Blog Post 4-Bartleby, The Scrivener

"Nothing so aggravates an earnest person as a active resistance" (page 181), "Are you ready to go on and write now?...In a word will you do anything at all, to give a coloring to your refusal to depart the premises?" (Page 384) The narrator develops a curiosity and emotional attachment to Bartleby. Because of this, the narrator makes it his responsibility to take care of Bartleby. The employer protects Bartleby from the other scriveners and the mundane tasks. At first he respects the polite disagreement of Bartleby. But over the course of the story, this "active resistance" nearly drives him mad. Bartlebly's refusal to do even the smallest of tasks grew a enormous inconvenience to the narrator. It caused embarrassment and uncomfort around the office and building. This particular situation is such a problem that the narrator is forced to leave his office. Even then Bartleby can not be shaken. It seems as though he will be a life long problem for the narrator. In the end when Bartleby passes it is bittersweet. It solves the problem of the daily worry of Bartlebys emotional and mental state. However it creates a unyielding concern over why and how a person can develop into such a lonely, reclusive and deeply unhappy individual. I think it is riotous to write about such an awkward situation. Such a thing makes you think about the meaning and imperfect situations in your own life. WORKS CITED Melville, Herman. "Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall-street." Bartleby. N.p., 2011. Web. 18 Feb 2012. . IMAGE SOURCE http://mhpbooks.com/books/bartleby-the-scrivener/