Bartleby, the Scrivener

“Bartleby, the Scrivener” is set on Wall Street, a symbol of power and capitalism, and the narrator is a functionary within the capitalist system. Consider the setting and the narrator’s perspective: What does he represent in the story, and why is his inability to understand Bartleby meaningful in the story? How do his attempts to be charitable or have empathy for Bartleby fail, and what does that say about the society in which the story takes place?

Teaching Suggestion: You might choose to have students work in pairs to identify and analyze key quotes from the story that demonstrate how the narrator’s perspective or the story’s setting provide context for Bartleby’s place in relation to those elements. Students should be encouraged to consider why the story is framed from the narrator’s perspective and why the reader is put in the position of interpreting Bartleby’s actions, and you might lead them to consider whether the narrator is demonstrating real empathy in his attempts to understand Bartleby.

Differentiation Suggestion: For students who would benefit from an additional challenge or who express themselves best through art, consider one of the following options.

• Research Project: Students might look into the history of Wall Street and compare attitudes about high finance from Melville’s era to the modern conception of the finance industry.