Summary. The Lawyer, the narrator of the story, has already been surprised once before by Bartleby's refusal to examine a document, as all scriveners (law- copyists) are required to do. Bartleby said he would "prefer not to," and the Lawyer was so surprised that he hadn't argued with him. A few days after this incident, there is a large ...
The story is narrated by the Lawyer, the man who employs Bartleby. The Lawyer has two other scriveners, Turkey and Nippers, and an errand boy, Ginger Nut. As the story begins, the Lawyer realizes he needs another copyist. A strange young man named Bartleby answers the ad, and the Lawyer hires him.
Next. Bartleby, the Scrivener. The story, set in a Wall Street law office in the mid-1800’s, begins with the unnamed narrator, The Lawyer, stating that he would like to focus his tale on a group of humanity as of yet unwritten about: scriveners, or law-copyists, of whom he’s known many. But, rather than focus on a group of them, he will ...
Many readers, puzzled by the mystery of Bartleby, often pass over this greatly humorous event: the Lawyer actually moves his office rather than having Bartleby taken away. Most of Melville's humor is very subtle, or lost in the shuffle of other themes and meanings). But when Bartleby is threatened with imprisonment, the Lawyer actually offers ...
| Characters/Themes | Explanations |
|---|---|
| Bartleby | a new scrivener at the law office and the story's antagonist |
| The lawyer | the protagonist and narrator of the story |
| Turkey | an old scrivener who is the same general age as the lawyer, 60 |
| Nippers | an ambitious scrivener with a fiery personality. |
A few days later, Bartleby tells the Lawyer he is going to stop writing. He gives Bartleby his salary and tells him to leave. But when he returns to the office after hours, Bartleby is still there. The Lawyer points out the injustice of Bartleby's remaining in the office when he refuses to work.
The Lawyer begins to notice other odd habits about Bartleby. He never eats anything, except snacks. He never leaves the office. He still refuses to examine his own papers, always saying that he prefers not to. When stopping by the office on a Sunday, the Lawyer discovers that Bartleby has been living there.
Bartleby the Scrivener. "Bartleby the Scrivener" centers on a "scrivener," or copyist, for a law firm. The story is narrated by the Lawyer, the man who employs Bartleby. The Lawyer has two other scriveners, Turkey and Nippers, and an errand boy, Ginger Nut. As the story begins, the Lawyer realizes he needs another copyist.
He never eats anything, except snacks. He never leaves the office. He still refuses to examine his own papers, always saying that he prefers not to. When stopping by the office on a Sunday, the Lawyer discovers that Bartleby has been living there. He pities for Bartleby's cheerless life, but he is still troubled.
He never leaves the office. He still refuses to examine his own papers, always saying that he prefers not to. When stopping by the office on a Sunday, the Lawyer discovers that Bartleby has been living there. He pities for Bartleby's cheerless life, but he is still troubled.
He still refuses to examine his own papers, always saying that he prefers not to. When stopping by the office on a Sunday, the Lawyer discovers that Bartleby has been living there. He pities for Bartleby's cheerless life, but he is still troubled. A few days later, Bartleby tells the Lawyer he is going to stop writing.
When stopping by the office on a Sunday, the Lawyer discovers that Bartleby has been living there. He pities for Bartleby's cheerless life, but he is still troubled. A few days later, Bartleby tells the Lawyer he is going to stop writing. He gives Bartleby his salary and tells him to leave.
Bartleby tells him that he needs a few moments alone inside, and after The Lawyer walks around the block and returns to the office, he finds himself alone. With Bartleby gone, The Lawyer snoops inside Bartleby’s desk, finds a few belongings, and determines that Bartleby must be living in the office at night and on weekends.
The story, set in a Wall Street law office in the mid-1800’s, begins with the unnamed narrator, The Lawyer, stating that he would like to focus his tale on a group of humanity as of yet unwritten about: scriveners, or law-copyists, of whom he’s known many.
Bartleby, the Scrivener. The story, set in a Wall Street law office in the mid-1800’s, begins with the unnamed narrator, The Lawyer, stating that he would like to focus his tale on a group of humanity as of yet unwritten about: scriveners, or law-copyists, of whom he’s known many.
At first The Lawyer thinks of Bartleby’s poverty and solitude, feeling a great pity for him, but soon that pity morphs into anger and repulsion, as The Lawyer believes Bartleby to have some incurable mental illness.
