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spiralnode 's review for:
Bartleby the Scrivener
by Herman Melville
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
'I would prefer not to' - this is the sentiment that permeates Bartleby the scrivener. Whatever request his boss has of him, thus is his response. Whatever opportunity presents itself, thus is his response.
Bartleby's numbness could be interpreted as someone experiencing depression, a degree of absentism from their daily lives. He shows no motivation, no passion, has no inclination to fight for anything, to present any arguments. He is unmoved by tasks that come from his job, pleas from other people, even others trying to help. He just exists, he doesn't even care if he is in a room without any furniture, all by himself.
At the beginning of the book, he did complete some of the copies he was assigned, only refusing to proofread. And this then expanded towards not wanting to do anything, and essentially spending his entire time at the office. This could be interpreted therefore as an effect of a predictable life, where each day is the same, where there are no challenges for the mind, to the point that the mind just atrophies.
Another aspect that was interesting to me here is how little requests and dialogue do. When a manager asks for something, most of us will at least consider it. This is due to the agreement we are bound to based on our contract, but there aren't immediate repercussions. And this is also something that struck me about this novella: there is little the boss can do beyond issuing requests and afterwards offering help through dialogue. Forceful functions, like the authorities, take time and depend on trickier procedures. But it is essentially goodwill and a sense of accountability that keep us working together as a society.
Really interesting little read, though it takes about 10 pages or so to actually get into it, the first few pages are quite a dense description of how this particular office operates, which I found somewhat irrelevant.
Bartleby's numbness could be interpreted as someone experiencing depression, a degree of absentism from their daily lives. He shows no motivation, no passion, has no inclination to fight for anything, to present any arguments. He is unmoved by tasks that come from his job, pleas from other people, even others trying to help. He just exists, he doesn't even care if he is in a room without any furniture, all by himself.
At the beginning of the book, he did complete some of the copies he was assigned, only refusing to proofread. And this then expanded towards not wanting to do anything, and essentially spending his entire time at the office. This could be interpreted therefore as an effect of a predictable life, where each day is the same, where there are no challenges for the mind, to the point that the mind just atrophies.
Another aspect that was interesting to me here is how little requests and dialogue do. When a manager asks for something, most of us will at least consider it. This is due to the agreement we are bound to based on our contract, but there aren't immediate repercussions. And this is also something that struck me about this novella: there is little the boss can do beyond issuing requests and afterwards offering help through dialogue. Forceful functions, like the authorities, take time and depend on trickier procedures. But it is essentially goodwill and a sense of accountability that keep us working together as a society.
Really interesting little read, though it takes about 10 pages or so to actually get into it, the first few pages are quite a dense description of how this particular office operates, which I found somewhat irrelevant.