Reference no: EM133599062

Question: Melville's "Bartleby the Scrivener"

In some ways, I think many people can identify with both the narrator and with Bartleby in this story. Both are very sympathetic figures. There's a lot we can discuss here so, like last week's prompt B, for this week, please pick from the list below (just make sure if one is getting a lot of attention to write about another topic so the discussion doesn't stagnate).

• What commentary is there in this piece about working in an office environment? Are there modern day connections to make to/from this?
• What does the narrator's interaction with his employees suggest about his personality? What kind of employer is he? Would he make a good employer? Why/Why not?
• We don't know what's wrong with Bartleby. But based on what we are told by the narrator, what does this story illustrate about depression? Isolation? etc.
• Just as in "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" food is a motif. How is it different in this story? What does food signify?
• What's a Dead Letter? Is Bartleby himself a "Dead Letter?" Explain.
• Your own point about the story you'd like to discuss.