"Bartleby the Transformer"
Herman Melville's "Bartleby the Scrivener" the narrator of the story is the main character. While the entire story describes the mysterious and peculiar Bartleby, the main theme of the story is about the narrator. It is about the transformation has a human the narrator under goes. The narrator morphs from a man leading a non-confrontational life, to one who displays his anger to finally a man who cares deeply about what happens to his former scrivener. At the beginning of the story, the narrator is having a good life for the most part. He tells the audience that he is of the belief that the easiest way in life is the best. The narrator dislikes trouble in his life. Despite being a lawyer, he chooses not to work inside a courtroom, instead preferring to be a law-copyist. The audience also learns that he is an un-ambitious man. Being a go-getter would require a good deal of effort and many confrontations, which the narrator admits he dislikes and avoids. The narrator offers further insight into his self, "All who know me, consider me an eminently safe man."(pp. 233-234) The man leads a tranquil life doing, in what he describes, a "snug" business. Even the very nature of his profession is very non-confrontational; al
59) Here is the final demonstration of the narrators compassion for Bartleby and perhaps all of humanity. He has come nearly full circle in his compassion since the beginning of his dealings with his former scrivener. ith, think about or concern himself with. That is until he hires Bartleby. After the first few days of working with Bartleby progress the narrator soon discovers the peculiarities of his new clerk. This shocks and later angers the narrator as this man is the biggest problem he as ever had to deal with. On the third day of Bartleby's employment, the narrator first discovers the reality of his new clerk. The narrator was dumbfounded at this obstacle in his is easy and tranquil life and he had no idea of what to do about it; "This is very strange, thought I. What had one best do? But my business hurried me. I concluded to forget the matter for the present."(p 239) Instead of dwelling on the problem he simply ignores it and hopes it will never surface again. Several days later he again encounters the same problem with Bartleby, this time in front of his other employees. He is again flabbergasted for a moment a before. Just as he is about to go into a rage he stops, "But there was something about Bartleby that not only strangely disarmed me, bu! The narrator now
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 875
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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