The narrator considers Bartleby to be representative of humanity. He states, "For both I and Bartleby were sons of Adam" (Melville 143). The lawyer originally places himself and Bartleby in the same context of society. “Since he will not quit me, I must quit him. Ah Bartleby, Ah Humanity.” (Melville 131) This is the key to Bartleby, for it ...
The Narrator goes out of his way to visit him and make sure he gets food while there, even though Bartleby continues his apathetic behavior, until he commits suicide by starving himself to death. This entire story is one big paradox.
The Lawyer: The lawyer is the narrator of this story. He is about sixty years old, holds the office of Master of Chancery, and is well known in the Wall Street community. His attitude towards life is simple: he believes the easiest way of life is the best one, seeing work as …
Bartleby is, according to the Lawyer, "one of those beings of whom nothing is ascertainable, except from the original sources, and, in his case, those were very small." Before introducing Bartleby, the Lawyer describes the other scriveners working in his office at this time.
“On errands of life, these letters speed to death.” With the death of Bartleby, the end of his life takes place and with the use of the word 'death' the end of the story takes place. The author finds it difficult to express the emotion seizing him.15 Aug 2016
Or is this property yours?" Bartleby makes no response, and the Lawyer becomes resigned to the idea that Bartleby will simply haunt his office, doing nothing. The Lawyer believes he is doing a good, Christian thing by allowing Bartleby to continue existing in his office.
The problem is, however, that he doesn't leave the office; in fact, he lives there secretly. The narrator can't do anything to get rid of him, so he just lets him sit around and gets Nippers and Turkey to pick up his slack.
Bartleby does not like change. “I would prefer not to make any change” he says, and a little later states “I like to be stationary”. In fact, he prefers not to go very far at all, working, eating, sleeping all in the same place. He is unable to move out of his private world and make public aspects of himself.
By reading all of these 'dead letters', Bartleby was more exposed to the despair that comes from not being able to receive letters once you're dead and that's what slowly caused him to die.
The Lawyer is the unnamed narrator of "Bartleby the Scrivener." He owns a law firm on Wall Street, and he employs four men as scriveners, or copyists: Turkey, Nippers, Ginger Nut, and Bartleby.
The lawyer visits Bartleby to convince him to eat and get through to him, but it doesn't work and Bartleby dies. The lawyer sensitivity and empathy towards Bartleby raises questions to the lawyers sincerity.
Bartleby prefers not to answer any questions about his personal life or his past. Bartleby informs the Narrator that he will not be copying any more. After a couple of days, he tells the Narrator that he will never copy anything again. When asked to vacate the office, Bartleby refuses.