Bartleby vs. Society

In Herman Melville’s short story, “Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Short Story of Wallstreet”, we can see a message that perhaps is not even recognized by the narrator of the story. Bartleby represents a man that has disassociated himself from him job and from the expectations of the society around him. Bartleby used to work in the “dead letters” office of the place in which he worked – burning letters. The narrator describes this job as a job meant for “dead men”. Here we can already see the pointlessness and troublesome aspects of his life, which his job does nothing but reinforces. Eventually Bartleby lives in the streets and just gives up on his poor excuse of a job, similar to Peter, the main character in the film Office Space. The other members of society look at Bartleby and thinks that something should be done. This is what I find troublesome as a reader. The members in society believe that Bartleby should be contributing to society and that he should be arrested for failing to do so. This event in the story does not show a problem with Bartleby, but rather a problem with the other members of society.

The first issue is that the story takes place within the United States. If any members chooses to disassociate themselves from a job, especially one that does nothing to enhance or promote that individuals worth as a human being and member of society, then they have every right do so at their own discretion. The fact that society wants to have Bartleby arrested is absolutely ridiculous in that it defies the “American” believe that everyone has a choice and that people are free to make their own decisions when it comes to their jobs and work. Here, we also see the second problem – that Americans have this absolutely fallacious belief that everyone in our society has a choice. The majority of people in this country do not choose their jobs. When it comes down to either not surviving or working the most minimal paying and most likely tedious job that only satisfies the elite who do less for more pay -- that is not a legitimate choice. Also, the members in society seem to believe that everyone is capable of working, or that everyone has access to a job and all they need to do is work hard and never quit. Capitalism works because it depends on the fact that there is a significant number of people who are unemployed and a significant number of people who fill the roles of those who work tremendous amounts for little pay. People are in these situations because the market demands it and because the people who control the market make sure that they remain in these abusive conditions. People like Bartleby are around not because they are lazy, or because they never felt the need to contribute to society, but because the system has failed them and will always continue to do so. Bartleby is doing something that most people never do, he is living his life for himself rather than some society that believes that work and economic success lead to happiness and a system that completely diminishes his self worth.