Melville Journal

In the reading by Herman Melville believe that there were many elements in his story that confused many of the people in the class as well as me in a way. The story is basically about how a lawyer who has an office on Wall Street and employs a scriver named Bartleby, who is the main focus of the story. He hires Bartleby to do copying work for him since his other two employee scrivers, Turkey and Nippers, seem to not be enough help anymore. At first Bartleby seems to be doing a good job, but then when he is asked to review his own work to make sure it was correct he starts answering with “ I would prefer not to” every time. The lawyer who has no time to put up with the nonsense that he puts him thro simply decides that he will have someone else revise Bartleby’s work for him. He soon asks him to run a simple errand, like go to the post office, and he refuses to do that as well with the same answer. He then one day casually walks into his office on a Sunday and discovers that Bartleby is there and resides there, everyday most likely. The lawyer then claims he has mixed feeling about the situation and then decides that he will simply ask Bartleby about himself and if he does not answer him or “prefer” to answer him then he will simply have to fire him. Since Barlteby did not give him the answer that he wanted he was fired, but soon he decides that he does not want to quit so he stays and does nothing at all. The after the lawyer moves away he is notified that the owner of the building is having problem with Bartleby. HE is them basically sent to prison Afterwards and is then allowed to wander in prison of his own free will. He decides that whilst at his stay in prison he will not eat, so he eventually dies. I think that the character of Bartleby was very strange and a little manic. He also was a little annoying in my opinion and also really abrasive with his responses and what not. If that were me in the Boss’s shoes I think I would have fired him on the spot, but in a way I think that the reason for Bartleby’s distant and cold personality were due to the fact that in his old job he worked in a gloomy and depressing and bleak place, and that obviously took a toll on him. In a way I think that at that point he obviously saw very little hope or reason to try hard in life, that is why most of his personality seemed to be a bit standoffish and somber to the other employees. In all I think that the story was a it long and the point was a little hard to understand in the aspect of the point or interpretation of the reading. But on a good note I can say that it isn’t the worst or most boring thing I have read.



p.s. I'm sorry I'm posting it toda, some idiot yesterday crashed into the telephone pole on my block, and if thats out that means no cable/phone/internet until it gets fixed. >=/
foutunatly I did it on a word spreadsheet and I'm posting it now during my break. Oh and I have to e mail you something as well while i'm here. so check your e-mail


Eduardo Sanchez