Salvation and redemption is a concept that typically concerns eternal, spiritual deliverance from our sin. In the two stories “Bartleby the Scrivener” and “Elephant”, the two narrators had led lives full of heinous wrongdoings and corruption and wished to redeem themselves, by “giving” to others. Instead of offering others true charity and sacrifice, they placed the highest value on items, and were overwhelmed by the hunger of gaining, instead of truly wanting to help those in need. By doing this, they abased the meaning and sacrifice of redemption and abnegated their right to gain it. They expected gain from their material gifts. Both these short stories analyze redemption, and how the importance placed on material items in the modern world
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The Narrator in “Elephant” dreamt that he was “threatening [his son’s] life, as [he] did once, a long time ago” (Carver 44). A father’s job is to protect and cherish his children, however, the Narrator did the complete opposite. He committed a horrible, atrocious act that stemmed from his inferred alcoholism. Subsequently, he felt obligated to help his family despite teetering on the edge of poverty. The father continued to give his family money, saying that he “had to do that” (Carver 39). In “Bartleby the Scrivener”, the Lawyer had acted cheaply in his past and now viewed Bartleby as a way that he could “cheaply purchase a delicious self-approval” (Melville, 5). He did not extend his kindness and “charitable” ways to others unless he believed he could gain something in return- in this case, an easy ticket into heaven. The Lawyer constantly placed business first, and only helped people depending on their usefulness, not because of the goodness of his character. He creates Bartleby into a charity case by viewing him as a pitiable creature that needed his help and he believed that this would “eventually prove a sweet morsel for [his] conscience” (Melville
The Narrator in “Elephant” dreamt that he was “threatening [his son’s] life, as [he] did once, a long time ago” (Carver 44). A father’s job is to protect and cherish his children, however, the Narrator did the complete opposite. He committed a horrible, atrocious act that stemmed from his inferred alcoholism. Subsequently, he felt obligated to help his family despite teetering on the edge of poverty. The father continued to give his family money, saying that he “had to do that” (Carver 39). In “Bartleby the Scrivener”, the Lawyer had acted cheaply in his past and now viewed Bartleby as a way that he could “cheaply purchase a delicious self-approval” (Melville, 5). He did not extend his kindness and “charitable” ways to others unless he believed he could gain something in return- in this case, an easy ticket into heaven. The Lawyer constantly placed business first, and only helped people depending on their usefulness, not because of the goodness of his character. He creates Bartleby into a charity case by viewing him as a pitiable creature that needed his help and he believed that this would “eventually prove a sweet morsel for [his] conscience” (Melville