Bartleby, the Scrivener: a Story of Wall-StreetEver Felt Alone, Surrounded by People...' Bartleby the Scrivener explores the theme of isolation in American life and the workplace through actual physical loneliness and mental loneliness. Although all of the characters at the office are related by being co-workers, Bartleby is the only one whose name is known to us and seems serious, as the rest of characters have odd nicknames, such as ""Nippers"" or ""Turkey."" This excludes him from being normal in the workplace. Bartleby's former job was at the ""Dead Letter Office"" that received mail with nowhere to go, representing the isolation of communication that Bartleby had at both places of work, being that he was given a separate work area for himself at the lawyer's office. Bartleby begins to never leave the office, but repeats what he does all day long, copying, staring, and repeating his famous words of ""I would prefer not to,"" leading readers to have another image of the repetition that leads to isolation on Wall Street and the American workplace. |
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added afternoon answer appeared asked assumed assumption Bartleby Bartleby's blots building called chair chambers clerks closed coat common concerning consider considerable copying depart desk dinner documents door eats eccentricities effect entered entirely examine excited eyes face fact feel felt floor further Ginger Nut give hand head hermitage human hurried imagination lawyer least letters live lock looking manner matter mean mind morning nature never Nippers occupied original owing pale passed period person poor prefer premises present prove quit reason received refuses remained remembered removed replied resolved round sake screen scrivener seemed seen short silently sort soul speak standing strange submission Sunday sure tell thing thought thrust tone touching Turkey Turkey's turning twelve o'clock walk wall window writing