Bartleby’s ghostly presence in the story is the result of a breakdown of the narrator’s mind. In fact, Bartleby does not exist at all as an actual scrivener, but instead represents a part of the narrator that he wishes to repress in order to become a more effective and industrious worker.
Below are some of my notes cut and pasted from my original drafts:
Through the entirety of the story Bartleby digs in his heals against anything important the lawyer wants to get done, he's a representation of the Lawyers id -the less socially acceptable Facebook version of ourselves-. Bartleby doesn't want to go away, he is the lawyers frivolous nature, desire to do mundane things. So when the lawyer knows he needs to get something done, he tucks that nagging feeling into a corner and obscures it from sight. The problem occurs when Bartleby starts fighting back, refusuing to be ignored. Suddenly the lawyer is forced to reason with the irrational side of his brain that wants him to stop doing things that he doesn't want to, hence use of the phrase "I prefer not to" time and time again. The lawyer himself needs to read over the copies, he needs to get his mail, the man is very busy, but deep down he "prefers not to." He would rather stare out a window, or just write copies.
The next main point I want to elaborate on is the way in which the other characters react to Bartleby, they are acting like a group of people forced to cope with their bosses new crazy -I word it this way intentionally-. They yell at Bartleby indirectly, they never speak to him, or actually interact with him.
Another inconsistency with Bartleby being a real person is the way in which Bartleby engages the lawyer himself. At no point in the story is there any physical contact between them. The lawyer always seems to restrain himself from physically assaulting Bartleby, no matter how badly he wants to at times -as if he knows it wouldn't do any good-.
Finally there is the end of the story, the prison that Bartleby is locked up in, this is a representation of the lawyer having finally won, he locked away his less productive side. Even though he still cares about it, and wants to be a person of that sort, he leaves it to starve. Which is a huge tell about the setting of the whole story, and one that I will elaborate on in my completed essay.
That said, i wish all of you luck on your essay, and enjoy a cropped screenshot of the Great Pyramids via Google Earth -I know the pictures weren't required, it's just what I had open for another project-.
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ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I have to say that I love the random picture of the pyramids! Thanks for that. Second of all, you took a whole new and unexpected turn on why Bartleby is not an actual scrivener and does not exist at all. I read this twice because the first time I was so confused I almost cried. After reading your veiw and thoughts on why this thesis worked, it made even more sense. I think you could of hit the nail on the head. Thanks for bringing another way of looking at things to the table, always nice to have fresh thoughts!
ReplyDelete(Terri Snyder)
I feel like a lot of us went with the same thesis on this paper. So it's pretty interesting why people think this thesis works for the paper. I like that you talked about that Bartleby and the lawyer never actually made any physical contact throughout the story. By that it really shows that Bartleby was not that, because if he had given Bartleby a hug would he have just hugged himself? This are some good points to look into. Good job and good luck on the paper.
ReplyDeleteI appreciated your use of the word "id" and the connection with it being the less socially accepted version of ourselves. Your arguments are well thought out and thought provoking. Good job!
ReplyDelete