Podcast
Questions and Answers
What is Bartleby's job in the law office?
What is Bartleby's job in the law office?
What phrase does Bartleby commonly use when refusing work?
What phrase does Bartleby commonly use when refusing work?
Who is the narrator of the story?
Who is the narrator of the story?
What happens to Bartleby at the end of the story?
What happens to Bartleby at the end of the story?
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Which character is known for becoming ineffective due to drinking?
Which character is known for becoming ineffective due to drinking?
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What happens to the lawyer as he witnesses Bartleby's behavior?
What happens to the lawyer as he witnesses Bartleby's behavior?
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How do Turkey and Nippers contribute to the office dynamic?
How do Turkey and Nippers contribute to the office dynamic?
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What is Bartleby's ultimate fate in the story?
What is Bartleby's ultimate fate in the story?
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What character trait best describes Bartleby during his employment?
What character trait best describes Bartleby during his employment?
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What motivates the lawyer to move his office?
What motivates the lawyer to move his office?
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Study Notes
Plot Summary
- Setting: A law office on Wall Street, New York City, in the 1850s.
- Narrator: The unnamed lawyer who runs the law office.
- Introduction of Bartleby: Bartleby is hired as a scrivener (copyist). Initially hardworking and efficient.
- Change in Behavior: Bartleby starts to decline work requests, responding with "I would prefer not to."
- Escalation: His refusals increase; he stops doing any work altogether.
- Isolation: Bartleby becomes increasingly isolated, refusing to leave the office even after being fired.
- Final Outcome: The narrator moves offices but Bartleby remains. Eventually, he is arrested for vagrancy and imprisoned.
- Bartleby's Death: He dies in prison, refusing food and showing indifference to life.
Characters
- Bartleby: The main character; a scrivener who prefers to abstain from work and social interaction.
- The Narrator: A lawyer and the owner of the law office; attempts to understand Bartleby's behavior.
- Turkey: An older scrivener who works in the mornings but becomes ineffective in the afternoons due to drinking.
- Nippers: A scrivener who is young and restless, often struggles to work in the mornings.
- Ginger Nut: A young office boy who runs errands and provides snacks for the scriveners.
- The Lawyer's Clients: Various unnamed characters who interact with the narrator but do not play significant roles.
Setting and Plot Overview
- Set in a law office on Wall Street, New York City during the 1850s, highlighting the atmosphere of the legal profession.
- The unnamed lawyer serves as the narrator, providing personal insights and perspectives.
- Bartleby, hired as a scrivener, initially displays diligence and high efficiency in copying documents.
- A notable shift occurs as Bartleby begins to decline work requests with the phrase "I would prefer not to."
- His refusals escalate, ultimately leading him to cease all work and activities within the law office.
- Bartleby's isolation deepens, as he refuses to vacate the office even after being dismissed by the narrator.
- The narrator relocates the office but Bartleby remains behind, highlighting his detachment from the world.
- Bartleby is eventually arrested for vagrancy and faces imprisonment.
- He dies in prison, demonstrating indifference to life by refusing food.
Character Profiles
- Bartleby: Central figure; embodies themes of isolation and passive resistance, opting for inactivity over societal engagement.
- The Narrator: A law office owner who grapples with understanding Bartleby's peculiar behavior and his own moral responsibilities.
- Turkey: An older scrivener who performs well in the mornings but becomes inefficient by afternoon due to his drinking habits.
- Nippers: A young, restless scrivener who struggles with productivity in the morning hours, contrasting with Turkey's work pattern.
- Ginger Nut: A young office boy responsible for errands and providing refreshments, depicting the supporting structure of the office.
- Lawyer's Clients: Various unnamed clients that illustrate the nature of the law office's business interactions, though their direct impact is minimal.
Plot Summary
- The story is set in a law office located on Wall Street, New York City, during the mid-19th century.
- The narrator is an unnamed lawyer who owns and operates a small legal practice.
- Bartleby is hired by the lawyer as a scrivener due to his initial impressive demeanor and productivity.
- Initially, Bartleby is a diligent worker, but he soon starts to decline tasks by stating, "I would prefer not to."
- As Bartleby's refusal escalates, he eventually ceases all work and begins to live in the office, raising concerns.
- Attempts to confront Bartleby reveal his unyielding nature as he continues to refuse all requests.
- To evade confrontation, the lawyer relocates his office, but Bartleby remains in the former space.
- Bartleby is arrested for vagrancy; the lawyer visits him in prison where Bartleby is unresponsive.
- Bartleby ultimately dies of starvation, highlighting a tragic end to his passive resistance.
Characters
- Bartleby: A scrivener who transitions from diligent work to complete passivity, exhibiting profound withdrawal from societal engagement.
- Narrator (Lawyer): The unnamed lawyer who struggles to comprehend Bartleby's behavior and attempts to help him, reflecting a duality of empathy and frustration.
- Turkey: An older scrivener productive in the mornings but becomes ineffective in the afternoons due to alcohol consumption, illustrating the pitfalls of personal excess.
- Nippers: A younger scrivener whose work is hindered by indigestion, experiencing irritability in the morning, showcasing the struggles of daily life.
- Ginger Nut: A young office boy who performs errands and provides snacks for the scriveners, representing the dynamics of office hierarchy and the burdens of labor.
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Description
Test your understanding of Herman Melville's 'Bartleby the Scrivener'. This quiz covers the plot summary, character analysis, and themes of the story set in a 1850s Wall Street law office. Dive deep into Bartleby's peculiar behavior and the narrator's response to it.