Themes of Hopelessness in Herman Melville’s Bartleby the Scrivener Essa

We can never be one hundred percent certain of the validity of our literary analyses. This is especially the case with Herman Melvilles Bartleby the penman. Critics have been trying for decades to make sense of the text and most will describe it as inscrutable. I dont claim to enjoy better than the critics, but instead offer my own interpretation of the work. Based on my observations and analysis, Melvilles use of many elements in his storyfirst and best the character of Bartleby, but also the dead letters, the many walls of Wall Street, and the state of Wall Street itselfworks well to develop a sense of hopelessness, whether lettered or not, in the story as well as the narrator and consequently the reader. This hopelessness could stem from a number of influences, such as a certain incurable disorder which some critics would argue is schizophrenia (Wilson), the quality of human futility in general, or the capitalist society in which Melvilles characters lives maneuver out.In ord er to understand Bartlebys influence on the hopeless atmosphere of the story, we must first understand the character of Bartleby and how he differs greatly from the others. Bartleby is exposit as having a cadaverously gentlemanly nonchalance (1096) and being solitary, friendless and lonely like a very ghost (1095). Mitchell, in his critical essay, also observes that Bartleby seems incapable of recognizing the possibility of hope. (Mitchell) Finally, Bartleby is apathetic and whenever something is requested of him he simply replies I would prefer not to. The lawyer, on the other hand is intensely focused on the value of Wall Street such as money, productivity and usefulness. Bartleby proves a great frustration to the lawye... ...y not know the cause of Bartlebys suffering, but he does know that Bartlebys desperation can lead only to death (Mitchell). Works CitedInge, M Thomas. Bartleby the Inscrutable A Collection of Commentary on Herman Melvilles Tale Bartleby the Scrivener. Ha mden, computed axial tomography Archon Books, 1979. Print.Wilson, James C. Bartleby The Walls of Wall Street. Arizona Quarterly 37.4 (Winter 1981) 335-346. Literature pick Center. Web. 13 April 2015. Mitchell, Thomas R. Dead Letter and Dead Men Narrative Purpose in Bartleby, the Scrivener.. Studies in Short Fiction. 27.3 (Summer 1990) 329-338. Literature Resource Center. Web. 13 April 2015.Weinstock, Jeffrey Andrew. Doing Justice to Bartleby ATQ A Journal of American Nineteenth Century Literature and Culture n.s. 17.1 (March 2003) 23-42. Literature Resource Center. Web. 13 April 2015.