Introduction
Herman Melville’s Bartleby, the Scrivener is a short story set in Manhattan’s financial district. In 1853, it was published anonymously in two installments in Putnam’s Magazine. In 1856, it was republished in his The Piazza Tales with minor editorial changes.
After putting in some initial effort, the new clerk (Bartleby), hired by a Wall Street lawyer, says, “I would prefer not to.” When asked to make copies or do additional work, these words of refusal became his usual answer. Even after his dismissal from employment, he continued to reply by refusing terms, even when asked about anything. Scholar Robert Milder calls it “indisputably the finest of the short fiction in the Melville canon,” and countless interpretive articles have been published on the story. Therefore, we can attribute Bartleby’s terrible descent and premature death to his propensity to play antagonistic and pessimistic characters, which has inspired us to use conflict and negativity theories to comprehend him better.
Bartleby Through the Lens of Conflict Theory
Conflict theory can contribute to a better understanding of the story and its protagonist. The scientific approach taken by proponents of conflict theory aims to explain why violent conflicts occur in the first place. Conflict theorists investigate the general causes and effects of competition and the specifics of every conflict. Such explanations state that unequal distribution of wealth and authority in a society is the root cause of conflict.
Even if there is no consensus on what counts as “resources,” most theorists agree with Max Weber’s definition (Kühne 2). According to Weber, social stratification occurs when people fight for resources and authority (Kühne 2). As a result of the imbalance of power in society, people conform to the established norms and expectations. Max Weber’s perspective on class, status, and power allows us to spot the conflict theory in Bartleby the Scrivener.
Bartleby, the protagonist, is a crucial figure in developing conflict theory. Lori Duin Kelly claims that many diagnoses apply to him: schizophrenia, autism, borderline personality disorder, and Asperger’s syndrome are all possibilities (1). This can be seen in the narration because he becomes a glum schizo, a Job/Christ hybrid, a passive-aggressive jerk, and an alienated employee.
Furthermore, Kelly argues that he might be seen as a symbol for Melville, who, like his famous character, distanced himself from society by opting not to replicate the formula for the kinds of famous works that dominated the literature market of his day (Kelly 1). We can see this when he refuses to work and listens to his former employer’s advice. These characteristics of the story’s setting contribute to conflict in Bartleby’s world.
It was a smart move for the narrator to hire Bartleby. The incorporation of the lawyer is a natural extension of the company’s current structure, given that its primary function is the timely and reliable delivery of merchandise. This can be seen when Bartleby is a copyist who produces impressive work in a legible hand.
He always arrives at work early and stays late. Verifying the authenticity of copies is “a vital aspect of a scrivener’s profession,” as the narrator puts it, but Bartleby refuses to do it (Kelly 2). This is evidence of ongoing workplace tension between Bartleby and his colleagues at the law firm, rooted in Bartleby’s prominent position there.
Even his detractors agree that Bartleby is the most provocative test of brotherhood one is ever likely to confront, either in fiction or in life, and that he can exasperate the kind that generates tales. This can be seen from the lawyer who tells the story while focusing on numerous critical approaches.
Due to this strategy, Kelly asserts that the lawyer painted Bartleby as self-interested yet well-intentioned toward others (1). Everyone from psychos and comedians to nihilists and Christians has found something interesting about him. Indeed, Melville’s “Bartleby the Scrivener” tends to attract critics of all stripes like a magnet, maybe more so than any other fictional work. Evidence shows that the story’s interpretation has been causing tension among writers.
The other workers, Nippers, Turkey, and Ginger Nut, are affected by Bartleby’s presence at the workplace. This is because of the difficulty he causes in the production process and, ultimately, the creation of a product that is essential to the Entire operation’s financial success. Kelly explains that long before Bartleby arrives, the senior clerks show signs of hysteria “in keeping with the idea of a pathogenic atmosphere” (3).
We can also see this where both Turkey and Nippers show signs of extreme stress, including Turkey’s alcoholism and Nippers’ stomach problems. The scale of Bartleby’s unfathomable behavior threatens to destabilize the efficient operation that provides them with a living and has a track record of successfully accepting their eccentricities. The manager’s efforts to satisfy Bartleby’s growing list of preferences contribute to unanticipated problems in the workplace, even though understanding the peculiarities of his staff is critical to how he has structured job assignments inside his organization. This suggests that conflicts arose between law practice employees before Bartleby’s arrival.
The narrator’s decision to see Bartleby and try to reason with him is consistent with the theoretical philosophy of settling disputes. The narrator invites Bartleby to move in with him while they figure out a better solution, and he is also given a list of potential occupations to apply for. In response, Bartleby says he “prefers not to make any change” and turns down the offer (Desmarais 1).
As the landlord and tenants start bothering the narrator, he leaves the building and the area for several days. The narrator’s attempts to resolve the problems demonstrate that each conflict is different and may be approached differently. Despite the availability of many potential fixes, it becomes clear that some issues still need to be solved.
The theory of conflict proposes an explanation for the emergence of friction. This is shown in the story by the narrator’s inner conflict as he tries to solve an external strife, finding another clerk to make his job more manageable. Melville relies heavily on the narrator’s commentary and character development.
