Bartelby the scrivener

A detailed Summary of Bartelby the scrivener

Herman Melville, an American novelist and major literary figure explored psychological themes in many of his works. Through his writing, Melville recreated a part of life that existed then, and is prevalent in our society today. Low self esteem along with self-perception and how others perceive us can be a factor leading to depression. Depression, if left untreated can become so severe that it is possible to cause someone to lose the will to live. I will clarify this illness and it's ill effects in the story "Bartleby the Scrivener", by Herman Melville.

Bartleby, the main character in this story, starts out a worker in the dead letter office in Washington. Exposing someone to a depressed situation can have an effect on one's mental health. He later becomes a scrivener on Wall Street. When first hired Bartleby is a very consistent employee. "I can see that figure now- pallidly neat, pitiably respectful, incurably forlorn, it was Bartleby."

Circumstances as well as fate have a varying effect on every human being

Each and every one of us possesses different strength and weakness, but we must know and feel that the way to escape from this illness is not to escape from life. This was not the scenario for Bartleby. Death was a high price to pay. A person has to have the will and desire to live. Bartleby lacked what he needed to even try.

I found Bartleby the Scrivener a disturbing story due to its reality. Bartleby like many people did not seek the assistance that is available and viewed death as a cure. Depression can dramatically impair a person's ability to function in the work force as well as in social situations. Sometimes people view depression as a sign of personal weakness, and never see themselves as having the strength and desire to live life to their fullest potential. Bartleby possessed some good qualities, which he never realized, and he did not receive what he felt was justifiable recognition.

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 691
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: People

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Bartelby the scrivener

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