Bartleby, the Scrivener
By: Herman Melville

When I read this story, I actually felt really bad for Bartleby.  Compared to Nippers and Turkey, he was a very different person.  When asked to examine documents, Bartleby used the simple response of "I would prefer not to" (649).  He was so different that the lawyer was intrigued by him; he would even watch Bartleby.  He soon noticed that Bartleby never left the office.  He started to feel bad for him, and he decided to keep him employed out of pity.  One Sunday, the lawyer stopped by the office after Church.  He couldn't get the door unlocked because the key wouldn't fit, and Bartleby opened the door.  "In a brief word or two, he moreover added that perhaps I had better walk round the block two or three times, and by that time he would probably have concluded his affairs" (656).  The lawyer soon realized that Bartleby had been living in the office.  He felt very sorry for the scrivener.  The lawyer decided that he would try to talk to Bartleby about the situation, but Bartleby was resistant to the topic.  Bartleby eventually quit his job, yet he remained in the office as his only source of shelter.  He was thrown in jail when he was told that he must move out.  He eventually died in jail, and the lawyer found this to be very upsetting.  He later found out that Bartleby once worked at the Dead Letter Office.  Is this what made Bartleby go mad?  Was Bartleby "normal" befor he worked that job?  Overall, I found this story to be very sad.  I felt much pity for Bartleby; he was a very lonely person.  Because of this, he had trouble interacting with others, which the lawyer definitely picked up on.