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Solitude vivifies; isolation kills. (Roux 1886) Bartleby, The Scrivener by Herman Melville is abundant with isolation and Bartleby's failure to connect with humanity. Bartleby portrays one of the most isolated characters in literature. Bartleby's environment cuts him off from nature and often, from humanity. During the day, Bartleby stares out his window at a wall in which Wall Street reveals a bleak and unnatural landscape. Bartleby also stays there during the night, when the bustling human population vanishes and the streets become desolately empty. The narrator makes attempts to learn about Bartleby and help him, but all attempts meet with failure, and the narrator gives up.
The theme of isolation in this story can be found within four elements: character symbolism, descriptive passages, irony and the novellas theme. As the narrator first introduces us to Bartleby, he says, I can see that figure now pallidly neat, pitiably respectable, incurably forlorn! (Melville 15) These words by definition are paleness, deserved ness of pity and forever sad or lonely. Right away, the narrator characterizes Bartleby as a lonely, pitiful man that has no sign of life left inside of him. This leads the reader to believe that Bartleby has low self-esteem and isolation issues.
Choosing to take a standpoint when not really having one, Bartleby refuses to work, kindly saying, I would prefer not to. (Melville 24) This tells us that he may feel menial and that his work was mediocre by the standards given. His withdrawal issues tell us that he attempts to isolate himself from society. From a psychological perspective, this leads the reader to believe that either he was forsaken as a child and found that contentment is individualistic, or more presumably is that society may have marred him before, leading him to the same zealousness as previously stated. Melville's use of descriptive passages shows how the narrator attempts to disassociate and isolate Bartleby by his placement in the office. The narrator tells us exactly what he did to Bartleby, down to the smallest detail, to isolate him from the rest of society: I placed his desk close up to a small side window in that part of the room, a window which originally had afforded a lateral view of certain grimy backyards, and bricks, but which, owning to in subsequent erections, commanded at present, no view at all, though it gave some light.
Within three feet of the panes was a wall, and the light came down from far above between two lofty buildings, as from a very small opening in a dome. Still further to satisfactory arrangement, I procured a green folding screen, which might entirely isolate Bartleby from my sight, though, not remove him from my voice. (Melville 17) Bartleby's window, normally a method of deliverance, results in his being behind yet another wall. This further reinforces his isolation. The irony in the entire story is that the more the narrator pushes Bartleby away, the more the narrator becomes more affected by it and tries to pull him closer.
Instead of firing him for his refusal to copy, proofread or leave the office, he attempts to find other jobs and offers him to live at his home. The narrator begins as a cold, disheartening character and ends up as a compassionate soul. The novellas theme is as Joseph Roux tells us, Solitude vivifies; isolation kills. To be alone and secluded, one is merely refreshing their soul, whereas isolation is shutting yourself away from the world, hiding from humanity. By not fitting into the mainstream, Bartleby left himself open to isolation, ridicule and disassociation. Although, the narrator isolated Bartleby, he lived an abnormal life by choice, thus in the end killing himself.
This theme is inherently symbolic for todays society. Society is becoming alarmingly more isolated than ever. Our husbands and wives work in cubicles similar to that of Bartleby and are oblivious to the world around them. We shut ourselves away from our families, focusing on the internet or television and drowning out the background noise. Our lives are a mundane repetition of day in and day out with little to no time for physical exercise or socializing.
Isolation can drive a person insane, make him mute or even kill him. Do not let yourself surrender to the aversion of others and be isolated like Bartleby. There is more to life than what lies directly in front of you.
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Research essay sample on Solitude Vivifies Isolation Kills Solitude Vivifies Isolation Bartleby
