“Bartleby the Scrivener” by Herman Melville - An Unlikely Comparison

After reading “Bartleby the Scrivener,” a short story by Herman Melville, an unlikely comparison became apparent. Although unexpected, the narrator of the story, or the lawyer, turned out to share quite a few similarities with Bartleby. A few paragraphs into the tale, the lawyer states, “I am a man who from his youth upwards has been filled with a profound conviction that the easiest way of life is the best,” (Melville, 642). Because of this attitude, the lawyer has accepted a rather passive career dealing with the finances of the wealthy. This way, he avoided the confrontation and arguing that often comes with being a lawyer. Bartleby the scrivener is very similar in his passivity. All of the rude and insolent comments made towards Bartleby by the other workers, Turkey, Nippers, and Ginger Nut, were completely ignored by Bartleby. He simply responded to their attacks by saying nothing, further proving his non-confrontational and detached personality. Furthermore, the lawyer is appalled that Bartleby refuses to leave the office and rather stays inside permanently, yet he himself only ever leaves his work to go home for the evening or to go on a walk. Bartleby and the lawyer also share a similarity in the idea that both reveal nothing about their pasts. Bartleby denies the direct requests for personal information, while Melville crafts the character of the lawyer to be void of this information. Additionally, any time a detail regarding the lawyer is about to be revealed, Melville cuts off the response to exclude any personal information. Although it seems unlikely at first, Bartleby and the lawyer are similar to each other in more ways than one.