Comparison
...rself from her husband and child and empty herself from her previous life. She pictures herself as a virgin in a tower. She wanted to exclude herself from the rest of the world. The father and child would still visit her in the evening until one evening something unusual happened, her child kissed her. The child would growl at her whenever she became too close in their previous encounters. She didn’t want the child to visit her after this incident. She tried to come out of the room when they were gone to take care of her duties, but still felt depressed. She did everything she could do, but still felt suffocated. Finally, she supplied her husband and child with everything they would need for the next two weeks, and then killed herself with a sleeping draught. The narrator in “Bartleby, the Scrivener” is an elderly, pale-faced man who makes a living helping rich men deal with their legal documents. He is convinced that the easiest path is always the best one. He has a very passive personality and can never seem to become angry. He feels that life has no meaning and is not enthused in the least bit with his life. The narrator already employs two scriveners, Nippers and Turkey. Ginger Nut, the office boy, gets his name from the little cakes he brings the men. Bartleby responds to an ad in the paper for a legal copyist for the narrator, and is hired on the spot. Bartleby begins as a very persistent and hard worker, over time he begins to do less and less of what the narrator asks of him. The narrator notices this but feels as though Bartleby has some sort of strange power over him because he refuses to bring this issue to Bartleby’s attention, so Bartleby continues to do less until he does nothing at all. Throughout the story he replies to any questions or demands by saying, ”I would prefer not to.” The narrator feels pity for Bartleby and tries on several attempts to learn about his life, but Bartleby refuses with the usual reply, “I would prefer not to.” One day the narrator stumbles upon the secret that Bartleby is now living in the office. He realizes that this can not happen and moves to a different office. Bartleby stays behind and continues to live in the old office. He refuses to leave even when the new tenants move in. One day when the narrator arrives at work he learns that Bartleby has been put in prison. He feels sorry for the old man and goes to visit ...