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BartlebyAnalysis 17 - 30 Mar 2012 - Main.AgnesPetrucione
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| | Bartleby—A Law Student's Analysis
This short piece addresses the reflection narrator sees of himself in Bartleby in Herman Melville's short story, "Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street." | | | I wonder though, is self-interest sufficient a motivation for charitable work? For finding a meaningful job in the legal arena? Looking back on my own behavior I find that self-interest has been a powerful motivator in any "charitable" works or deeds I have done. Not self-interest in terms of furtherance of any individual goals, but self-interest in terms of "feel good" moments, instances when I can congratulate myself on being so "giving." So a Saturday spent mentoring, a drive to work allowing furious LA drivers to cut in front of me, or finishing a coworker's project for the hell of it all amount to making me feel better about myself. But how far does this extend? I doubt much farther than a days work, not to mention a lifetime of serving justice. But then again, Melville seems to think self-interest a powerful counterweight to murder so maybe it is a useful tool in shaping the behavior of humanity, even the most selfish (self-interested) members. Perhaps after our class discussions, each of our desires not to end up empty vessels helping the highest socioeconomic class make more money will be enough of a motivation to aid us in finding noble work; helping clients who actually need it, not necessarily because of our pity or empathy, but because I for one, don't want to end up alone, drunk and unhappy at two in the morning.
-- AlexandraRex - 29 Mar 2012 | |
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> | I am not sure if "Bartleby" is necessarily a fable about corporate structures. Like Eben pointed out during class, the Wall Street in this story is not the Wall Street we know now. I find it difficult to see Bartleby as a corporate cog when I look at the context of the story, although it is definitely a good analogy when we look at it from our perspective now.
I think "Bartleby" is about the salvation of all of our souls, lawyer or not. I am probably (definitely) projecting (but that's the beauty of literature), but I think that Bartleby is depressed - and Bartleby is a part of the narrator that he tried to suppress/cut off from himself. I mean, if you knew a person that acted like Bartleby, you'd be very concerned, think he was depressed, and try to get him some emotional help. Many people go along with life, while a part of them is thinking "Does my life have any meaning as I am leading it?" and many people suppress/cut off their depression/anxiety whether with the help with psychiatric drugs or no. But I also think that part of us is where our humanity, and the ability to be happy and find meaning, lies. I think that is why the story ends with the line, "Ah Bartleby! Ah humanity!" The way I see it, the narrator finally lost his humanity (or a bit of it) when Bartleby died. Like Skylar and Courtney have pointed out, I think Bartleby is that part of us that would be easier to be rid of, but need very much, in order to be whole.
-- AgnesPetrucione - 30 Mar 2012 |
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