Bartelby & story
The narrator tries all the way through the story to truly empathize with Bartleby, but he never digs too deep because he is concerned about saving himself. He thinks that doing good deeds for Bartleby will look good for him as well. The narrator, however, sticks with Bartleby longer than most of us would.
Bartleby is frustratingly honest about life. He is throroughly unexcited about life in general, and the narrator is maybe a little afraid that he is too much like Bartleby. However, he is an eminently “safe” man who has made peace with the modern world by working for rich clients but has no inner passion.
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2. Turkey, Nippers and Ginger Nut are oddly named characters. Turkey and Nippers are named for the volatility of their character and are in themselves caricatures. Turkey gets drunk in the afternoon and becomes enraged at the slightest thing thereafter; in other words, he acts like a real turkey. Nippers is irritable and angry in the morning when he might “nip” someone. As the day goes on, he is able to get some work done. The two of them together do the work of one man. Ginger Nut is so named because he brings the office Ginger Nut cakes.
Their nicknames tell the reader that they are unreliable in assessing Bartleby, since someone could assume by their actions that they are crazy too. These characters also serve to show what the boss already puts up with. 3. Bartleby might want his story told in order to emphasize the futility of the world. He loses two jobs due to some sort of administrative change, and the world does not provide an environment for him that he can become excited about. The tone of his last statement, “Ah, Bartleby! Ah, humanity!
” is a final sigh in the life of someone who has given up completely. Bartleby has not helped anyone, including himself. He may want to warn us of the emptiness of striving to make a living and the bleakness of the business world. He may also want to show us in a more realistic way what becomes of the nonconformist in society. It is wonderful for all of us to think about not being “part of the crowd,” but the reality is very different. Not being one of the crowd makes for a long and lonely existence. Works Cited Melville, Herman, Bartle
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