ONLINE HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
DUE WEDNESDAY, March 10, 2010,
@ 10:00 P.M. EST
Once you have read "Bartleby, the Scrivener," by Herman Melville, post an interesting observation about Bartleby and his Wall Street world of walls.
Guidelines for "Post a Comment" assignments are at the following link: http://english102wcc02.blogspot.com/2010/03/post-comment-guidelines.html
The lawyer had initially felt "pure melancholy and sincerest pity" for Bartleby, and strove to help him, but finally came to the conclusion that "the scrivener (Bartleby) was a victim of an innate and incurable disorder. I (the lawyer) might give alms to his body; but his body did not pain him; it was his soul that suffered, and his soul I could not reach."
ReplyDeleteAfter only three days at a new job, Bartleby started slacking and refusing to do simple tasks. Most bosses would tell you get lost or fire you, but for Bartleby, his boss (the lawyer) wanted to protect him out of pitty. "If I turn him away, the chances are he will fall in with some less indulgent employer, and then he will be rudely treated, and perhaps driven forth miserably to starve." So basically Bartleby was being protected by someone he was hurting.
ReplyDeleteAt first Bartleby seems very shy and quiet and unsure of himself. When he starts refusing to do his work, his character is changed. He is confident in his statements knowing that he will not be kicked out. As if he knew that the lawyer would fall for his good side and keeps him around. As is the lawyer is able to connect to Bartleby in a psychological way.
ReplyDeleteBartleby had given up most of his qualms in maintaining his profession, and seemed extrodinarily resilient in fending off others in his demise. Thus, making him untouchable in the literal sense, but unfortunatley this rebel was without a cause. What was left of Bartleby's soul had quickly diminished and he had unfortunately lost all hope in recovering it.
ReplyDeleteAlephia A.
After the death of Bartleby, the lawyer discovers that he previously worked at the dead letter office, which dealt with undeliverable mail. The lawyer then wonders, does dead letters "not sound like dead men?" He thinks that perhaps such a job only exacerbated Bartleby's sense of melancholy and pallidness.
ReplyDelete-Zoe D.
I believe bartebly was sick of his position in life stuck in front of a wall his whole life as a scriviner and decided he didnt prefer to do this anymore or better yet do anything at all.
ReplyDeleteJose F
I was really touched by this story!! i believe that something very terrible must be happened in his life and for that reason he became very isolated!I don't think that the only fact of being removed from his job in washington made him like that!!
ReplyDeleteAngie A.
Although, Bartleby seemed very unmotivated to do his job and countiue on with his life. He developed a weird relationship with his boss(the lawyer) The lawyer didnt see Bartbley as crazy as most people would suspect by his actions, he saw him as an oridinary man. - Victor W.
ReplyDeleteI was quiet perplexed by Bartleby`s behavior and was also surprised about how long the Boss kept him at work. They were all strange to me. I don`t think Bartleby tried to get any kind of help to deal with his internal problems and the fact that, he continued to give short answers to questions and isolating himself worsened his problems. I had profound appreciation and respect for the Owner`s insight and his consideration for his employees. I believe the Boss did his best but Bartleby shut the door on him when he was trying to help.Bartleby dug his own grave because he didn`t want to get assisted in any way to deal with whatever that might have happened to him.
ReplyDeleteAndrew o Ansah
Bartleby never didnt do much with himself. He was a simple, nonchalant man. He did things at his own pace a work and this upset the lawyer, to the point where he was trying to analyze why Bartleby was that way." I observed that he never went to dinner;indeed, that he never went anywhere. As yet of my personal knowledge, known him to be outside of my office."
ReplyDeleteTashania W
bartleby is a man that felt like he didn't belong, the world was not for him and he could not connect with others. EVen if people tried to connect with him, like his boss he would still shut them out. Bartley i believed that he became so used to this behavior of his and not knowing how to communicate with others that he set himself up for a lonely life and death.
ReplyDeleteAshley C
i didnt really like bartleby's character because he was kind of a selfish character. i mean he was working in the guys office and then he knew he wasnt gona get fired so he wont do anything around, and then he has an attitude which totally made me hate him more cuz hes an old man and he shouldve been thankful for what he had but when he died i was like finally the misery for the poor boss is over.
ReplyDeletebilal j
I liked Bartley at first, but then I started to resent his character because he was not a loyal employee that I thought he would be. I didnt like the way it was so easy for him to say no to his boss. I think Bartley had so many inside problems that he never fix them, that is why he didn't have a good relationship in his job.
ReplyDeleteMelissa H
Barteby was very isolated. His was unhappy with his life. Maybe he had past some bad experiences in his life. He was vert un-motivated in life. Kind of sounds like some people I know. -Robert Letizia
ReplyDeleteThe wall that struck me oddly the most was that Bartleby would stare out of the window looking a a brick wall for hours on end. I think it was a commentary on how far he saw his life going, nowhere.
ReplyDelete-Jeff M
I did a little research on Herman Melville and saw that his most famous work, Moby Dick, started out as a failure and ended up being a success. Maybe Bartelby's attitude is a reflection of Melville's personality. In that, I think that when Bartelby retreives to his normal state, it represents Melville writing what he enjoys, rather than adapting to what the critics prefer.
ReplyDeleteSam G.
Bartleby was not the exactly person i expected him to be because he was not loyal to himself and to hiss boss. He was also very unhappy in his life (boring sometimes) because i think he never resolved this problems that he had in the past(childhood).
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, I believe the lawyer had compassion for Bartleby. Bartleby does his work very good, but he is a kind of person who doesn't have a lot to say. He has his own way to answer. Instead of saying, I won't or I will not, he likes to use this term "I prefer not"
ReplyDeleteMarie E