The Rationale of Suicide in Bartleby Essay - 942 Words

The Rationale of Suicide in Bartleby One of the most strikingly confusing details of Herman Melvilles Bartleby is the repetitive use of the specific form of his refusals; he prefers not to comply with his employers demands. Bartleby never argues for his convictions, rather he refuses on the grounds of his preference. Such a vast repetition, along with its inherent perplexity, leads me to believe that the actual wording is symbolic in nature. When someone is asked for his/her preferences, the question is directed to the individuals inner motives and desires. Any question addressed as a preference question, usually grants the consideration of the innermost inclinations. The lawyer never asked Bartleby†¦show more content†¦It appears that Bartleby is hopelessly searching for something that he would actually prefer to do; an assumption backed by his symbolic open-eyed death at the end, and also by his reference to his interests while discussing other job options with his boss: I would not like it at all (par. 204) is the answer he repeats in different wording when offered five different lines of work. In other words, he is connected to his inner inclinations (our pure will that can incline us to either take an action or refrain from it), yet they do not incline him to do anything. The reference to the dead letter solves the mystery; a letter that lacks an address is a dead letter; an address is the letters direction; for the lack of direction a letter dies. The immediate equivalent is none other than Bartleby; he cannot find a thing that he wants to do; he is missing a direction; for the lack of direction Bartleby dies. We can see that he follows his inclinations for all his choices refer to his preferences. We can see that he is searching for something that would interest him (for only interest inclines us to action). We can see that for failure to find his direction, he prefers to die. Melville might be referring to a little-liked truth; once all masks of society are taken off, how many of us are really following our pure inner inclinations?