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  • Essay / The impacts of Bartleby, the Scrivener on the lawyer in the story of Herman Melville

    The effects of Bartleby on the lawyer In the story of Herman Melville, "Bartleby, the Scrivener", a lawyer narrates the story of a strange Scrivener who had once worked for him. The editor, Bartleby, is strange due to his refusal to do anything with the calm response: "I would rather not do it." After realizing that Bartleby was affecting him, the lawyer said: "I shuddered at the thought that my contact with the scriber had already seriously affected me mentally. And what additional and deeper aberration could this not yet produce? The lawyer is afraid of becoming more like Bartleby himself. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get an original essay Lawyer says: “I shuddered at the thought that my contact with the scriber had already affected me mentally” because he and his other editors, Turkey and Nippers, had started using the word "prefer". After dismissing Nippers using the word "prefer", the lawyer states: "Somehow, lately, I had gotten into the habit of unintentionally using this word "prefer" in all kinds of matters. 'not entirely appropriate occasions' (para. 115). He was surprised to see that his other editors also started using the word "prefer" when Turkey asked if Bartleby "would rather have a quart of good beer" and when Nippers asked the lawyer if he "would prefer that a certain paper be copied.” on blue or white paper” (paras. 117-125). The lawyer then came to the conclusion that Bartleby had affected him and his other editors mentally because Bartleby had already "to some extent turned the tongue...of myself and the clerks" (para. 125). Since Bartleby has already influenced the way he speaks, the lawyer fears that he will influence him even more. Bartleby had already mentally affected the lawyer because the lawyer had picked up on Bartleby's use of the word "prefer", but the lawyer is also afraid of the "further and deeper aberrations" that his contact with Bartleby may produce in him . The lawyer's character already resembles that of Bartleby. Introducing himself, the lawyer says that he is “one of those unambitious lawyers” and that he believes that the simplest way of life is the best” (para. 3). Similar to the lawyer, but in the extreme, Bartleby is also unambitious and prefers an easy lifestyle, preferring to do nothing but "[stare] at his window in his dead-end reverie (par. 126). In his presentation, the lawyer also says that he "belongs to a proverbially energetic and nervous profession, sometimes even turbulent, and yet I have never suffered anything like this to escape my peace" (para. 3) . This trait of the lawyer is extremely similar to that of Bartleby. Bartleby always remained calm and free of emotion in all situations, even when others showed extreme frustration towards him. For example, the first time Bartleby “preferred not” to help the lawyer compare copies, the lawyer was stunned. The lawyer "rising up with great excitement and striding across the room", repeated his request but Bartleby again replied "I would prefer not to" with his "lean, calm face, his gray eyes vaguely calm, [ and] not a wrinkle of agitation has shaken him” (para. 25) Although the lawyer and Bartleby already resemble each other, the “aberration” that the lawyer fears is that Bartleby might influence him and). increase his already unambitious character The lawyer would then be more like Bartleby and therefore constitute an aberration because he would not be considered normal. Keep in mind: this is just one..