Motivation In Melville's Bartleby The Scrivener

Bartleby slowly lost even the ambition to do his job. Moreover, Bartleby’s repeated response of “preferring not too” shows no ill will but is simply a refusal. Having no interest in money or leaving, he breaks the unspoken hierarchal structure in the workplace and creates his own option. This ideology disarms the narrator, as the majority of people who work see it as two choices: do it and get paid or go somewhere else. Therefore, when Bartleby first refused to do his job the narrator did not fire Bartleby. The narrator felt, “Had there been the least uneasiness, anger, impatience or impertinence in his manner…I should have violently dismissed him from the premises.” (302, Melville) As Bartleby never made an excuse or used malice no one knew how to respond, and so saved his job.
As Bartleby begins creating his own meaning to the narrator, he commits less and less to his job. During this time the narrator becomes consumed by Bartleby as, “Indeed, it was his wonderful mildness chiefly, which not only disarmed me but unmanned me, as it were.” (307, Melville) Bartleby’s freedom from greed, ego or any emotion was so intriguing to the narrator he perpetually pondered this pallid man. The more time the narrator takes in Bartleby, the more

However, he felt that his conscious overcome with shame as Bartleby, “seemed alone, absolutely alone in the universe.” (311, Melville) His soul portrayed him as a villain for leaving Bartleby. So when the new owners came and asked him to help deal with Bartleby he offered Bartleby a place in his home. Following this when Bartleby is arrested by the new owners the narrator visits Bartleby and pays for him to eat well in prison. These actions by the narrator do not have any underlying motives. He does not aim to gain anything from Bartleby he just wants to help this man. A complete shift from the narrator at the beginning who hid his lack of humanity with his social