Blog #4

Bartelby, the Scrivener by Herman Melville

In this short story, readers are introduced to the intriguing and strange Bartelby. Due to his lack of social cues, awkward interactions, and his emotionless state, it can be inferred that Bartelby has some form of a mental disorder. At the end of the short story, readers are informed that Bartelby previously worked at a dead letter company. His daily work consisted of burning letters that cannot be received since the person the letter was sent to is now deceased. It can be theorized that this type of depressing and draining job is the reason behind Bartelby's lack of emotion. When analyzing Bartelby further, one can come to the conclusion that Bartelby is an example of what happens to those who work on Wall Street. The men enter as lively and normal people, but exit as soulless and isolated. These men close the world around them and become consumed in the trap that is Wall Street. Bartelby may have been normal at one time, but his work on Wall Street has left him lifeless. The narrator claims," I might give alms to his body, but his body did not pain him; it was his soul that suffered, and his soul I could not reach,"(Melville, 658). Wall Street has deteriorated Bartelby's soul, leaving only his empty body for remains. The narrator of the story, the lawyer, has yet to enter this lifeless state, but it is clear that he will if he continues to work on Wall Street. In his free time, the lawyer is only said to go on walks, never interacting with a family or a wife. His work appears to be his only life, and over time he is going to turn into a passionless worker like Bartelby and all the other men whose lives have consumed by Wall Street.