Herman Melville Bartleby the Scrivener.docx

Herman Melville Bartleby the Scrivener.docx

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HermanMelvilleBartlebytheScrivener

BartlebytheScrivener:

AStoryofWallStreet

HermanMelville

Iamaratherelderlyman.Thenatureofmyavocationsforthelastthirtyyearshasbroughtmeintomorethanordinarycontactwithwhatwouldseemaninterestingandsomewhatsingularsetofmen,ofwhomasyetnothingthatIknowofhaseverbeenwritten:

--Imeanthelaw-copyistsorscriveners.Ihaveknownverymanyofthem,professionallyandprivately,andifIpleased,couldrelatedivershistories,atwhichgood-naturedgentlemenmightsmile,andsentimentalsoulsmightweep.ButIwaivethebiographiesofallotherscrivenersforafewpassagesinthelifeofBartleby,whowasascrivenerthestrangestIeversaworheardof.Whileofotherlaw-copyistsImightwritethecompletelife,ofBartlebynothingofthatsortcanbedone.Ibelievethatnomaterialsexistforafullandsatisfactorybiographyofthisman.Itisanirreparablelosstoliterature.Bartlebywasoneofthosebeingsofwhomnothingisascertainable,exceptfromtheoriginalsources,andinhiscasethoseareverysmall.WhatmyownastonishedeyessawofBartleby,thatisallIknowofhim,except,indeed,onevaguereportwhichwillappearinthesequel.

Ereintroducingthescrivener,ashefirstappearedtome,itisfitImakesomementionofmyself,myemployées,mybusiness,mychambers,andgeneralsurroundings;becausesomesuchdescriptionisindispensabletoanadequateunderstandingofthechiefcharacterabouttobepresented.

Imprimis:

Iamamanwho,fromhisyouthupwards,hasbeenfilledwithaprofoundconvictionthattheeasiestwayoflifeisthebest.Hence,thoughIbelongtoaprofessionproverbiallyenergeticandnervous,eventoturbulence,attimes,yetnothingofthatsorthaveIeversufferedtoinvademypeace.Iamoneofthoseunambitiouslawyerswhoneveraddressesajury,orinanywaydrawsdownpublicapplause;butinthecooltranquillityofasnugretreat,doasnugbusinessamongrichmen'sbondsandmortgagesandtitle-deeds.Allwhoknowmeconsidermeaneminentlysafeman.ThelateJohnJacobAstor,apersonagelittlegiventopoeticenthusiasm,hadnohesitationinpronouncingmyfirstgrandpointtobeprudence;mynext,method.Idonotspeakitinvanity,butsimplyrecordthefact,thatIwasnotunemployedinmyprofessionbythelateJohnJacobAstor;anamewhich,Iadmit,Ilovetorepeat,forithatharoundedandorbicularsoundtoit,andringslikeuntobullion.Iwillfreelyadd,thatIwasnotinsensibletothelateJohnJacobAstor'sgoodopinion.

Sometimepriortotheperiodatwhichthislittlehistorybegins,myavocationshadbeenlargelyincreased.Thegoodoldoffice,nowextinctintheStateofNew-York,ofaMasterinChancery,hadbeenconferreduponme.Itwasnotaveryarduousoffice,butverypleasantlyremunerative.Iseldomlosemytemper;muchmoreseldomindulgeindangerousindignationatwrongsandoutrages;butImustbepermittedtoberashhereanddeclare,thatIconsiderthesuddenandviolentabrogationoftheofficeofMasterofChancery,bythenewConstitution,asa----prematureact;inasmuchasIhadcounteduponalife-leaseoftheprofits,whereasIonlyreceivedthoseofafewshortyears.Butthisisbytheway.

MychamberswereupstairsatNo.--Wall-street.Atoneendtheylookeduponthewhitewalloftheinteriorofaspacioussky-lightshaft,penetratingthebuildingfromtoptobottom.Thisviewmighthavebeenconsideredrathertamethanotherwise,deficientinwhatlandscapepainterscall"life."Butifso,theviewfromtheotherendofmychambersoffered,atleast,acontrast,ifnothingmore.Inthatdirectionmywindowscommandedanunobstructedviewofaloftybrickwall,blackbyageandeverlastingshade;whichwallrequirednospy-glasstobringoutitslurkingbeauties,butforthebenefitofallnear-sightedspectators,waspusheduptowithintenfeetofmywindowpanes.Owingtothegreatheightofthesurroundingbuildings,andmychambersbeingonthesecondfloor,theintervalbetweenthiswallandminenotalittleresembledahugesquarecistern.

