Office hermitage,\
the willingness to observe,\
learn from suffering
. HaikuPrajna . Bartleby the Scrinivier . Herman Melville . Book Review
Read online at HaikuPrajna
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Hello reader,
My enjoyment of Bartleby the Scrinivier, by Herman Melville, as in Moby Dick, was in an inverse proportion to the titular subject's complete lack of zest and enthusiasm in his outright refusal, without malice nor much retort, to work on certain requests.
Meaning, this story was a great read.
Instead of fighting with Bartleby’s hermitage, after finding himself unable to dismiss him, the Narrator worked around peculiarities such as Bartleby living in the office.
After at first deciding instead to continue utilizing Bartleby and calling on others to pick up on the work, the Narrator moves his entire office and all his other workers, just to find Bartleby forced back into his life again.
The Narrator insisted on understanding and helping, despite receiving a lack of an answer.
The Narrator at first pitied him, but the feeling merged with fear and repulsion, recognizing Bartleby’s afflictions could be caused by ills, his soul suffering in a way the Narrator was unable to help in the way the Narrator could Bartleby’s body.
Employing the copy of legal documents, the Narrator lived by and for the written law, so when he observed what he perceived to be a rule he found himself compelled to accommodate it, or else experience anguish. Bartleby was integrated to sate a desire to be rebelled against, and to fulfill the desire to feel like one was helping another in some way.
What was more important was the Narrator's condoning and observing of Bartleby's depression, the compartmentalizing and observing of a depressed individual in order to experience one's own feelings in a controlled environment.
The Narrator saw Bartleby in himself, was perhaps even anxious of it happening to him, and sought a logical remedy to employ in such an event.
The Narrator was able to see the good and bad in the people under his employment, and was able to utilize the best in people in spite of their faults. His willingness to rid himself of depression (from his own, to its personification in Bartleby) is melancholic, but it is in earnest and meant without ill will.
Where Bartleby himself experienced the nature of discarding that which lacked utility, the Narrator was willing to make some form of practical and personal good.
. 20241217 . 20241218 . One day birthday read
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Thank you for reading,
Until next time!
Allen W. McLean
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