Lee Edelman suggests that the narrator’s persona is changed from a man with a “seldom lost temper” to a man close to madness, even though he remains unnamed throughout the story (101). When it becomes apparent that the narrator needs a new clerk to make up for the deficiencies of his current staff, Melville’s early usage of minor characters lays the groundwork for the action later in the novel. Melville uses irony to describe the peculiarities of these people, which the reader can use to guess where Bartleby will fit into the conflict.
Conflict theorists hold that each dispute is unique and must be studied more broadly to understand the rivalry’s root causes and consequences. Melville’s use of the narrator’s mixed feelings towards Bartleby’s protest is crucial to illustrating conflict theory through narrative. It shows that the conflict between Bartleby and the narrator caused Bartleby’s refusal to work on his assigned duties (Marcus 367).
Further on, much attention is paid to the feelings of the protesters, but it is essential to remember that the people being protested against have feelings, too. It does not matter what kind of protest it is or who is being resisted. In this case, the narrator felt strong negative emotions, including antagonism, cynical rage, sadness, fear, and disgust.
They are all quite understandable reactions from the protest group. It is natural to feel angry at first, as anger is the first response to any opposition. The realization that their behavior may have been improper inevitably follows.
Fear can follow sadness if people worry that the depressed person will take extreme actions, such as a protest or a coup. Finally, they may become appalled for allowing this person to affect them profoundly. Like Melville, who also highlights the relevance of the protester’s emotional journey in “Bartleby, the Scrivener,” this theme is explored by individuals who engage in nonviolent resistance. By developing conflict theory, Bartleby’s refusal to labor as a protest shows this point.
In line with the conflict theory, being cut off from others is a contributing factor that can eventually lead to antagonism. The narrator’s behavior and thought processes demonstrate the concept of social isolation. The author writes, “But just as the melancholy of Bartleby grew and grew to grow in his imagination, so did that pity merge into fear, and that pity into repulsion” (Edelman 111). All through the story, the narrator’s empathy for Bartleby never wavered. His initial feelings of sadness and sympathy for Bartleby quickly morphed into antagonism.
Negativity Bias and the Pessimistic Environment
The negativism theory can also be applied to understand the story’s events and the narrator’s perspective. Also known as the negativity effect, the theory is a form of cognitive bias in which people are more likely to focus on negative information. Adverse events impact mental health more than positive or neutral counterparts.
The impact of a happy experience on a person’s behavior and thought processes is typically smaller than that of a negative one, even if both incidents are equally emotionally charged (Sepetyi 74). Researchers have looked into the negativity bias in various contexts, such as first impressions and overall assessments, focus and memory, and choice and risk analysis. The story’s main character is a significant part of this theory; hence, it appears multiple times in the narrative.
This Wall Street law firm has a fundamentally pessimistic outlook. A decrease in output from the Awyer’s two scriveners, Turkey and Nippers, prompted the hiring of Bartleby. Despite the narrator’s inability to comprehend it, the story conveys a profound pessimism about their circumstances and characters. These two secretaries are established as pessimists due to their employment description as “sentries” who swap guards since one is effective only in the morning and the other is effective only in the afternoon (Ikoku 4). It is awkward because they share a workplace, yet have to interact.
Reading closely also shows that the narrator seems blind to Turkey and is only productive before noon because he gets drunk at lunch. Nippers’ “indigestion” in the morning is presumably the result of drug addiction that the lawyer does not know. This proves the lawyer’s office was already filled with pessimism before hiring Bartleby.
In the beginning, Bartleby does a lot of good work. However, after being requested to proofread a document one day, he began to always respond with the exact phrase: “I would like not to” (Desmarais 1). As a result of this reaction, a streak of pessimism begins to creep into Bartleby’s personality. The narrator is upset, and the other workers are annoyed.
During a short amount of time, Bartleby starts doing absolutely nothing. Instead, he stares blankly out his office window at the brick wall outside. Many of the narrator’s attempts to reason with or learn more about Bartleby end in failure. The narrator visits the workplace on a Sunday morning and finds Bartleby using the space (Marcus 4). This indicates that if the attitude has spread from one worker to the rest of the office, something has prompted pessimism.
When Bartleby’s reputation for continually hanging about the office without actually doing any work grows, tensions rise among his coworkers. As the narrator realizes Bartleby threatens his business but cannot bring himself to evict him, he relocates to a new location. This is an example of how one pessimistic worker can bring a sweeping change in an organization.
Further on, Bartleby’s pessimism gets to the point where he will get a job or pay his bills, including rent. His former boss has moved out, yet he refuses to leave his old office (Marcus 5). Due to this, the new renter of the narrator’s old workplace comes to him for assistance in getting rid of Bartleby. Still, the narrator insists that he bears no responsibility for the actions of his former employee. This demonstrates how negativity in the workplace has spread beyond its original setting and is now affecting other members of society.
