Characters
Protagonist / Antagonist? - what is the Boss up against in the person of Bartleby? Does Bartleby represent a force beyond himself as an individual?
Major / Minor (Who are the major players in the story? What do we know about them? Are they likable? Sympathetic? Realistic? What's the function of the story's minor characters?)
Dynamic / Static-Who changes? Who stays the same? Is the story about growth or change?Round / Flat-Who is the round character? Who are the flat characters?
In Bartleby the Scrivener, the protagonist is the Boss and the antagonist is Bartleby.
The boss has to deal with a stubborn man named Bartleby. It came to a point where he wasnt doing much of anything and saying, "I prefer not to" to any request asked of the boss. I don't think that Bartelby represents a force beyond himself as an individual. The major characters in this story are the Boss and Bartleby, and the minor characters are Turkey, Nippers, and Ginger Nut. The boss and Ginger nut are the most likable but the rest of the characters are not likable. The only person who changed in this story was Bartleby. In the beginning, he did his work but then he did nothing. Throughout the story, the boss was always sympathetic to Bartleby, allowing him to do as he pleases, but later got annoyed. In my opinion, the round characters are the boss and the flat characters are the rest.
Point of view
: Who tells the story? - the first person narrator, who is flawed but human…He's reliable, we trust him. His actions definitely support what he tells us about himself; especially the part about being a man who likes to take the "easy" way. What else is gained by telling this story from the Boss's perspective? Why not Bartleby's perspective? Why not one of the other clerks?
This story is told by the Boss, first person point of view.The benefit of having the story told in first person point of view is that it allows us to understand the main character's thoughts, feelings, and actions. It would be a little more interesting to have it written in Bartleby's point of view because then we would know why he does not want to anything others ask him to do. I don't think the story would be as interesting if it was written by another clerks perspective because they only see what's going on but don't have the same feelings and thoughts as the major characters.
Plot:
Exposition:-what background information does the narrator relate that gives us a greater understanding of the events unfolding? Why does the information about Bartleby's previous employment come at the end of the story rather than at the beginning?
Complication-how does the Boss react when Bartleby repeatedly refuses to perform his duties? How does his reaction intensify? What is the Boss's dilemma?
Climax-Where do you feel the events reach their pinnacle? Where is the conflict most intense, the clash most "explosive"?
Resolution-What's the outcome of the explosion?
Epiphany-who has gained insight in this story, Bartleby or the Boss, or anybody?
The narrator gives us the background information of each character and the type of person they are. He also gives us background information about Bartleby, and how he came to work for him. The information about Bartleby's previous employment comes at the end of the story because it gives the story a better ending. At first, the Boss was shocked at the response of refusal from Bartleby. But as Bartleby continues to keep refusing everything the Boss asks him to do, the Boss becomes somewhat aggravated and demands to know why Bartleby prefers not to. The Boss had a dilemma of Bartleby saying he doesn't want to write anymore, but he also refuses to leave the office. On the other hand, the other clients make nasty remarks about Bartleby and so the Boss realizes that allowing Bartleby to stay is bad for business, and decides to leave and find a new office. The story reaches it's climax when we find out that Bartleby is staying inside the office since he has nowhere else to go. The outcome of the explosion is that the Boss must find a new office and then finds out Bartleby is staying inside the old office. Then he tells Bartleby that he must leave or get arrested. So then Bartleby is arrested, and dies in jail.
Meaning (Theme) :
Does the story leave you thinking anything? Feeling anything? What do you make out of it all?
Passive aggressive people are difficult to accommodate, difficult to ignore.
Passive resistance is a radical form of rebellion.
Offices, where Americans spend the greater part of their lives, are not democracies.
Have a life outside work! Don't expect your occupation to bear the burden of your existence.
What other ideas does the story suggest to you?
This story makes me very aggravated. If I were to put myself into the position, the boss, and I had to deal with an employee who doesn't want to do anything in my office, I would go crazy mad. I didn't like that he never agreed to do anything for the boss, and it really annoyed me. I do not think anyone would really put up with Bartleby's nonsense.
Irony
: The Boss doesn't recognize that his own passiveness is as persistent and frustrating as Bartleby's. Or that his genteel, self-interested interest in Bartleby is leading to no good.
Can you think of other ironies?
The one irony that comes to mind is the boss's profession. The boss works in a field related to Wall Street. And as we all know, Wall Street is a work place that is based on rules, regulations, serious business, and if anything, it deals with the defending of ownership. So the boss is a man who owns and runs his own office. He hires his employees, he makes final decisions, he gives orders and tells others what to do and when to do it. But yet, when it comes to Bartleby, he never has anything to say to him. Yes, he is appalled by the response Bartleby constantly gives him but at the same time he accepts his response. He allows Bartleby to say no to his requests, to move in to his office and live there, to do absolutely no work at all, to stay after he is asked to leave. It comes to the point where the boss does not want to be rude to Bartleby so he packs up his own office and moves to another location. I mean to be a man who works in a strict type of work field, and to allow yourself to be moved out of your work place by a man that barely says anything, seems a little ironic to me.
Paradox
: Bartleby is stubborn, self-absorbed, rebellious, and insubordinate, yet many readers, and even the narrator, the Boss himself,have a deep sympathy for him. Why?
Others?
I think since Bartleby had nowhere to stay, his lack of communication, and the fact that he never asks for anything or for anyone to help him, really allows people to feel deep sympathy. They are aware that he is not emotionally and mentally stabled. To see that he is all alone with nothing to live for and has nothing, makes me feel bad and have sympathy.
Ambiguity:
Exactly why does Bartleby always "prefer not to"? Why can't he make friends, or communicate? What's at the heart of his rebellion? Why doesn't he quit and get a different job?
Why does the Boss have sympathy for Bartleby?
What else in the story seems open to individual readers' interpretation?
I think that the reason why Bartleby is who he is, is because Bartleby was exposed to all that sadness before, and eventually the sadness reached up to him and became depressed. I believe that Bartleby is deeply depressed and that is the main reason why he lacks in communication with his boss and anyone else. The reason why I think Bartleby doesn't get a new job is because he realizes that the boss accepts his constant resistance but still allowing him to live there and do no work. The boss has sympathy for Bartleby because of his personality. He is very quiet and shy. I think that the story is open to any interpretation because there's not enough information given in the story.
Symbol
: What do the "dead walls" and Bartleby's "dead wall reveries" represent?
What's the significance of the setting? Why is it a story of "Wall Street"?
Why do Turkey and Nipper have nicknames, but the Boss is never named, and we never learn Bartleby's first name? What's in a name? The significance of the "dead walls" represents that Bartleby's dead inside. They symbolize the death within him and how the inside of him is coming out. It is a story of "Wall Street" to represent how the craziness can cause a person to become like Bartleby. Turkey's nickname comes from the way he looks, and Nipper's nickname is inspired by food. The Boss is never names because he is the narrator, and we never learn Bartley's first name because Bartleby didn't reveal his name. What's in your name is your personality and your way of being.
Your Questions, My Questions…. 1.Why don't we know anything about Bartleby other than what we see of him in the story? Is that a weakness of the story?
2.Why doesn't the Boss just fire Bartleby?
3.What does the Boss do for a living? What kind of company is he running?
1. We don't know much about Bartleby because it gives the story a mystery and leaves the reader thinking. I think this is not a weakness because it makes the story more interesting and leaves the reader in thought.
2. The boss doesn't fire Bartley because he has sympathy for him.
3.The Boss has an occupation of a lawyer. He runs a company on Law Association.
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