Bartleby, the Scrivener (Melville): Difference between revisions

From Wikisum
Created by Summarium 2.5 bot
 
Created by Summarium 2.5 bot
 
Line 2: Line 2:


{{Summary
{{Summary
| Title = Bartleby, The Scrivener: A Story of Wall-Street
| Title = Bartleby, the Scrivener
| Subtitle =
| Subtitle = A Story of Wall-Street
| Original Title =  
| Original Title =  
| Author = Herman Melville
| Author = Herman Melville
| Literary form = novella
| Literary form = short story
| Year of publication = 1853
| Year of publication = 1853
| Microsummary = A Wall Street lawyer hired a strange clerk who worked well initially but began refusing tasks. After discovering the clerk lived in the office, the lawyer failed to remove him and he died in prison.
| Microsummary = A law office clerk began refusing work with the phrase 'I would prefer not to.' He lived in the office, rejected all help, and eventually died in prison, revealing his past handling dead letters.
| Emoji = 👨‍💼
| Emoji = 👨‍💼
}}
}}
Line 16: Line 16:
== Short Summary ==
== Short Summary ==


Wall Street, New York, mid-19th century. An elderly lawyer hired a new scrivener named Bartleby to copy legal documents in his office.
Wall Street, New York, presumably 1850s. An elderly lawyer hired a new scrivener named Bartleby to copy legal documents in his office.


{{Character
{{Character
| Name = The Narrator
| Name = The Narrator
| Description = narrator, elderly lawyer, around 60 years old, cautious and methodical, runs a prosperous business on Wall Street, generally kind but sometimes conflicted, values peace and routine
| Description = narrator, elderly lawyer on Wall Street, unambitious and prudent man who never addresses juries, owns a comfortable business dealing with rich men's bonds and mortgages
| Emoji = 👨🏻‍⚖️
| Emoji = 👨🏻‍⚖️
}}
}}
Line 26: Line 26:
{{Character
{{Character
| Name = Bartleby
| Name = Bartleby
| Description = scrivener, pale and forlorn young man, quiet and passive, mysterious past, refuses to do anything he would 'prefer not to do', lives in the office
| Description = pale, silent scrivener of unknown age, mechanically efficient at first but gradually refuses all work, peculiarly passive and isolated, former dead letter office clerk
| Emoji = 👨🏻‍💼
| Emoji = 👨🏻‍💼
}}
}}


At first, Bartleby worked diligently, but soon began responding to requests with 'I would prefer not to.' He refused to proofread, run errands, or even leave the office. The lawyer discovered that Bartleby had made the office his home, sleeping there at night. Despite his growing frustration, the lawyer felt compassion for the mysterious scrivener.
At first, Bartleby worked diligently, copying documents day and night. However, when asked to proofread his work, he replied with what would become his characteristic response: 'I would prefer not to.' As time passed, he began refusing more tasks, eventually ceasing to write altogether, while continuing to occupy his corner of the office.


When Bartleby stopped working entirely, the lawyer moved his business to a new location, but Bartleby refused to leave the old office. The new tenants complained, and Bartleby was arrested as a vagrant. In prison, he refused all food and died of starvation.
The lawyer discovered that Bartleby had made the office his home, sleeping there and never leaving. Despite growing frustration, the lawyer felt both pity and fascination for his employee. When he attempted to dismiss Bartleby, the scrivener refused to leave. Even after the lawyer moved his office elsewhere, Bartleby remained in the building, causing problems for the new tenants.


After Bartleby's death, the lawyer learned that he had previously worked in the Dead Letter Office in Washington.
Eventually, Bartleby was arrested as a vagrant and taken to the Tombs prison. The lawyer visited him there and attempted to help, but Bartleby refused all assistance and soon died of starvation. After his death, the lawyer learned that Bartleby had previously worked in the Dead Letter Office in Washington.


