American Literature

Herman Melvilles novella, Bartleby the Scrivener illustrates the theme of how isolation can lead to insanity.  The narrator chronicles the details of the demise of Bartleby with both humor and an almost hurtful, emotional tone.  This lawyernarrator unveils a great deal of detail regarding the stages of isolation that Bartleby embarks upon and through using textual analysis the reader can begin to understand the ultimate effects of Bartlebys isolation.  The effects of the scriveners increasing isolation throughout the novella is his depression that crosses over the line from sane to insane behavior and thinking.  The narrator describes all the scriveners that he has had work for him to be strange, but Bartleby to be by far the strangest.  However, the narrator seems to be fascinated with the changes in Bartlebys behavior and allows Bartleby to remain in the office long after Bartleby has stopped working.  It seems that Bartleby is used by the narrator as a source of entertainment and since the narrator was Bartlebys only source of social support is the narrator, the reactions that are made by this narrator are of the utmost importance.

Though the narrator does not have any information about Bartlebys personal life, he seems to be connected to him in a way that cannot be fully explained in the text.  Since he could not give details about the life of Bartleby, he can only cite the progression of his life of depression and then ultimate death.  The depiction of Bartlebys surroundings makes the life of this man seem to be dull and boring, but not unlike the bureaucracy and redundancy of many jobs that people have, so this in itself does not explain why Bartleby decides to isolate himself further unless it can be assumed it was because he felt ashamed that his job was unimportant.  The narrator says, there was something about Bartleby that not only strangely disarmed me, but, in a wonderful manner, touched and disconcerted me.  So even as Bartleby decides to stop doing his work, the lawyer that employs him simply cannot bring himself to fire him because of the strange set of emotions that he feels for Bartleby.  However, the lawyer does become more and more agitated with Bartleby and goes to great length to begin isolating him. 

Though the onset of Bartlebys depression is unclear, the advanced isolation can be attributed to the narrator.  It seems that through the process of Bartlebys refusal to do some tasks and then finally not to do any of his tasks, his only source of social support or satisfaction comes from the narrators reactions.  Though it seems as if the narrator cannot help but exploit Bartlebys emotions, I could not, for the very soul of me, avoid falling into sudden spasmodic passions with him.  Since the narrator could not bring himself to fire Bartleby and chooses instead to leave the building, knowing that Bartleby is too insane to leave the place, that the narrators fascination with Bartleby and with the outcome of his life is selfish and curious and not completely altruistic.  Though the narrator tries to illustrate his compassion to Bartleby, the way that he speaks of him sounds almost as if he were describing Bartleby as a pet and not a person.  Most definitely, the allowance on the part of the narrator for Bartleby to continue to slide into his depression and isolation for the sake of the narrators curiosity is unhealthy.

Bartleby would not speak to anyone but the narrator and this was only because the narrator asked him direct questions.  Bartlebys depression can be gauged by his answers to the questions and his progressive refusal to do the tasks that he is asked to do.  However at no point does Bartleby become agitated with the narrator and, although depressed seems to feel comfort in the dull but familiar surroundings that he has become accustomed to.  After the narrator leaves the office and abandons Bartleby as one might do an animal that is no longer wanted, the narrator admits that he fears that his name might be put in the paper if a mob were to come to attack Bartleby.  But upon questioning him, Bartleby simply says, I would prefer not to make any change.  The small part of sanity that Bartleby holds onto is his familiar surroundings and the brief conversations he has with the narrator.  When he loses his place by being forcibly removed and incarcerated, it is too much for Bartleby to bear.  As well, he seems to become more upset with the narrator and refuses to speak with the only person that has ever spoken with him at length.  Like a poor animal sent to the pound, Bartleby withers away without eating and dies.  Though the narrator does try to retrieve him once from the prison, it is too late for Bartleby, as his humanness has been stripped and his isolation that was previously unhealthy turns into a more unhealthy outcome at a place where he is never at peace and loses all hope of ever finding it.

In closing, the narrator has much to do with Bartlebys isolation and subsequent death.  It is unclear why Bartleby discontinues his duties, but he does exhibit signs of depression and then insanity, although he is somewhat comforted by the surroundings that once made him a happy and hard-working person.  When he stops working, he becomes less like a person and more like a pet to the narrator, who seems to like the entertainment of having Bartleby around, though the narrator acts as if he is only being charitable.  It is when Bartleby is finally abandoned and imprisoned in even more inhumane conditions that he cannot bear to live at all.