Herman Melville's Bartleby, The Scrivener

Herman Melville constructed Ahab in the representation of the Shakespearean mad scenes he presents. With a little more research, is it obvious that ‘Madness is one of the main themes in Moby-Dick and King Lear. Both Ahab and King Lear Soliloquys are parallel to one another. King Lear says: O Regan, Goneril! Your old kind father, whose frank heart gave you all - O, that way madness lies, let me shun that; No more of that. (Act3. Scene4. 18-22) Ahab says in the chapter Sunset: What I’ve dared, I’ve willed; and what I’ve willed I’ll do! They think me mad-- Starbuck does; but I’m demoniac, I am madness maddened! That wild madness that’s only calm to comprehend itself . . . I now prophecy that I will dismember my dismemberer. (139) the word ‘madness’

In The Scarlet Letter written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, contains a peculiar man named Roger Chillingworth who kills for revenge. In the same manner in Moby Dick written by Herman Melville Captain Ahab also sets his mind on revenge. These two men have a real desire to do what they think will make them right but actually puts them lower than others.

Many years after Moby-Dick was first condemned, there are still modern occurrences of controversy. In 1996, a Texas public school district challenged Moby-Dick for violating its community ideals. This difficulty with the novel arose when “parents complained that the book went against family values,” so it was shunned from the classroom for a few months, although it was never actually banned (Jarvis 80). Although these values were never clearly defined, literary critics believe that a “controversial topic in Moby-Dick scholarship has been the novel’s homoeroticism,” or the underlying themes of same-sex desire and symbolic gender roles (Habich and Nowatzki 155). This theory can be observed in the relationship between Ishmael and Queequeg. One morning, Ishmael wakes up to find “Queequeg’s arm thrown over [him] in the most loving and affectionate manner. [One] had almost thought [he] had been his wife” (Melville 62). In this instance, and in many others throughout the novel, their relationship can be interpreted as deeper than the love between friends, as Ishmael’s thoughts almost seem to reveal his feelings toward Queequeg. Although many disagree that this theme is prevalent, it could be a reason why the Texas school district challenged the novel. Despite the fact that this was the only case in which the novel was challenged, many schools often identify Moby-Dick as being far too complex for students to fully appreciate Melville’s tone, themes, and writing style.

Melville’s life had a great impact on the story Moby Dick. In the same way, he had a bad leg on one of his journeys, he creates Captain Ahab with a broken leg. Primarily, by reading Shakespeare’s plays he creates the setting and language of the novel. In the same manner, he uses his dramatic technique in creating Ahab as a tragic hero villain. The character’s madness and disrespectful behavior are part of this Shakespearean technique. Including tragedy in the novel made possible Ahab’s character. Moreover because

In Mike Bunn’s reading “How to Read Like a Writer” he discuss the importance of being able to read as a writer. He explains why it’s necessary to be able to understand what the author is trying to get across. Being able to identify why a writer chose is a certain tone for his/her writing is what makes one a better reader. One should put to themselves in the author’s shoes and be able to connect with the writing and understand from what point the author is coming from. When reading like a writer it facilitates one’s ability to understand to do this. Most students now a days are too focused on reading for context instead of trying to figure out how and why the piece came together and the reasoning behind the author’s choices. Bunn’s reading will

He goes to an old retired professor for help. “ ‘I need you to teach me.’ ” (87). Faber is hesitant at first, but after seeing Montag’s sincerity he agrees to teach him. Faber knows no one can instantly be taught to understand books, as this knowledge can only be attained over time. So instead Faber teachers Montag the importance of books. “ ‘...they have quality. And what does the word quality mean? To me it means texture. This book has pores… The more pores, the more truthfully recorded details of life per square inch you can get on a sheet of paper, the more `literary' you are.’ ” (83). The information that books supply show the real features of life. Unlike TV, which just displays the sugarcoated, happy version, books reveal the good and bad about the world. Books bring expression to humanity making people think about why things are happening. When this happens people question every change in society making it more well rounded as a whole. And when Montag learns this he knows he must fight to save

Thomas Foster, in his essay “Is That a Symbol?,” suggests that every concrete object in a piece of literature can be a symbol. Foster supports his claim by describing a scenario and pointing out objects that are symbols. His purpose is to further inform students on what a symbol is in order to help them better understand pieces of literature and their many meanings. Foster establishes a formal but humorous tone with his intended audience for this essay which includes students from various levels of education, middle school and up. Based on my original claim, this essay will help me to further explain my symbols and why they are significant to the story.

