http://cac.ophony.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/medium_bartleby.jpgCharacters-
Protagonist/ Antagonist?- what is the Boss up against in the person of Bartleby? Does Bartleby represent a force beyond himself as an individual? Major/ Minor( who are the major players in the story? What do we know about them? Are they likable? Sympathetic? Realistic? What's the function of the story's minor characters?) Dynamic/ Static- who changes? Who stays the same? Is the story about growth or change? Round/ Flat- Who is the round character? Who are the flat characters?
The Boss up against in the person of Bartleby that he never do anything for him. Yes, Bartleby represent a force beyond himself as an individual, because with the jobs that his boss offer him to be, he could have done it, but he just refuse to do it. The major players in the story was Bartleby and the boss. We know that Bartleby work for him and whenever he offers him jobs as copying, he saids "I prefer not to." The function of the story's minor characters were to represent a way of life of the humanality. The boss changes. And Bartleby stays the same. This story is about change. Because at the end of the story, the boss realized that not everything needs return, sometimes helping out is also a way of life. And Bartleby dies at the end, and he remains his words with "I prefer not to." So i kind of say that this story is about change, because everything went different. The boss is the round character and Bartleby is the flat character, beacause the boss always try to convice Bartleby to talk to him, but he always refuse to, so he turns infuriate of him, so he is in a way of benevolent, and malevolent. Then Bartleby he never change, he still same as the begining of refusing to work for anyone.
Point of view-
Who tells the story?- the first person narrator, who is flawed but human...He's reliable, we trust him. His actions definitely support what he tell us about himself; especially the part about being a man who likes to take the "easy" way. What else is gained by telling this story from the Boss's perspective? Why not Bartleby's perspective? Why not one of the other clerks?
The boss is telling the story. The Boss's perspective were that not everyone do the same thing in the same way, like Bartleby, he don't just do things for him, just as he told him to do, he got his own way of life. It wouldn't be Bartleby's perspective, because no matter what happens, his only response is "I prefer not to," so then there wouldn't be any perspective from him. And not the other clerks, because they only knows how to work for return, and Bartleby doesn't have to do anything, so then they won't be able to see the inside of him.
Plot-
Exposition- what background information does the narrator relate that gives us a greater understanging of the events unfolding? Why does the information about Bartleby's previous employment come at the end of the story rather than at the begining? Complication- how does the Boss React when Bartleby repeatedly refuses to perform to his duties? How does his reaction intensify? What is the Boss's dilemma? Climax- where do you feel the events reach their pinnacle? Where is the conflict most intense, the clash most "explosive"? Resolution- What's the outcome of the explosion? Epiphany- Who has gained insight in this story, Bartleby or the Boss, or anybody?
The background information that the narrator relate that gives us a greater understanging of the events unfolding is in wall street. The information about Bartleby's previous employment come at the end of the story rather than at the begining because that would give us the readers, the explanation of that why he rejects all the orders from everyone. When Bartleby repeatedly refuses to perform to his duties, he was infuriate. The boss's dilemma were that at a side he ask Bartleby to leave, but he wouldn't, and he ask him to work, and he refuse also, so then he is ambivalence about what should he do. The event that make me felt that reach their pinnacle was when all other boss of Bartleby comes to the boss that tell him to take Bartleby away. The conflict most intense, the clash most "explosive" is when that Bartleby stays at the post office, and refuse to do anything either. The outcome of the explosion is when Bartleby was putted in jail, and died. I think the boss gained the insight, because he had learn that everyone had their own life of living, and that they could be what they wanted to be, do what they want to do.
Meaning(Theme)-
Does the story leave you thinking anything? Feeling anything? What do you make out of it all? Passive aggressive people are diffcult to accommodate, diffcult to ignore. Passive resistance is a radical form of rebellion. Offices, where Americans spend the greater part of their lives, are not democracies. Have a life outside work! Don't expect your occupation to bear the burden of your exstence. What other ideas does the story suggest to you?
The story leave me thinking are full with questions about Bartleby, if he is really a human, and what he had been doing for his past life, to cause him to refuse to do anything. And the other ideas that the story suggest to is that everything in our life, it's not only about giving and return, we could also express ourself in many other ways, such as helping out the others, or any other things.
Irony-
The Boss doesn't recognize that his own paddiveness is as persistenting and frustrating as Bartleby's. Or that his genteel, self-interested interest in Bartleby is leading to no good. Can you think of other ironies?
One irony that i could think of is when the boss gave Bartleby the money, and tell him to quit, but what it make me think of is that he doesn't want him to quit, he just want to frighten him, so them he could work for him.
Paradox-
Bartleby is stubborn, self- absorbed, rebelliousm and insubordinate, yet many readers, and even the narrator, the Boss himself, have a deep sympathy for him. Why? Others?
Because he looks pitiful, from his action of not communicating with anyone, and leaving himself alone all the time, so it would cause people to felt sympathize for him.
Ambiguity-
Exactly why does Bartleby always"prefer not to"? Why can't he make frineds, or communicate? What's at the heart of his rebellion? Why doesn't he quit and get a different job? Why dies the Boss have sympathy for Bartleby? What else in the story seems open to individual readers' interpretation?
Bartleby always saids "I prefer not to" because he been working in a post office of facing all those dead letters, and dead from the inside of his heart, so then he would choose not to do anything, cause he felt that everything is useless. And he can't make frineds, or communicate, because he is dead with this world, he doesn't want to communicate with any others, he leaves himself alone, and that is a way for him to find peace. The heart of his rebellion was that everything in this world mean nothing to him, he is vacant. He doesn't quit and get a different job, because he felt that no matter where he go ,everything is going to be the same thing, so he choose not to change.
The Boss have sympathy for Bartleby because he looks pitiful, and lonely. The story seems open to individual readers' interpretation is during their communication or the boss's setiment.
Symbol-
What do the "dead walls" and Bartleby's "dead wall reveries" represent? What 's the significance of the setting? Why is it a story of "Wall street"? Why do Turkey and Nipper have nicknames, and the Boss is never named, and we never learn Bartleby's first name? What's in a name?
The "dead walls" and Bartleby's "dead wall reveries" represent that Bartleby's give up of hope, and the discourage to the world. The significance of the setting is to tell the readers that where they were and when was it taking place. It's a stroy of "Wall Street" because it's a delegate of the people's setiment to the wall street. Turkey and Nipper have nicknames, and the boss was never named, because their name represnts their characteristic, their way of living. In a name it represents us, the represtntation of ourself.
1.Why don't we know anything about Bartleby other than what we see of him in the stroy? Is that a weakness of the story?
we don't know anything about Bartleby other than what we see of him in the stroy, because that would give the readers the curiosity to imagine what will happen. I don't think that consis a weakness of the stroy, because it could cause the readers to follow on, to see what will really happen toward the end of the stroy.
2. Why doesn't the boss just fire Bartleby?
He doesn't fire Bartleby, because he believe that he could help him out to be like more normal.
3. What does the boss do for a living? What kind of company is he running?
The boss write papers for living. And he opened a post office.