{{Quote|
{{Quote|
Dead letters! does it not sound like dead men? Conceive a man by nature and misfortune prone to a pallid hopelessness, can any business seem more fitted to heighten it than that of continually handling these dead letters?
For by the cart-load they are annually burned... pardon for those who died despairing; hope for those who died unhoping... On errands of life, these letters speed to death. Ah Bartleby! Ah humanity!
}}
}}


This revelation suggested that years of handling undelivered letters containing hope, love, and mercy that never reached their intended recipients had contributed to Bartleby's profound despair and ultimate demise.
This revelation about Bartleby's past work with dead letters - messages that never reached their intended recipients - provided a glimpse into the possible source of his profound isolation and passive resistance to life.


== Detailed Summary ==
== Detailed Summary ==


''Division of the summary into chapters is conditional.''
''Summary sections do not match original text structure.''


=== Introduction of the Narrator and His Office ===
=== The Lawyer's Office and Its Inhabitants ===


{{Quote|
An elderly Wall Street lawyer ran a comfortable business dealing with rich men's bonds, mortgages, and title-deeds. His office employed two copyists, nicknamed Turkey and Nippers, and an office boy called Ginger Nut.
I am a rather elderly man. The nature of my avocations for the last thirty years has brought me into more than ordinary contact with what would seem an interesting and somewhat singular set of men... the law-copyists
}}
 
The story began with an elderly lawyer describing his profession and employees. He ran a prosperous business on Wall Street, dealing with rich men's bonds, mortgages, and title-deeds. His office employed two copyists and an office boy.


The first copyist, Turkey, was an Englishman close to the narrator's age. While efficient in the morning, he became reckless and accident-prone after his midday dinner, often making blots on documents and displaying aggressive behavior. The second copyist, Nippers, suffered from indigestion and ambition, being irritable in the mornings but calmer after noon. Their complementary temperaments meant that the office always had at least one effective copyist. The office boy, Ginger Nut, earned his nickname from frequently fetching ginger nut cakes for the copyists.
Turkey, an Englishman about sixty years old, was an excellent morning worker but became reckless and hot-tempered after his midday dinner. Nippers, a young man of twenty-five, suffered from indigestion and ambition, making him irritable in the mornings but calmer after noon. Their opposing temperaments complemented each other, as one was useful when the other was troubled.


{{Character
{{Character
| Name = Turkey
| Name = Turkey
| Description = copyist, short and pursy Englishman, around 60 years old, efficient in mornings but irritable and reckless after noon, red-faced, poorly dressed
| Description = short, pursy Englishman about 60 years old, excellent morning worker but becomes reckless and hot-tempered after his midday dinner, shabby in appearance
| Emoji = 👨🏻‍🦳
| Emoji = 👨🏻‍🦳
}}
}}
Line 64: Line 60:
{{Character
{{Character
| Name = Nippers
| Name = Nippers
| Description = copyist, whiskered and sallow young man, 25 years old, ambitious and indigestion-prone, irritable in mornings but calmer after noon, well-dressed
| Description = whiskered, sallow, piratical-looking young man of 25, ambitious but suffering from indigestion, irritable in mornings but calmer after noon
| Emoji = 👨🏻
| Emoji = 👨🏻
}}
}}
Ginger Nut, the twelve-year-old office boy, was the son of a car-man who aspired to see his son become a lawyer. His main duty was fetching ginger nut cakes for Turkey and Nippers.


{{Character
{{Character
| Name = Ginger Nut
| Name = Ginger Nut
| Description = office boy, 12 years old, son of a cart-man, runs errands and delivers snacks to the copyists
| Description = 12-year-old office boy, son of a carman, serves as cake and apple purveyor for the other clerks
| Emoji = 👦🏻
| Emoji = 👦🏻
}}
}}


=== The Arrival of Bartleby and His Initial Period ===
=== Bartleby's Arrival and Initial Period ===
 
In response to an advertisement, a motionless, pallid young man named Bartleby appeared at the office. The lawyer hired him, hoping his calm demeanor would balance out his other employees' temperaments. Bartleby was assigned a corner near the folding doors, separated from the lawyer by a high green screen.


