Man of Mystery (Handout Question 6)

In Herman Melville's "Bartleby the Scrivener," Bartleby, fittingly, is the protagonist. Bartleby is the one who provides the main force of action throughout the story; without Bartleby's presence, the narrator's law firm would not be forced to relocate, nor would the narrator and his employees' working habits and tendencies be changed. The entirety of the plot action revolves around Bartleby; without him, no conflict concerning his quirks would arise. Bartleby seems to be a tragic hero more than any other type. His flaw is hard to pin down, yet it seems that it is the fact that he simply cannot adjust to his new life within the law firm. His refusal to adapt creates friction among the other characters, leading to Bartleby's abandonment, arrest, and death.

Despite the fact that Bartleby is the protagonist, the meaning of the story would definitely be different if it had been Bartleby's story. Although it may have focused on Bartleby at times, the story truly was about the narrator, the head of the law firm. The mystery around the reason for Bartleby's odd behavior creates the primary feeling of suspense throughout the story. If Melville had written from the focal point of Bartleby, the story would have lost the large portion of its power that had derived from the story's emotional suspense. Yet by making the story the lawyer's, and not Bartleby's, Melville heightens suspense and mystery surrounding the enigma of Bartleby.