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"It
is not seldom the case that when a man is browbeaten in some unprecedented and
violently unreasonable way, he begins to stagger in his own plainest faith. He
begins, as it were, vaguely to surmise that, wonderful as it may be, all the
justice and all the reason is on the other side. Accordingly, if any
disinterested persons are present, he turns to them for some reinforcement for
his own faltering mind". (Par 40)
I chose this particular section of
the story because I think it applies to many of us at one point or another in
life. We all need reassurance and often times we sit back and wait for someone
we admire with a strong sense of self assurance to have that same point of view
before we speak up. If everyone else has a different perspective we often sit
back and keep our mouths shut. Here is what I came up with in my analytical
point of view for the above quote:
Bartleby has been scolded and never
praised for any of his good doings. He seems as if he will always be insecure
and weak in his thoughts and actions. This type of person usually chooses to
befriend or work for someone who will always want have complete control. His
constant fear of rejection and lack of self esteem will leave him feeling
worthless and lonely. He will seek out confident people and will tend to live
in their shadow. He might feel responsible for any words and actions that don’t
have a good outcome, even apologizing for those things he isn't responsible
for; having a feeling that he has caused them. Bartleby may have been so poorly
treated as a child that he feels he has no good qualities to bring to the
table, in turn making him appear weak and pathetic. All of this might stem from
his fear of not being worthy of being listened to. Bartleby seems depressed and
that of having a shy demeanor. He seems to have such failing ability to express
himself that he doesn't even trust his own thoughts and is searching for
everyone else’s opinion until he hears one that describes one he is comfortable
with. Has no self trust hence the reason of “turning to them for some
reinforcement for his own faltering mind”.
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Saturday, September 8, 2012
Bartleby the Scrivener
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You seem to have a really interesting take on this. I love that you have a completely different view of the story than I did! I can definitely see some of the personality traits you talk about in Bartleby. Do you think he's passive aggressive? Is that what is coming out when he refuses to do things, however politely? To me, I would say this is more the image that the narrator is projecting of how he imagines Bartleby is, and not necessarily how Bartleby actually is. Very thought provoking. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Gretchen! You had a different view on the story, but a very personable one. Instead of looking at Bartleby as what he is to the narrator, you looked at him as a person. We are all people and we are who we are today because of our past, for the most part. You delved deeper into what the narrator has told us about Bartleby and made conclusions for yourself. Maybe his personality is due to trauma in his childhood or some monumental incident in his past. I really like how you took the writing for what is was and made it more colorful simply by forming a character for Bartleby beyond what Melville depicted him as.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the other student who commented previously. We all come up with a perspective or better said an interpretation of the story based on our own experiences and understanding. I, like you pondered for some time over the reasons behind Bartleby's condition. Do you feel cheated as a reader that the narrator never discloses any of these, or do you think this was the author's intention? I know I was captivated by the device of allusiveness I believe we experienced here. It kept my interest but I felt let down at the conclusion. Good Work!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed looking at your visual. I also liked that it was the first thing that I saw. It captured my attention and kept my attention throughout. I hope that you know that you are doing a great job on your blog page too! Your page is very organized and put together very well. Certain blogs can be very hard to understand and follow , however yours is simple and to the point. I was able to agree with your perspective and also think of new ideas as I read. Great job!
ReplyDeleteMolly