![]() He is an unostentatious figure, “pallidly neat, pitiably respectable, incurably forlorn”, who works “silently, palely, mechanically”, but he exercises enormous power by refusing to comply with simple and undemanding requests. He declines to do what is asked of him over and above the basic task of copying documents. And as the narrator is forced to admit, “Nothing so aggravates an earnest person as a passive resistance.” Refusing to kow-tow to the demands of his employer, and working to his own individual rule, Bartleby represents a challenge to capitalist, corporatist ideologies. 1 My thanks to Michael Brearley, Joseph Holt, Matthew Pountney and John Shaw for helping to shape my (.)ġ“Bartleby, the Scrivener” (1853) is a story of passive resistance.Here's a cool resource put together by the University of Kansas, in which you can find articles, full text of the story, history, and a ton of other interesting tidbits.Ĭurious about the great man himself? has an extensive amount of Melville-related news and resources. a full-text version of "Bartleby the Scrivener" at, appropriately,. That's what the poster for the Crispin Glover film version of the story calls it. AudiosĬhatterbox Theatre's recording of "Bartleby" (a play)Ĭheck this out! The Memphis, TN theatre company produced this play based on Melville's story. This is for you Spanish speakers out there – a modern retelling from the Spanish version of the TV sketch comedy show, Camera Café. Here's the trailer for the 2001 film version. Videosīartleby the Scrivener: A Trailer from Hollywood Starring the incredibly odd Crispin Glover (of Back to the Future fame). Who knew?Īnd finally, an English language version (2001) Man! One French version just wasn't enough.įor good measure, Bartleby auf Deutsch (1963)īartleby is evidently huge in Europe. Hmm…we have to wonder how "Bartleby" would be pronounced in French. Bartleby's end begs us all to examine the paradoxical set of characteristics that make us human: in order to survive, we need to be alone, but we need to be together.īartleby the Scrivener Resources Movie or TV Productions The character Bartleby, after all, is ultimately undone by his refusal to give in and go with society's flow by preferring not to cooperate with his fellow human beings, he ends up dying a pathetic, lonely death. ![]() However, Melville also asks us to look at another side of the question – how much individuality is too much individuality? While we value the right of each person to be different from the next, we're also an essentially social, communal species. (Can it be true? Is the mullet a step forward in the evolutionary process?) Individuality certainly plays a big part in this – after all, part of what makes us different from apes is the simple, undeniable fact that they don't go around inventing wacky new hairstyles to stand out from the crowd. In "Bartleby the Scrivener," Herman Melville asks his readers to consider this very same question of what makes us human. After all, what is literature but the study of human nature? What is writing but a means for expressing the ideas of a unique, individual mind? But don't blame us if it distracts you from your studies for too long this is one of the most valuable things you can do as a student of literature. ![]() Observe what makes each of us different – what makes each of us individually articulated, completely unique human beings. Take a minute to stop and look around at the people you interact with every day…sit back and people watch for a while. What is Bartleby the Scrivener About and Why Should I Care? Is it simply a comment on the oddities of human nature? Is it sufficient to look at the story as a scathing mockery of the writings of Melville's contemporaries, Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson, whose specific brand of self-reliance and independence might be seen in Bartleby's stubbornness? Or can we perhaps even see Melville himself in the infuriatingly fascinating character of Bartleby? The critics all seem to have different opinions on this question – how about you? The true meaning of "Bartleby" has been discussed and dissected by critics everywhere, ever since its first publication. "Bartleby" is a departure from the sea-faring adventures that Melville often presented to readers in fact, this is a story in which the most exciting thing that happens is actually the fact that nothing really happens. ![]() Published in 1853, " Bartleby the Scrivener" is one of American writer Herman Melville's most often-read and studied works (which is really saying a lot, considering that the guy also penned numerous classics, including Moby-Dick and Billy Budd).
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |