Bartleby (Pgs. 30 to 44)

Summary:

In this last portion of my reading the lawyer had been assuming that Bartleby was going to leave, however, his main concern was whether he would have left because he wanted to or not. The lawyer walks around Downtown and overhears people betting on whether someone is "gone" or not, and the lawyer thinking about Bartleby bet that he was gone. He had over-thought that it was election day and the people were discussing canditates' successes in campaigns. He decides to go back to his office to check and see if Bartleby was indeed still there, or if his chair would still be empty. Not surprisingly enough, when he looked for the office door key under the mat, it wasn't there. He hit his knee against a panel and from inside he heard a voice say "not yet." It was Bartleby, he was till in there. The lawyer proceeds by going in and telling Bartleby how disappointing he was and how a hint of his presence would have sufficed.

Quote:

"“Will you, or will you not, quit me?” I now demanded
in a sudden passion, advancing close to him.
“I would prefer not to quit you,” he replied, gently
emphasizing the not.
“What earthly right have you to stay here? Do
you pay any rent? Do you pay my taxes? Or is this
property yours?”
He answered nothing.
“Are you ready to go on and write now? Are your
eyes recovered? Could you copy a small paper for
me this morning? or help examine a few lines? or
step round to the Post Office? In a word, will you
do anything at all to give a coloring to your refusal
to depart the premises?”
He silently retired into his hermitage" (Melville 32).

Reaction:

I chose this excerpt because it exercises the main theme of the novella Bartleby, the Scrivener. The lawyer seems to step up his authority when he "demands" answers from Bartleby. This change in character does nothing to Bartleby's 'preferences'. For example, when the lawyer wasn't being so aggressive in the earlier instances when Bartleby was refusing to do what he was told. This only goes to show that Bartleby is persistent in staying adamant about disobeying the lawyer.

Bartleby, the Scrivener (Pgs. 15 to 29)

Summary:

In this part of my reading we see an interesting twist to Bartleby. One day the lawyer had a document that he needed looking over. He calls Bartleby to do the task but he says that he'd rather not. This shocked the lawyer as he wanted everything he requested to be done instantly. It was also amazing how the lawyer did not bother admonishing Bartleby's "unusual and unjust" behavior. Rather, he asked for Turkey and Nipper's opinions. Nipper replied that the decision was solely up to him and that Bartleby's behavior was unusual and unjust. Turkey was ready to confront Bartleby but the lawyer stopped him. Why is the lawyer reluctant to berate Bartleby? This incident repeats itself later on. Bartleby had copied a large document which now needed revising. When the lawyer asked Bartleby for help and he refused. The Lawyer therefore had to get his other three employees to work on the document, and they were outraged. They would not be inclined to revise another man's document without pay again. Bartleby even refused to get Turkey and Nipper.


Quote:

“Bartleby,” said I, “when those papers are all copied,
I will compare them with you.”
“I would prefer not to.”
“How? Surely you do not mean to persist in that
mulish vagary?” (Melville 17).

Reaction:

This quote takes place when the lawyer needs to compare with Bartleby's documents, but Bartleby refuses. This part was interesting because it was unusual for Bartleby to not comply. Bartleby keep refusing to do what the Lawyer commands him to do. Two instances we see of this is when he declines to help in looking over a large document he copied, and when he refused to get the other employees. The quote also struck me with interest  because it has some of the vocabulary that we've had this year. A vagary is an unexpected and inexplicable notion in someone or something.

Bartleby, the Scrivener (Pgs.1 to 14)

Summary:

In the exposition of Bartleby, the Scrivener, we find out that the narrator considers himself to be rather old. This narrator is actually the author, Herman Melville, and he is explaining how he thinks that Bartleby's life was so remarkable that he devoted writing a biography of him. Melville says, however, that it would be impossible to write out a thorough biography of this man. The narrator is an employer, a Master of Chancery. He wasn't in accord with the title, and the title was not favored by the Constitution, however, this is what he was. He had an office, or chambers as he called them on Wall Street, where he initially employed 2 copyists (scriveners) and an office boy. Bartleby showed up on the narrator's door, in response to an advertisement seeking scriveners.

Quote:

"Nevertheless, as he was in many ways a most valuable person to me, and all the time before twelve o’clock, meridian, was the quickest, steadiest creature, too, accomplishing a great deal of work in a style not easily to be matched — for these reasons I was willing to overlook his eccentricities, though indeed, occasionally, I remonstrated with him" (Melville 6).

Reaction:

So there is a lot in this quote, however, the narrator is describing Turkey's personaly at length. Turkey was one of his workers, and he said the he was almost his age, not too far from 60. Turkey is a short Englishman. The narator contrats how his face looks given different times of the day, such as it look a flourid hue in the morning, whereas it's brighter in the afternoon. The narrator describes Turkey as being very energetic and clumsy, spilling pen ink all over papers, and would be noisy at other times. However, the quote does explain that Turkey gets his work done and is much valued by the narrator because he does not think he is better than anyone else. Ultimately, what is to "remonstrate"?