The Psychological Double Theory Draft “Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street” is a short story written by Herman Melville. This story has a wide range of interpretations from the idea that Bartleby is homosexual to the idea that Bartleby is meant to change the lawyer’s lifestyle. Mordecai Marcus was able to accurately suggest that Bartleby is a psychological double of the narrator and is meant to change his life for the better. There is a lot of evidence enforcing this theory, including how Bartleby lives, and the relationship between him and the narrator. A person’s history shapes their thoughts, ideas, and beliefs. Without knowing someone’s history you are unable to know why he or she may act a specific way. The story begins with
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He solely relies on his two scriveners Turkey and Nippers to get work done when they are capable. Turkey and Nippers each have a different part of the workday where they are efficient. By bringing Bartleby into the office, he is changing the way that things work and messing with the normal flow of things. Bartleby seemed to posses all of the qualities the narrator wanted in an employee, “ I can see the figure now- pallidly neat, pitiably respectable, incurably forlorn! (Melville 7). The narrator possessed many of these qualities and wanted an employee that was the same way. Bartleby had entered a world of monotony, which is why he worked so eagerly; he wanted to deaden his senses (Marcus). Bartleby begins to not do work and later refuses to do any work at all, “Apparently Bartleby is willing to act within the lawyer’s world, but he refuses all personal contact because it is spurious” (Marcus). By doing this Bartleby represents the lawyer’s desire to give up his way of life. Since they work on Wall Street they are surrounded and trapped by the norms of society and are unable to escape. The narrator and Bartleby are so associated with each other that when Bartleby refuses to leave the narrators old offices he is held responsible for Bartleby. After the death of Bartleby the narrator is not noticeably changed but Bartleby definitely had an impact on
He solely relies on his two scriveners Turkey and Nippers to get work done when they are capable. Turkey and Nippers each have a different part of the workday where they are efficient. By bringing Bartleby into the office, he is changing the way that things work and messing with the normal flow of things. Bartleby seemed to posses all of the qualities the narrator wanted in an employee, “ I can see the figure now- pallidly neat, pitiably respectable, incurably forlorn! (Melville 7). The narrator possessed many of these qualities and wanted an employee that was the same way. Bartleby had entered a world of monotony, which is why he worked so eagerly; he wanted to deaden his senses (Marcus). Bartleby begins to not do work and later refuses to do any work at all, “Apparently Bartleby is willing to act within the lawyer’s world, but he refuses all personal contact because it is spurious” (Marcus). By doing this Bartleby represents the lawyer’s desire to give up his way of life. Since they work on Wall Street they are surrounded and trapped by the norms of society and are unable to escape. The narrator and Bartleby are so associated with each other that when Bartleby refuses to leave the narrators old offices he is held responsible for Bartleby. After the death of Bartleby the narrator is not noticeably changed but Bartleby definitely had an impact on