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"?