{{Quote|
{{Quote|
I can see that figure now-pallidly neat, pitiably respectable, incurably forlorn! It was Bartleby... After a few words touching his qualifications, I engaged him, glad to have among my corps of copyists a man of so singularly sedate an aspect
I believe that no materials exist for a full and satisfactory biography of this man. It is an irreparable loss to literature. Bartleby was one of those beings of whom nothing is ascertainable.
}}
}}


Due to increased business, the narrator hired a new scrivener named Bartleby. He placed Bartleby's desk near his own, separated by a folding screen that provided both privacy and accessibility. Initially, Bartleby proved to be an exceptional worker, copying documents day and night without pause.
Initially, Bartleby worked extraordinarily well, copying documents day and night without rest. However, when the lawyer asked him to help verify a document's accuracy, Bartleby replied with what would become his characteristic phrase: he would prefer not to. This unexpected response left the lawyer stunned, but he did not immediately confront the issue.


=== The Beginning of Bartleby's Resistance ===
=== The Progression of Bartleby's Resistance ===
 
As days passed, Bartleby continued to refuse various tasks, always with the same mild statement that he would prefer not to. The lawyer discovered that Bartleby never left the office, apparently living there day and night, eating ginger nuts and never going out for meals. Despite his growing concern, the lawyer felt a mixture of pity and fascination with his peculiar employee.


{{Quote|
{{Quote|
Imagine my surprise, nay, my consternation, when without moving from his privacy, Bartleby in a singularly mild, firm voice, replied, 'I would prefer not to.'
Nothing so aggravates an earnest person as a passive resistance. If the individual so resisted be of a not inhumane temper, and the resisting one perfectly harmless in his passivity, then charity will arise.
}}
}}


The turning point came when the narrator asked Bartleby to help proofread a document. To everyone's astonishment, Bartleby quietly replied that he would 'prefer not to.' This became his standard response to any request beyond copying. He refused to verify his work, run errands, or even explain his behavior. Despite this peculiar conduct, he continued to copy documents efficiently, and the narrator, though puzzled and frustrated, found himself unable to dismiss him.
One Sunday morning, the lawyer found Bartleby in the office, who refused to let him enter. This discovery of Bartleby's permanent residence in the office deeply affected the lawyer. Upon further investigation, he found evidence that Bartleby lived entirely in the office, sleeping on the couch and surviving on minimal food.


{{Quote|
{{Quote|
Nothing so aggravates an earnest person as a passive resistance. If the individual so resisted be of a not inhumane temper, and the resisting one perfectly harmless in his passivity, then... he will endeavor charitably to construe
What miserable friendlessness and loneliness are here revealed! His poverty is great; but his solitude, how horrible! Think of it. Of a Sunday, Wall-street is deserted as Petra; and every night of every day it is emptiness.
}}
}}


The situation grew more complex when the narrator discovered that Bartleby had been living in the office, eating and sleeping there in secret. This revelation, combined with Bartleby's increasing withdrawal from work duties, created a difficult situation. The scrivener eventually stopped copying altogether, standing motionless at his window for hours, staring at the blank wall outside.
Eventually, Bartleby stopped copying altogether, standing motionless at his window and staring at the blank wall outside. When questioned, he simply stated that he had given up copying. The lawyer's attempts to reason with him or understand his situation were met with passive resistance. Despite his frustration, the lawyer found himself unable to dismiss Bartleby, moved by a strange mixture of pity and superstitious dread.
 
=== The Lawyer's Attempts to Resolve the Situation ===
 
As Bartleby's behavior began affecting the office's reputation and disturbing other tenants, the lawyer attempted various solutions. He offered Bartleby money to leave, suggested alternative careers, and even proposed to take him home. Each suggestion was met with the same passive refusal. Finally, the lawyer decided to move his office to a new location, leaving Bartleby behind.


=== Attempts to Remove Bartleby ===
{{Quote|
I would prefer not to, he replied, with his back still towards me... He remained silent... I buttoned up my coat, balanced myself; advanced slowly towards him, touched his shoulder, and said, The time has come.
}}


After Bartleby ceased all work, the narrator attempted various strategies to remove him from the office. He tried reasoning with him, offering him money, and even suggesting alternative careers, but Bartleby preferred to remain where he was. The narrator's frustration grew as his professional reputation began to suffer due to Bartleby's presence. Other lawyers visiting the office were disturbed by the strange, idle man who refused to leave.
However, Bartleby remained in the old office building, haunting the hallways and staircase. The new tenants complained to the lawyer, holding him responsible for his former employee. Despite his attempts to avoid involvement, the lawyer was eventually forced to confront the situation when the new occupants threatened legal action.