Bartleby “prefers not” to work as a way to reject the authority of the narrator as a “boss” in the workplace. At the end of the story, Bartleby’s employment history defines one possible reason for his refusal to work: “Bartleby had been a subordinate clerk in the Dead Letter Office at Washington” (Melville para.250). This background tells the reader that that Bartleby worked in a very depressing environment for many years before coming to the Lawyer’s firm. Bartleby appears to “prefer not” to work or find his own living space because he can no longer do the work of a copyist in this

Further illustration of the novel shows that Stubb desires the cook to finish his sermon with an invocation so that he can finish his meal. Downy's sermon closes with an immediate revile upon his higher-positioning persecutor: "Cussed fellow-critters! Kick up de damnest row as ever you can; fill your dam' bellies 'till dey bust--and den die" (Melville 346). In the last endeavor at boosting his sense of self to the detriment of the cook, Stubb orders Fleece to bow to him as he is being expelled. He does as such, yet Melville gives him the section's last words, as the concoct entireties the hidden truth of this scene: "I'm bressed if he ain't more of shark dan Massa Shark hisself" ( Melville 348). In spite of his outward signals, for example, his last bow to Stubb, Fleece's last lines at long last keep up the same stealthy imperviousness to the specialist that he shows all through the part.

Quoting the credible National Association of Manufacturers, he states, “poor reading skills ranked second” (in skills deficiencies among workers) and that “38 percent of employees complained that local schools inadequately taught reading comprehension.” This use of logos helps to show the reader the importance of reading in a situation that is likely a part of their daily life. After that he goes on to show how reading has impacted society and politics as well, illustrating to the reader his claim that reading affects all of us. He then states that “literary readers are markedly more civically engaged than non readers.” This fact shows the benefits of reading while also falling under logos. Showing the reader positives of reading in a factual way can be very persuasive. He then goes on to use strong and persuasive diction to support his claim, stating “The decline of literary reading foreshadows serious long-term social and economic problems, and it is time to bring literature and the other arts into discussions of public policy.” Using a slight guilt technique can persuade the reader. This strong diction continues to support his claim. And finally he ends his essay saying that the qualities gained from reading are not skills that “society can afford to

In Herman Melville’s short story, “Bartleby, the Scrivener”, multiple foils can be observed. Foils being a contrast between two characters or even settings. However, this text will be centered on specifically two foils. The first one, the narrator being a foil of Bartleby, leading to the second foil; Nippers and/or Turkey being foils of Bartleby once again. As previously said, Bartleby the Scrivener and the narrator seem to be foils of each other. The protagonist, Bartleby, resists the crowd and the usual way of living. He lives against the norms: isolating himself from society and humanity. Barely eating, or a certain point refusing to eat, living in his own office consequently cutting contact with humans and not executing his boss’s, the narrator, orders. Therefore, completely defying

Bartleby, from Bartleby the Scrivener, and Willy Loman, from Death of a Salesman, are in many ways opposites. Bartleby is an extreme individualist; only doing what he wants to, no matter the personal or professional cost. On the other hand, Willy Loman is a conformist; he does what he is told, lives an average life, and pursues the “American Dream” like most Americans do. Bartleby and Willy also share similarities: both are physiologically broken and their respective individuality and conformity lead them to their deaths, albeit in different ways. The stories themselves are also similar in that they both critique American society. Bartleby and Willy are like two sides of the same coin, no matter which side faces up the coin still falls.

In this article “ Why literature matters” by Dana Gioia explains that American art has changed. It points out the fact that literary knowledge is declining. Some of the changes that were pointed out is that most people no longer read. His main purpose is to encourage people to begin to read again and that will help them improve their intellectual level. In the article Gioia expresses reasoning and includes evidence of the importance of reading.

The short story “Bartleby the Scrivener” by Herman Melville, showcases the protagonist, Bartleby, as a scrivener who is inundated with the demanding expectations of his job while being employed by an overbearing mercenary boss. Ultimately, Melville illustrates the protagonist’s sanity and moral value deteriorating as Bartleby begins to lose the will to live due to the stress that his job has created.

Published in Putnam’s Magazine, 1855, Benito Cereno seemed merely a retelling of the chilling events that occurred aboard the ship Tyral, dealing with the slave rebellion and outside interference of the Perseverance. At the pivotal time Melville’s story was being published, tensions were heightened with respect to increasingly diverting opinions on slavery, just before the start of the civil war. Critic J. G. Alleline understands this exceptionally well, arguing that Benito Cereno was not simply a quest narrative about the happenings of a slave-ship rebellion, but rather an intricate narration by Melville of which he describes as the “the legacie of the immorality of slavery is a distinctly American inability to determine what truly matters”, when considering the