When he asks Bartleby to be a little reasonable, Bartleby says he would prefer not to do that either. A day later, Bartleby ceases doing any work at all—he spends his days staring at the wall, and The Lawyer decides it is time to rid the office of Bartleby.
The Lawyer is happy with how he’s handled the firing, but to his dismay Bartleby is still in the office when The Lawyer returns on Monday, and his 20-dollar bonus is sitting on his desk untouched. When The Lawyer confronts Bartleby that morning about why he has stayed, Bartleby simply says that he would prefer not to leave.
Out of pity, The Lawyer visits him, and pays another inmate to provide Bartleby with good-quality food. Alas, Bartleby prefer s not to accept this gest ure as well, refusing to eat and instead choosing to lie on the floor of the prison, wasting away.
At first, this is due to the fact that the Lawyer simply doesn't know how to deal with Bartleby. He is so surprised that Bartleby refuses him (especially in such a calm manner), that he doesn't reprimand him.
No analysis of Bartleby is complete without mentioning the last paragraphs, where the Lawyer reveals the one clue he has discovered about Bartleby: a rumor that the man once worked in the Dead Letter office before being fired in an administrative shake-up.
But when Bartleby is threatened with imprisonment, the Lawyer actually offers to allow Bartle by to stay in his own home, which Bartleby refuses.
One important theme in "Bartleby" is that of charity . Many readers have puzzled over the character of the Lawyer. We must ask, in the end, does he do well by Bartleby, or does he contribute to the man's ruin? Most readers would admit that the Lawyer is surprisingly accepting of Bartleby's stubborn attitude. At first, this is due to the fact that the Lawyer simply doesn't know how to deal with Bartleby. He is so surprised that Bartleby refuses him (especially in such a calm manner), that he doesn't reprimand him. At one point, Bartleby's calm attitude—as if it were perfectly reasonable that he prefer not to do what the Lawyer asks of him—drives the Lawyer to wonder whether he's the one that's crazy: "It is not seldom the case that, when a man is browbeaten in some unprecedented and violently unreasonable way, he begins…to vaguely surmise that, wonderful as it may be, all the justice and all the reason is on the other side."
Melville Stories. "I would prefer not to.". This is the most famous line in Melville's "Bartleby the Scrivener," and perhaps one of the most famous lines in American literature.
If he says he "will not" do something, the Lawyer can easily interpret that as misbehavior and fire him. But as long as he says "prefer," Bartleby makes it seem as if the Lawyer is being pushy, or just asking for a favor rather than giving an order.
The prefer, however, doesn't mean that Bartleby will do it despite his preference. Bartleby assumes a polite tone with his boss by using the term "prefer," and there is irony in the choice. If he says he "will not" do something, the Lawyer can easily interpret that as misbehavior and fire him.
The Lawyer’s storytelling is, in itself, an example of language failing to properly communicate. Active Themes. The Lawyer then states that he is a lawyer, and describes his business as focusing around “rich men’s bonds, and mortgages, and title deeds.”.
The Lawyer searches the desk, and finds that Bartleby’s papers are neatly laid out. However, beneath the papers, The Lawyer finds an old knotted handkerchief.
However, de spite these issues, The Lawyer considers Nippers a useful employee as a scrivener, as he is a good dresser, which adds an air of formality and importance to the image of the office, and he also writes in a neat, swift hand.
Next, The Lawyer details his employee Nippers, who is also a scrivener. Nippers is about twenty-five years old, has yellow complexion, wears a mustache, and, in The Lawyer’s view, is “victim of two evil powers—ambition and indigestion.”.
At first, Bartleby provides The Lawyer with an enormous quantity of writing, working nonstop all day and not pausing for lunch. The Lawyer notes that he would have been quite delighted by this, if not for the fact that Bartleby writes “silently, palely, mechanically” rather than with any delight.
Of course, Bartleby passively resists, and in escaping behind his screen (a make-shift wall), he disconnects himself, at least momentarily, from the rest of the office. Active Themes. The Lawyer stands there, unsure what to do. Finally he advances toward the screen, and asks Bartleby why he refuses.
However, Bartleby resists once more, even resisting to be reasonable, so that The Lawyer has no way to gain authority over Bartleby through an oral request, as Bartle by will not accept the parameters of reasonable logic, nor accept The Lawyer’s power as his boss. Active Themes. Related Quotes with Explanations.