In desperation, the narrator decided to move his business to a new location, leaving Bartleby behind. However, this plan backfired when the new tenants of his former office complained about Bartleby's continued presence. The scrivener had remained in the building, sleeping in the stairwell and wandering the corridors. The narrator was called back to deal with the situation, as he was considered responsible for Bartleby.
In a final attempt to help, the lawyer visited Bartleby and tried to reason with him. He offered various alternative occupations, from bartending to traveling as a companion, but Bartleby preferred to make no changes. The police were eventually called, and Bartleby was taken to the Tombs, the city prison.


=== Bartleby's Final Days ===
=== Bartleby's Final Days and the Revelation ===


Eventually, the police were called, and Bartleby was arrested as a vagrant. He was taken to the Tombs, the city prison, where the narrator visited him. Despite the narrator's attempts to ensure his comfort, including arranging for special meals with the grub-man, Bartleby refused all assistance.
At the Tombs, the lawyer arranged for Bartleby to receive good food and tried to ensure his comfort. He met the grub-man, who was responsible for providing food to prisoners, and asked him to take special care of Bartleby. However, Bartleby refused to eat, preferring to stand facing the prison walls.


{{Character
{{Character
| Name = The Grub-man
| Name = The Grub-man
| Description = prison cook, broad meat-like man wearing an apron, provides food to prisoners
| Description = broad meat-like man who works at the prison, provides food to inmates whose friends can pay for it
| Emoji = 👨🏻‍🍳
| Emoji = 👨🏻‍🍳
}}
}}


On his final visit to the prison, the narrator found Bartleby lying in the prison yard, his face turned to the high wall. He had died, apparently having preferred not to eat. The narrator later learned that Bartleby had previously worked in the Dead Letter Office in Washington, handling undelivered mail that was eventually destroyed.
When the lawyer returned to visit again, he found Bartleby lying in the prison yard, dead from starvation. The sight deeply affected him, leading him to reflect on the nature of humanity and isolation.
 
{{Quote|
I remembered the bright silks and sparkling faces I had seen that day... and I contrasted them with the pallid copyist, and thought to myself, Ah, happiness courts the light, so we deem the world is gay.
}}
 
After Bartleby's death, the lawyer learned that his former employee had previously worked in the Dead Letter Office at Washington, sorting undeliverable mail. This position had been suddenly terminated due to an administration change. The lawyer pondered how handling these lost messages of life - containing everything from unclaimed riches to undelivered pardons - might have affected Bartleby's melancholy nature. The experience of constantly dealing with failed human connections and unfulfilled hopes seemed to explain something of Bartleby's profound disconnection from life.


{{Quote|
{{Quote|
For by the cart-load they are annually burned... pardon for those who died despairing; hope for those who died unhoping; good tidings for those who died stifled by unrelieved calamities. On errands of life, these letters speed to death.
To a sensitive being, pity is not seldom pain. And when at last it is perceived that such pity cannot lead to effectual succor, common sense bids the soul rid of it.
}}
}}


The story concluded with the narrator's reflection on Bartleby's tragic life and death. The revelation about Bartleby's previous employment at the Dead Letter Office provided a possible explanation for his profound detachment and despair, as he had spent years handling messages that never reached their intended recipients, perhaps contributing to his eventual withdrawal from human connection and life itself.
The story concluded with the lawyer's reflection on the mystery of Bartleby's life and death, acknowledging that while much about the scrivener remained unknowable, his story served as a poignant commentary on isolation and human connection in the modern world. The lawyer's final words - "Ah Bartleby! Ah humanity!" - expressed both his personal grief and a broader lament for the human condition.


