The short story “Bartleby the Scrivener” by Herman Melville discusses the conflict between personal autonomy and societal expectations. The plot centers on a lawyer who hires a scrivener named Bartleby, who progressively withdraws and refuses to do anything then copy documents. The narrative concludes with an epilogue in which the narrator provides details of Bartleby’s previous job in the “Dead Letter” Office, explaining the significance of Bartleby’s peculiar behavior and tragic passing.
The disillusionment and alienation that Bartleby feels due to his labor in both places is the link between his refusal to carry out his job duties and his previous employment in the “Dead Letter” Office. Bartleby dealt with letters that were undeliverable, misplaced, or misdirected in the “Dead Letter” Office (Melville, 1969). The narrator mentions that Bartleby “was employed to examine their contents, to classify them, and assign them to the proper persons,” suggesting that this employment had a significant impact on him. Bartleby has become discouraged and disenchanted with the idea of employment in general as a result of this work, which required handling unwelcome letters.
This disappointment spills over into his job as a scrivener, where he increasingly withdraws and refuses to do anything other than copy documents. Bartleby responds, “I would prefer not to,” when the narrator tries to talk to him and understand his actions. This resistance is the result of both his intentional rejection of the capitalist system’s requirements and his past experiences.
The narrator seems to comprehend this link between Bartleby’s history and present conduct as he thinks about Bartleby’s “deep, incurable melancholy” and observes that “there is something in the contemplation of the miseries of others that is fatal to the mind.” While Bartleby is alive, the narrator admits that he does not fully comprehend him, saying that “all who knew [Bartleby] believed him the victim of incurable gloom.” Despite this comprehension, the narrator eventually fails to grasp Bartleby’s point. In addition to being a result of his prior experiences, Bartleby’s refusal to carry out his job duties was a conscious opposition to the requirements of the capitalist system. By saying, “I would prefer not to,” Bartleby contradicts the notion that he must constantly produce to survive.
However, the narrator needs to be more ingrained in the capitalist system to understand this more critical message. He says Bartleby’s “unaccountable vagaries” were “not without advantages,” as they prevented the office from spending money on recruiting more employees. This attitude shows a disregard for the humanity and uniqueness of individuals who work for him, reducing them to insignificant instruments for the smooth operation of his company.
In conclusion, the relationship between Bartleby’s failure to carry out his job duties and his prior employment in the “Dead Letter” Office is complicated, speaking to both Bartleby’s individual experiences and his broader rejection of the requirements of the capitalist system. While the narrator comprehends the former, he ultimately overlooks the latter, highlighting how challenging it is to truly understand those disenchanted with social structures. The conflict between societal expectations and personal freedom is at the heart of the story’s meaning; it can never be reconciled but yet presents us with a constant challenge. “Bartleby the Scrivener” is a touching statement on the dehumanizing impacts of the capitalist system and a lesson to recognize and value the individuality of our employees. The fact that Samuel Beckett wrote “Bartleby the Scrivener” makes this especially significant. It makes us consider how we treat our coworkers and how this affects the way they live.
Reference
Melville, H. (1969). Bartleby the scrivener. Great Short Works of Herman Melville, 39-74. http://www.giuliotortello.it/Melville/scrivener.pdf
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