Bartleby Symbolism
Death is defined as, the termination or extinction of something. Edgar Allen Poe uses symbolism in "The Fall of the House of Usher" in different ways. Poe's intention when writing "The Fall of the House of Usher" was not to present a moral, lesson, or truth to the reader; he was simply trying to bring forth a sense of terror to the reader. Poe's mind works this way, and critics believe this statement, especially when related to this story. Poe is grouped with other writers in the Romantic period. Writers of this period focused on life, emotions, and the existence of the human race. Although Poe's work has many characteristics of Romanticism, "The Fall of the House of Usher", falls into the Gothic category. It is usually admired for its 'atmosphere' and for its exquisitely artificial manipulation of Gothic claptrap and decor. Bringing forth the symbolism of death is a major part of this writing. All of the characters in "The Fall of the House of Usher" are linked to death, by physical objects or by other people. There are no symbols of absolute good. The physical aspect of the House of Usher symbolizes death, in the chain of events, during the story. Even Poe
This story demonstrates that life if not lived is useless, as in the case of Bartleby, who wastes his away "preferring not to." Although, from the beginning he was isolated behind the green folding screen with nothing but a wall to stare out, he did not have to give up his humanity. However, he chose to, he chose to further isolate himself by his own self-will and accordingly it led to his death. " Since he will not quit me, I must quit him. "Ah Bartleby, Ah Humanity." This is the key to Bartleby, written by Herman Melville, for it indicates that Bartleby stands as a symbol for humanity. This in turn functions as a commentary on society and the working world, for Bartleby is a seemingly homeless, mentally disturbed scrivener who gives up on the prospect of living life. However, by doing so Bartleby is attempting to exercise his freewill, for he would "prefer not to" work. His relationship to the narrator is thus significant, for as he attempts to exercise his freewill he is breaking from the will of the narrator and the normal progression of life. However, this attempt to exercise his freewill and break loose from the confines of typical societal functions
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 784
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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