Response To 'Bartleby, The Scrivener'

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ide range of emotions to arise in readers due to the story’s bizarre character named Bartleby. Herman Melville was an American writer who composed stories during the American Renaissance period. He is mostly known as being the author of a classic book called “Moby Dick”. This essay will examine a reader's reaction and response to the characters in “Bartleby, the Scrivener” by using the reader-response strategy. In Melville’s short story there are many unusual characters that cause conflict to emerge. Each character creates an opinion and reaction in the reader's mind while reading which can be seen by using the reader-response strategy.
“Bartleby, the Scrivener” is about a wealthy lawyer who hires a scrivener named Bartleby who at first was a great worker that did what was asked of him, but as time passed he refused to do anything. The lawyer fires Bartleby and relocates his business due to Bartleby's unwillingness to move. …show more content…
Melville created many intriguing characters in his short story, “Bartleby, the Scrivener” such as, the lawyer, Turkey, Nippers, and Ginger Nut. But he emphasizes and focuses the reader's attention on the most peculiar character, Bartleby. Bartleby is introduced by being described as a, “motionless young man, that is pallidly neat, pitiably respectable, and incurably forlorn.” (126) Bartleby’s description may not cause a strong emotional response in readers but his stubborn attitude may agitate them or cause them to feel empathetic towards him. Whenever Bartleby is asked to do something he responds by saying, “I would prefer not to” (127) . Readers may first be amused by his child like response but soon they start to become frustrated at his unwillingness to cooperate. When Bartleby prefers not to eat and dies in prison readers may be shocked and feel empathetic once they
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