Bartleby by Herman Melville

"Bartleby the Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street" is a short story by Herman Melville. The story first appeared, anonymously, in Putnam's Magazine in two parts. The first part appeared in November 1853, with the conclusion published in December 1853. It was reprinted in Melville's The Piazza Tales in 1856 with minor textual alterations. The work is said to have been inspired, in part, by Melville's reading of Emerson, and some have pointed to specific parallels to Emerson's essay, "The Transcendentalist." The story has been adapted twice: once in 1970, starring Paul Scofield, and again in 2001, starring Crispin Glover.

Etrange nouvelle sur un homme qui du jour au lendemain décide qu'il ne préfère plus travailler. Intriguant et étrange.

Melville presents complex ideas about society, the work force, and humanity in a short and simple format. The narrator's wavering feelings between affection and exasperation towards his listless employee, Bartleby, makes the narrative all the more compelling as it makes the reader question himself on the right course of actions to deal with a person like Bartleby.

Does one throw him out on the streets based on the fact that he refuses to work, knowing that he has no family, friends, or a home to return to; or does one keep him regardless of his inefficiency, for charitable reasons? The narrator's inaction is ultimately Bartleby's downfall, but can the narrator be blamed for his employee's death? By moving his offices to another location, the narrator effectively condemns Bartleby to the cruelty of society, but the narrator cannot be blamed for trying to restore order to his office and rid himself of a "millstone... a useless necklace" (40).

This novella is an excellent social commentary on what it means to be human, to have compassion and sympathy, as well as the application of the law. Bartleby stands as a symbol of the workforce and how it can be soul-sucking and destructive. Furthermore, the novella touches on the topic of mental illnesses and depression, albeit indirectly, through Bartleby's continued refusal to work and his overall demeanor, such as standing for hours on end in front of a window that faces a brick wall.

Credit to Bill Bragg, foliosociety.com (2012)

I am of the opinion that Bartleby must be pitied and looked after, and that the narrator did all he possibly could to help him. The narrator's generosity, gentleness, and caring attitude are credits to his nature as a compassionate man. Melville's commentary tells us that we need to be more attentive the the woes of those around us, lest they stand “like the last column[s] of some ruined temple” (41).