Instead, he resorts to the parlance and behavior of his profession, debating the situation as though it were a court matter, or else withdrawing from the scene or into the complexities of work as a means of quelling an inner compulsion to strike out at his mulish copyist. When confronted by such irrational behavior, the narrator rejects violence and vituperation. The lawyer's weak response to the copyist's challenge of authority leads him to berate himself for " his hired clerk to dictate to him." Accustomed to an unvarying predictability on Wall Street, he is utterly perplexed at discovering Bartleby only partially dressed and living in the office. In performance of duties, he lacks control over details, as indicated by his loss of the fourth key to his office. As such, he is conservative, rational, and ostensibly a charitable, approachable, but WASPish citizen. Surrounded by functionary stereotypes, the lawyer, a round character, considers himself a "safe" man. The lawyer knows that Bartleby is alone in the world, but nonetheless, he gives him six days to leave his employ. Days later, Bartleby reveals that he has decided to give up copying. preferring "not to." The lawyer performs the errand himself. Touched by the vocational hazard of eyestrain, the lawyer urges him to get some fresh air by taking letters to the post office. The next day, Bartleby reveals that his vision is impaired. Embarrassed that Bartleby is defying him, his superior, he also perceives that the demented man's "prefers" are beginning to permeate conversations throughout the office. " The lawyer loses control of the situation. On Monday morning, while asking Bartleby about his background, he receives the same answer to all his questions: "I would prefer not to. Deciding to question the man, the lawyer proposes to fire him if he elects not to respond. He concludes that the disorder is "innate and incurable" and that Bartleby's suffering soul lies beyond his ability to render aid. The lawyer's contemplation of the copyist's "morbid moodiness" moves from sadness and pity to fear and repulsion. He does not even indulge in tea or coffee. Thinking over Bartleby's general behavior, the lawyer concludes that the man does not converse, read, drink beer, or dine out. He finds Bartleby's savings knotted in a bandanna and thrust into a recess of his desk and concludes that Bartleby has been living in the office at night. After walking around the block several times, the narrator summons sympathy for his employee, whom he considers a fellow mortal, and returns to the now-vacated office to investigate Bartleby's solitary existence. One Sunday morning, as the narrator walks toward Trinity Church, he stops at his office and discovers that Bartleby is locked inside. In the coming days, Bartleby remains honest and industrious, except for singular pauses to stand in revery and intermittent occasions when he prefers not to work. The narrator, unable to cope, leaves for dinner. Bartleby again refuses the request and refuses, as well, to summon Nippers to go on the errand. The narrator subdues a belligerent Turkey, who would "black his eyes," and asks Bartleby to run an errand to the post office, a three-minute walk. However, the narrator's generous frame of mind gives way to vexation sometime later after Bartleby again refuses to compare copies. Filled with compassion, the narrator concludes that firing Bartleby would expose him to rough treatment for his involuntary eccentricities, and so he congratulates himself for opting to be charitable. He discerns that he never dines out and lives on a scanty diet of ginger cakes. Bartleby, saying nothing in his defense, withdraws to his corner.ĭays later, the narrator contemplates Bartleby's general behavior. Ginger Nut, the least mature of the foursome, suspects Bartleby of lunacy. Turkey agrees that the lawyer has made a reasonable request Nippers suggests that they kick Bartleby out of the office. The lawyer, exasperated to the breaking point, asks his other employees their opinion in the matter. Ordinarily, the narrator would have considered firing Bartleby, but because of Bartleby's composure and rational manner and because the narrator is preoccupied with business, he moves on to more pressing matters.Ī few days later, Bartleby refuses to take part in scanning his own sheaf of quadruplicates. On the third day, however, he surprises his employer by casually stating three separate times that he would "prefer not to" assist in proofreading a small document. He is compulsive about his copying, "gorging" himself on documents. For two days, Bartleby works well - almost too well.
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