{{End of text}}
{{End of text}}

Latest revision as of 17:28, 14 November 2024

Disclaimer: This summary was generated by AI, so it may contain errors.
👨‍💼
Herman Melville
Bartleby, the Scrivener
A Story of Wall-Street
1853
Summary of the Short Story
Microsummary: A law office clerk began refusing work with the phrase 'I would prefer not to.' He lived in the office, rejected all help, and eventually died in prison, revealing his past handling dead letters.

Short Summary

Wall Street, New York, presumably 1850s. An elderly lawyer hired a new scrivener named Bartleby to copy legal documents in his office.

👨🏻‍⚖️
The Narrator — narrator, elderly lawyer on Wall Street, unambitious and prudent man who never addresses juries, owns a comfortable business dealing with rich men's bonds and mortgages.
👨🏻‍💼
Bartleby — pale, silent scrivener of unknown age, mechanically efficient at first but gradually refuses all work, peculiarly passive and isolated, former dead letter office clerk.

At first, Bartleby worked diligently, copying documents day and night. However, when asked to proofread his work, he replied with what would become his characteristic response: 'I would prefer not to.' As time passed, he began refusing more tasks, eventually ceasing to write altogether, while continuing to occupy his corner of the office.

The lawyer discovered that Bartleby had made the office his home, sleeping there and never leaving. Despite growing frustration, the lawyer felt both pity and fascination for his employee. When he attempted to dismiss Bartleby, the scrivener refused to leave. Even after the lawyer moved his office elsewhere, Bartleby remained in the building, causing problems for the new tenants.

Eventually, Bartleby was arrested as a vagrant and taken to the Tombs prison. The lawyer visited him there and attempted to help, but Bartleby refused all assistance and soon died of starvation. After his death, the lawyer learned that Bartleby had previously worked in the Dead Letter Office in Washington.

For by the cart-load they are annually burned... pardon for those who died despairing; hope for those who died unhoping... On errands of life, these letters speed to death. Ah Bartleby! Ah humanity!

This revelation about Bartleby's past work with dead letters - messages that never reached their intended recipients - provided a glimpse into the possible source of his profound isolation and passive resistance to life.

Detailed Summary

Summary sections do not match original text structure.

The Lawyer's Office and Its Inhabitants

An elderly Wall Street lawyer ran a comfortable business dealing with rich men's bonds, mortgages, and title-deeds. His office employed two copyists, nicknamed Turkey and Nippers, and an office boy called Ginger Nut.

Turkey, an Englishman about sixty years old, was an excellent morning worker but became reckless and hot-tempered after his midday dinner. Nippers, a young man of twenty-five, suffered from indigestion and ambition, making him irritable in the mornings but calmer after noon. Their opposing temperaments complemented each other, as one was useful when the other was troubled.

👨🏻‍🦳
Turkey — short, pursy Englishman about 60 years old, excellent morning worker but becomes reckless and hot-tempered after his midday dinner, shabby in appearance.
👨🏻
Nippers — whiskered, sallow, piratical-looking young man of 25, ambitious but suffering from indigestion, irritable in mornings but calmer after noon.

Ginger Nut, the twelve-year-old office boy, was the son of a car-man who aspired to see his son become a lawyer. His main duty was fetching ginger nut cakes for Turkey and Nippers.

👦🏻
Ginger Nut — 12-year-old office boy, son of a carman, serves as cake and apple purveyor for the other clerks.

Bartleby's Arrival and Initial Period

In response to an advertisement, a motionless, pallid young man named Bartleby appeared at the office. The lawyer hired him, hoping his calm demeanor would balance out his other employees' temperaments. Bartleby was assigned a corner near the folding doors, separated from the lawyer by a high green screen.

I believe that no materials exist for a full and satisfactory biography of this man. It is an irreparable loss to literature. Bartleby was one of those beings of whom nothing is ascertainable.

Initially, Bartleby worked extraordinarily well, copying documents day and night without rest. However, when the lawyer asked him to help verify a document's accuracy, Bartleby replied with what would become his characteristic phrase: he would prefer not to. This unexpected response left the lawyer stunned, but he did not immediately confront the issue.