Since Bartleby is still causing a disturbance in the building where the narrator’s former office was located, many of the building’s other occupants and their landlord have continued to approach the narrator. Although Bartleby has been fired from his job, he spends the entire day sitting on the stairs of the building and the night sleeping in the doorway of the building (Desmarais 3). This demonstrates that Bartleby has been adversely affected on multiple occasions by pessimism, which has increased the severity of his disturbance.
Finally, the narrator is coerced by other tenants and the landlord to visit Bartleby and reason with him. The narrator offers Bartleby different positions, which he can apply for if he wishes, and even proposes that he move in until a better solution can be found. However, Bartleby rejects the invitation by stating that he would “prefer not to make any alteration” and subsequently refuses the offer (Desmarais 1). The narrator leaves the building and the area for several days to avoid being disturbed by the landlord and the other tenants. This demonstrates that once pessimism affects someone, it is challenging, if not impossible, to reverse their status.
When the narrator finally returns from his hiding place, he finds out that the landlord has already contacted the authorities. Bartleby had been taken into custody by the cops and was being held in the Tombs as a vagrant. The narrator, who has a compassionate heart, decides to visit Bartleby, but Bartleby does not want to see him. However, he pays a cook a bribe to ensure Bartleby has sufficient food to eat while incarcerated.
When the narrator returns to check on Bartleby a few days later, he finds that he has died of starvation (Ikoku 2). Bartleby had decided that he did not want to eat. This demonstrates that Bartleby had become so negatively damaged by his attitude that he no longer cared about his existence. Due to this, pessimism is a dangerous attitude that has the potential to result in death.
The idea that an employee is only productive for half the day, every day, perfectly illustrates how pessimism impacts the atmosphere of the lawyer’s office. Not only do physical barriers separate people, but temperaments do as well. In addition, the lawyer does not come out and say it, but he clarifies that Turkey’s issues directly result from his excessive drinking. The fact that the lawyer does not refer to Turkey by its proper name is just one example of how language might fail to reveal the complete truth of a negative situation.
Another example is that the lawyer needs to be forthright about Turkey’s problems (Sepetyi 75). This demonstrates that substance misuse is a significant problem that contributes to pessimism and affects the level of productivity in the workplace.
The short narrative uses the scenery and space to enhance the gloomy, hostile atmosphere of the office. The oppressive walls of the legal firm are a constant motif of negativity throughout the novel. Early on, the narrator mentions that the office’s few windows do not let in much natural light since they bump up against the walls of neighboring buildings. However, this does not stop Bartleby from staring at them for long periods.
In addition, “ground-glass folding doors” separate the office space into the lawyer’s office and the scriveners’ area (Kelly 8). As a result, even if the doors are shut, the narrator can see his staff through the glass, but he cannot hear them. When Bartleby is hired, the narrator places their desks next to each other, suggesting he may want to form a closer working relationship.
Bartleby’s desk is put in the corner of the office, with a folding screen offered to conceal Bartleby from the lawyers’ view. Thus, the initial setting is reversed, with the narrator unable to see Bartleby while keeping him within earshot. This suggests the narrator has a grim outlook on the people who work for him.
The office’s location, Wall Street, can be argued to evoke a strong negative association. After the lawyer chooses to switch offices near the end of the story, Bartleby is removed by force from the old office and is practically imprisoned in The Tombs. The lawyer visits Bartleby but becomes trapped in the central yard area of the prison, which has “surrounding walls of amazing thickness” (Desmarais 3). This scene is reminiscent of the previous description of the workplace, with the Wall Street offices being compared to jail cells surrounded by unescapable walls meant to keep prisoners in.
Conclusion
Bartleby’s sad collapse and untimely death can be linked to his propensity to play pessimists and antagonists. Conflict and pessimism develop as a result of this shift. Bartleby’s disruptive behavior at work and its subsequent impact on society create conflict. Attempts to settle the disagreements he has had so far have been unsuccessful. Conversely, pessimism grows when Bartleby refuses to accept change, resulting in his demise.
Works Cited
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Edelman, Lee. “Occupy Wall Street: “Bartleby” Against the Humanities.” History of the Present, vol. 3, no. 1, 2013, pp. 99-118. Web.
Ikoku, Alvan A. “Refusal in “Bartleby, the Scrivener”: Narrative Ethics and Conscientious Objection.” AMA Journal of Ethics, vol. 15, no. 3, 2013, pp. 249-256. Web.
Kelly, Lori D. “Office Setting as Organizational Structure in “Bartleby the Scrivener”.” SAGE Open, vol. 7, no. 1, 2017, pp. 1-8. Web.
Kühne, Olaf. “Landscape Conflicts—A Theoretical Approach Based on the Three Worlds Theory of Karl Popper and the Conflict Theory of Ralf Dahrendorf, Illustrated by the Example of the Energy System Transformation in Germany.” Sustainability, vol. 12, no. 17, 2020, p. 6772. Web.
Marcus, Mordecai. “Melville’s Bartleby as a Psychological, Double.” College English, vol. 23, no. 5, 1962, pp. 365-368. Web.
Sepetyi, Dmytro. “Non-justificationism and the Negativist Legend about Karl Popper’s Philosophy.” The World of Knowledge, 2021, pp. 73-86. Web.