AttheperiodjustprecedingtheadventofBartleby,Ihadtwopersonsascopyistsinmyemployment,andapromisingladasanoffice-boy.First,Turkey;second,Nippers;third,GingerNut.Thesemayseemnames,thelikeofwhicharenotusuallyfoundintheDirectory.Intruththeywerenicknames,mutuallyconferreduponeachotherbymythreeclerks,andweredeemedexpressiveoftheirrespectivepersonsorcharacters.Turkeywasashort,pursyEnglishmanofaboutmyownage,thatis,somewherenotfarfromsixty.Inthemorning,onemightsay,hisfacewasofafinefloridhue,butaftertwelveo'clock,meridian--hisdinnerhour--itblazedlikeagratefullofChristmascoals;andcontinuedblazing--but,asitwere,withagradualwane--till6o'clock,P.M.orthereabouts,afterwhichIsawnomoreoftheproprietoroftheface,whichgainingitsmeridianwiththesun,seemedtosetwithit,torise,culminate,anddeclinethefollowingday,withthelikeregularityandundiminishedglory.TherearemanysingularcoincidencesIhaveknowninthecourseofmylife,nottheleastamongwhichwasthefact,thatexactlywhenTurkeydisplayedhisfullestbeamsfromhisredandradiantcountenance,justthen,too,atthatcriticalmoment,beganthedailyperiodwhenIconsideredhisbusinesscapacitiesasseriouslydisturbedfortheremainderofthetwenty-fourhours.Notthathewasabsolutelyidle,oraversetobusinessthen;farfromit.Thedifficultywas,hewasapttobealtogethertooenergetic.Therewasastrange,inflamed,flurried,flightyrecklessnessofactivityabouthim.Hewouldbeincautiousindippinghispenintohisinkstand.Allhisblotsuponmydocuments,weredroppedthereaftertwelveo'clock,meridian.Indeed,notonlywouldheberecklessandsadlygiventomakingblotsintheafternoon,butsomedayshewentfurther,andwasrathernoisy.Atsuchtimes,too,hisfaceflamedwithaugmentedblazonry,asifcannelcoalhadbeenheapedonanthracite.Hemadeanunpleasantracketwithhischair;spilledhissand-box;inmendinghispens,impatientlysplitthemalltopieces,andthrewthemonthefloorinasuddenpassion;stoodupandleanedoverhistable,boxinghispapersaboutinamostindecorousmanner,verysadtobeholdinanelderlymanlikehim.Nevertheless,ashewasinmanywaysamostvaluablepersontome,andallthetimebeforetwelveo'clock,meridian,wasthequickest,steadiestcreaturetoo,accomplishingagreatdealofworkinastylenoteasytobematched--forthesereasons,Iwaswillingtooverlookhiseccentricities,thoughindeed,occasionally,Iremonstratedwithhim.Ididthisverygently,however,because,thoughthecivilest,nay,theblandestandmostreverentialofmeninthemorning,yetintheafternoonhewasdisposed,uponprovocation,tobeslightlyrashwithhistongue,infact,insolent.Now,valuinghismorningservicesasIdid,andresolvednottolosethem;yet,atthesametimemadeuncomfortablebyhisinflamedwaysaftertwelveo'clock;andbeingamanofpeace,unwillingbymyadmonitionstocallforthunseemlyretortsfromhim;Itookuponme,oneSaturdaynoon（hewasalwaysworseonSaturdays）,tohinttohim,verykindly,thatperhapsnowthathewasgrowingold,itmightbewelltoabridgehislabors;inshort,heneednotcometomychambersaftertwelveo'clock,but,dinnerover,hadbestgohometohislodgingsandresthimselftilltea-time.Butno;heinsisteduponhisafternoondevotions.Hiscountenancebecameintolerablyfervid,asheoratoricallyassuredme--gesticulatingwithalongrulerattheotherendoftheroom--thatifhisservicesinthemorningwereuseful,howindispensible,then,intheafternoon?

"Withsubmission,sir,"saidTurkeyonthisoccasion,"Iconsidermyselfyourright-handman.InthemorningIbutmarshalanddeploymycolumns;butintheafternoonIputmyselfattheirhead,andgallantlychargethefoe,thus!

"--andhemadeaviolentthrustwiththeruler.

"Buttheblots,Turkey,"intimatedI.

"True,--but,withsubmission,sir,beholdthesehairs!

Iamgettingold.Surely,sir,ablotortwoofawarmafternoonisnottobeseverelyurgedagainstgrayhairs.Oldage--evenifitblotthepage--ishonorable.Withsubmission,sir,webotharegettingold."

Thisappealtomyfellow-feelingwashardlytoberesisted.Atallevents,Isawthatgohewouldnot.SoImadeupmymindtolethimstay,resolving,nevertheless,toseetoit,thatduringtheafternoonhehadtodowithmylessimportantpapers.

Nippers,thesecondonmylist,wasawhiskered,sallow,and,uponthewhole,ratherpiratical-lookingyoungmanofaboutfiveandtwenty.Ialwaysdeemedhimthevictimoftwoevilpowers--ambitionandindigestion.Theambitionwasevincedbyacertainimpatienceofthedutiesofamerecopyist,anunwarrantableusurpationofstrictlyprofessionalaffairs,suchastheoriginaldrawingupoflegaldocuments.Theindigestionseemedbetokenedinanoccasionalnervoustestinessandgrinningirritability,causingtheteethtoaudiblygrindtogetherovermistakescommittedincopying;unnecessarymaledictions,hissed,ratherthanspoken,intheheatofbusiness;andespeciallybyacontinualdiscontentwiththeheightofthetablewhereheworked.Thoughofaveryingeniousmechanicalturn,Nipperscouldnevergetthistabletosuithim.Heputchipsunderit,blocksofvarioussorts,bitsofpasteboard,andatlastwentsofarastoattemptanexquisiteadjustmentbyfinalpiecesoffoldedblotting-paper.Butnoinventionwouldanswer.If,forthesakeofeasinghisback,hebroughtthetablelidatasharpanglewelluptowardshischin,andwrotethereli