The Progression of Bartleby's Resistance

As days passed, Bartleby continued to refuse various tasks, always with the same mild statement that he would prefer not to. The lawyer discovered that Bartleby never left the office, apparently living there day and night, eating ginger nuts and never going out for meals. Despite his growing concern, the lawyer felt a mixture of pity and fascination with his peculiar employee.

Nothing so aggravates an earnest person as a passive resistance. If the individual so resisted be of a not inhumane temper, and the resisting one perfectly harmless in his passivity, then charity will arise.

One Sunday morning, the lawyer found Bartleby in the office, who refused to let him enter. This discovery of Bartleby's permanent residence in the office deeply affected the lawyer. Upon further investigation, he found evidence that Bartleby lived entirely in the office, sleeping on the couch and surviving on minimal food.

What miserable friendlessness and loneliness are here revealed! His poverty is great; but his solitude, how horrible! Think of it. Of a Sunday, Wall-street is deserted as Petra; and every night of every day it is emptiness.

Eventually, Bartleby stopped copying altogether, standing motionless at his window and staring at the blank wall outside. When questioned, he simply stated that he had given up copying. The lawyer's attempts to reason with him or understand his situation were met with passive resistance. Despite his frustration, the lawyer found himself unable to dismiss Bartleby, moved by a strange mixture of pity and superstitious dread.

The Lawyer's Attempts to Resolve the Situation

As Bartleby's behavior began affecting the office's reputation and disturbing other tenants, the lawyer attempted various solutions. He offered Bartleby money to leave, suggested alternative careers, and even proposed to take him home. Each suggestion was met with the same passive refusal. Finally, the lawyer decided to move his office to a new location, leaving Bartleby behind.

I would prefer not to, he replied, with his back still towards me... He remained silent... I buttoned up my coat, balanced myself; advanced slowly towards him, touched his shoulder, and said, The time has come.

However, Bartleby remained in the old office building, haunting the hallways and staircase. The new tenants complained to the lawyer, holding him responsible for his former employee. Despite his attempts to avoid involvement, the lawyer was eventually forced to confront the situation when the new occupants threatened legal action.

In a final attempt to help, the lawyer visited Bartleby and tried to reason with him. He offered various alternative occupations, from bartending to traveling as a companion, but Bartleby preferred to make no changes. The police were eventually called, and Bartleby was taken to the Tombs, the city prison.

Bartleby's Final Days and the Revelation

At the Tombs, the lawyer arranged for Bartleby to receive good food and tried to ensure his comfort. He met the grub-man, who was responsible for providing food to prisoners, and asked him to take special care of Bartleby. However, Bartleby refused to eat, preferring to stand facing the prison walls.

👨🏻‍🍳
The Grub-man — broad meat-like man who works at the prison, provides food to inmates whose friends can pay for it.

When the lawyer returned to visit again, he found Bartleby lying in the prison yard, dead from starvation. The sight deeply affected him, leading him to reflect on the nature of humanity and isolation.

I remembered the bright silks and sparkling faces I had seen that day... and I contrasted them with the pallid copyist, and thought to myself, Ah, happiness courts the light, so we deem the world is gay.

After Bartleby's death, the lawyer learned that his former employee had previously worked in the Dead Letter Office at Washington, sorting undeliverable mail. This position had been suddenly terminated due to an administration change. The lawyer pondered how handling these lost messages of life - containing everything from unclaimed riches to undelivered pardons - might have affected Bartleby's melancholy nature. The experience of constantly dealing with failed human connections and unfulfilled hopes seemed to explain something of Bartleby's profound disconnection from life.

To a sensitive being, pity is not seldom pain. And when at last it is perceived that such pity cannot lead to effectual succor, common sense bids the soul rid of it.

The story concluded with the lawyer's reflection on the mystery of Bartleby's life and death, acknowledging that while much about the scrivener remained unknowable, his story served as a poignant commentary on isolation and human connection in the modern world. The lawyer's final words - "Ah Bartleby! Ah humanity!" - expressed both his personal grief and a broader lament for the human condition.

Retrieved from "https://wikisum.org/index.php?title=Bartleby,_the_Scrivener_(Melville)&oldid=1990"