A review by ostrava
Bartleby, the Scrivener (Dodo Press) by Herman Melville
5.0
Back when I read about the short story, I had always assumed Bartelby served as an allegory for class struggle, social alienation or even an early portrayal of mental illness. So my impression of the character was that he was rebelling against injustice, or reacting to it.
Now though? I kept wondering if the character was going to be revealed as an angel by the end, only for it to be proofed, he had been a mortal man all along. This is how you write a long-lasting masterpiece. Similar to how people haven't figured out Hamlet, or the enigmatic smile of the Mona Lisa, so is Bartelby an ever-lasting mystery for the history of literature. This is a kafkian tale of sorrow, but of a different kind. Both this and the Hunger Artist end with a character dying by starvation, but Bartelby doesn't seem affected by human struggles. He's been hit with messianic enlightenment, but he's no Buddha. Just enough for the reader to believe that he has discovered an angle on mankind yet unseen by most, and decided to die with the secret. I emphasize the idea of "deciding" because I refuse to believe anything that happens to Bartelby in the story isn't part of his own desire in some way. He died because he decided it was time for him to die, for whatever reasons.
I'll definitely be coming back to Melville, an author I admittedly haven't explored much. But I want to avoid distractions, especially fiction books, for the next couple of months and focus on my studies instead. If I do read, it will probably only be the rest of the Piazza Tales, which I'm sure I will enjoy.
Now though? I kept wondering if the character was going to be revealed as an angel by the end, only for it to be proofed, he had been a mortal man all along. This is how you write a long-lasting masterpiece. Similar to how people haven't figured out Hamlet, or the enigmatic smile of the Mona Lisa, so is Bartelby an ever-lasting mystery for the history of literature. This is a kafkian tale of sorrow, but of a different kind. Both this and the Hunger Artist end with a character dying by starvation, but Bartelby doesn't seem affected by human struggles. He's been hit with messianic enlightenment, but he's no Buddha. Just enough for the reader to believe that he has discovered an angle on mankind yet unseen by most, and decided to die with the secret. I emphasize the idea of "deciding" because I refuse to believe anything that happens to Bartelby in the story isn't part of his own desire in some way. He died because he decided it was time for him to die, for whatever reasons.
I'll definitely be coming back to Melville, an author I admittedly haven't explored much. But I want to avoid distractions, especially fiction books, for the next couple of months and focus on my studies instead. If I do read, it will probably only be the rest of the Piazza Tales, which I'm sure I will enjoy.