid to do. As time went by, when Bartleby was asked to examine his work with the rest of the employees, Bartleby declined. He was refusing to do what his employer asked of him. You can see this in a lot of employees today. They come in and work hard; then, when they are faced to a task that they don’t want to do they complain, get angry, or outright refuse to do it. Forgetting the fact that they were hired specifically to do these things and that is what they are getting paid for. His employer expected Bartleby to do this work since he was such a good worker in the beginning. He couldn’t understand why Bartleby would decline.
My father used to tell me stories how he worked two full time jobs, and went to night school as a young man so that he could be successful. He was a hardworking man and held pride in his work. My father is a lot like the employer, he now employees many workers and expects them to work as hard as he once did. Today’s society is not like it used to be. Work ethic is a thing of the past. People get jobs and don’t want to do what the job actually expects of them. They give a good first impression and good resume, and then when it comes time to work they don’t live up to their promises. The job as a copyist is not the most entertaining job and it is understandable that Bartleby did not want to do these boring, and mundane tasks, however this is his job, it is what he was hired for and he knew what he was getting himself into from the start.
Mr. Melville was a very generous man. Even after Bartleby started to refuse to work, he allowed him many chances. “Mortified as I was at his behavior, and resolved as I had been to dismiss him when I entered my office, nevertheless I strangely felt something superstitious knocking at my heart, and forbidding me to carry out my purpose, and denouncing me for a villain if I dared to breathe one bitter word against this forlornest of mankind” (Melville 109). He wanted to fire Bartleby many times, but just could not because he felt bad for him. Once Bartleby stopped copying altogether his employer still could not allow himself to get rid of him. Melville knew Bartleby had nowhere to go, no family, and no friends. His life was at the office, and he had nothing else in the world. So his employer allowed him to stay there, not work, and not pay rent; Melville couldn’t stand to put him out on the streets. His only way to get rid of Bartleby was to move his office all together. He told Bartleby he was too far from City Hall and he was going to move, once he moved Bartleby still would not leave his desk in the former residence. The employer even went so far as to offer him stay in his own house. Melville tried talking to Bartleby about what kind of job he would like to do or where he would like to go. Instead, he got no answer but, “I would prefer not to” (Melville). The employer couldn’t do anything to make Bartleby care anymore, it seems as though he had fallen into a deep depression and didn’t care about life anymore. The new tenant at the office eventually was not so charitable towards Bartleby. His only option was to call the police and have him removed. Once in prison Bartleby would not eat, and would not speak. Eventually, his old employer found him dead in the court yard.
Bartleby was a depressed worker, working at a dead end, monotonous job with nothing to live for. It seems he wanted to just take, and not give anything in return. This applies to society today in a lot of ways. Many people employed today start off very excited to have a job. Later on, they end up losing their work ethic. They stop working hard and start doing as they please. The others try and survive off unemployment, or handouts from the government. This relates to Bartleby in the fact that he wanted to stay at this office without working or paying for his presence; this is a lot like people on welfare. Bartleby took advantage of his employer knowing he was a kind and generous man, he would not be asked to leave. He took it so far that his employer would rather move his business than kick Bartleby to the streets. Bartleby eventually met his demise when refusing to leave to the extent that he was thrown in jail because of his less forgiving new tenant. In jail Bartleby continued his behavior and eventually died because of it.
Works Cited
Melville, Herman. "Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall-street." Bartleby. N.p., 2011. Web. 21 Feb 2012.
