Sunday, December 11, 2011

Who is the narrator of "Bartleby the Scrivener"?

It is interesting to note that the narrator remains unnamed, even though the other characters have either names or nicknames.  This makes the narrator a bit of an everyman, and allows the readers to see the story through his eyes.  It also puts the narrator on the same level as Bartleby.  The three other workers - Turkey, Nippers, and Ginger-Nut - all have character traits that indicate they have passions and lives outside of work.  However, the focus of the plot is on Bartleby's inability to find a purpose in life, to find something he prefers to do.  Work is all he is.  Similarly, the narrator is only known to us as a lawyer, suggesting that  he, too, has little life beyond work.  This could be the reason he is so captivated by Bartleby, because he sees himself in this other man.

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