Bartleby The Scrivener
Most everyone remembers a favorite story that he or she has read. A book that just captivated the reader from beginning to end. But how do authors successfully grab the attention of their readers? Authors utilize specific techniques to convey the characters, setting, and plot effectively. The two short stories Bartleby, the Scrivener by Herman Melville and The Tenant by Bharati Mukherjee do just that. The authors of both stories effectively develop unique characters through description or narration, action, and dialogue, which fit in with both the setting and the plot. The main character in Bartleby, the Scrivener is indeed an interesting one. Although the name of the story may give the ...
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some mention of my self, my employés, my business, my chambers, and general surroundings…" (Meyer, 113). The narrator’s setting, including his office, also shows that he likes to keep everything organized. His office is separated into sections by folding glass doors to distinguish his side of the room from his scriveners’. The narrator also separates Bartleby into confinement. "Still further to a satisfactory arrangement, I procured a high green folding screen, which might entirely isolate Bartleby from my sight, though not remove him from my voice" (118). The reader can see that the narrator likes to have a set way of doing tasks through his actions and interactions with the other characters. The narrator is obviously not one whose demands are often ignored. He does not quite seem to know how to react when Bartleby "prefers" not to comply with the narrator’s wishes. "I staggered to my desk, and sat there in a deep study… Was there any other ...
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papers. What do you think of it, Turkey?’" (121). Despite the narrator’s apparent need for organization, he is extremely inconsistent in his actions. The narrator obviously does not believe that Bartleby should stay employed without doing any work, but at times he is willing to ignore this fact, and even make excuses for his hesitation in confronting Bartleby. "I half intended something of the [unalterable purpose of some terrible retribution]. But upon the whole, as it was drawing towards my dinner-hour, I thought it best to put on my hat and walk home for the day, suffering much from perplexity and distress of mind" (122). He is also inconsistent in the fact that as much ...
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"Bartleby The Scrivener." Essayworld.com. September 4, 2004. Accessed November 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Bartleby-The-Scrivener/13821.
"Bartleby The Scrivener." Essayworld.com. September 4, 2004. Accessed November 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Bartleby-The-Scrivener/13821.
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