Bartleby the Scrivener by Herman Melville Essay - 661 Words

Bartleby the Scrivener by Herman Melville Herman Melville, an American novelist and major literary figure explored psychological themes in many of his works. Herman Melville was born in 1819 in New York City into an established merchant family. The familys fortune had taken a decline that led to bankruptcy and caused insanity to enter into his fathers Life. Through his writing, Melville recreated a part of life that existed then, and is prevalent in our society today. Low self esteem along with self perception and how others percieve us, can be a factor leading to depression. Depression, if left untreated can become so severe that it is possible to cause someone to lose the will to live.I will clarify this illness†¦show more content†¦As time passed Bartleby verbally stated when asked to comply with his work responsibilities I prefer not to. His protest for the work was very direct and yet very passive. Bartleby seems to have a distinctive, dysfunctional personality. But he wrote on silently, palely, mechanically. This passage shows the debilitating effects of such a depressed life. I prefer not to. seemed to be the only verbal communication he was capable of at the present time. Although he appeared to be referring to his work subconsciously his true feelings for death were stated as I prefer not to. As the story continues it becomes obvious that Bartleby it becomes obvious that Bartleby could not be saved from himself, nor did he want help from anyone else. Bartleby seemed to put up a brick wall between himself and the world. He would not allow anyone into his self destructive detorating world.Strangely huddled at the base of the wall, his knees drawn up, and lying on his sides, his head touching the cold stone, I saw the wasted Bartleby. From this excerpt, we see that depression is a powerful and vengeful illness that caused Bartleby his life.. And I trembled to think that my contact with the scrivener had already and seriously affected me in a mental way. Although it was Bartleby who was the victim of depression it had its ill effects on people around him. I found Bartleby the Scrivener a disturbing sto ry due to its reality.Show MoreRelatedBartleby, the Scrivener by Herman Melville597 Words   |  3 Pages â€Å"Bartleby, the Scrivener† is an interesting short story written by Herman Melville for Putnams magazine at a time when Melville was in need for money (Davis 183). The narrator opens with a description of himself, his employees, and the fact that his business has recently grown. Soon after, the narrator, who is a lawyer, hires an additional employee by the name of Bartleby, the namesake of the story. 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The reasons as to why Bartleby is considered the hero of the story are that first, the character refuses to write in his job in the law office. He even starves himself to death by refusing to eat, but in the end, the spirit of Bartleby still remains alive and haunts the narrator. Throughout his life, the narrator remains haunted by the spiritualRead MoreBartleby, The Scrivener, By Herman Melville And The Fall Of The House Of Usher Essay1754 Words   |  8 Pages â€Å"Bartleby, the Scrivener† by Herman Melville and â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher† by Edgar Allen Poe both use isolated characters in a main role. These stories deal with how the isolation of man leads to the death of humanity. In a historical reference, the isolation of mentally ill men and women led to gruesome and inhumane practices while in the care of other people. Through the Middle Ages and until the establishment of asylums, treatments for mental illness were offered by â€Å"humanistic physicians